2012 was a major year for superhero movies. Marvel and DC changed the way they handled their key franchises. Marvel brought its characters together with The Avengers, while Christopher Nolan wrapped up his Batman trilogy with The Dark Knight Rises, just before the DCEU kicked off.
Even though The Amazing Spider-Man received mixed reviews, it still made nearly $800 million worldwide. A smaller hit like Chronicle showed that superhero movies didn’t need huge budgets to be successful if they had a strong story and a talented director.
Superhero movies were doing well, but a new Dredd film went unnoticed when it came out in September. It was the first movie about the masked judge, jury, and executioner, created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, since the 1995 Judge Dredd film starring Sylvester Stallone.
Despite early screenings at Comic-Con and the Toronto International Film Festival receiving positive feedback, Dredd struggled to make an impact, even with its smaller $45 million budget, compared to the over $200 million spent on The Avengers, The Amazing Spider-Man, and The Dark Knight Rises. Plans for sequels were soon abandoned.
‘Dredd’ Stands Out in the Superhero Genre
Dredd is one of the most underrated superhero films of the last ten years. It moves away from the campiness of the Stallone version. While not all superhero movies need a dark and gritty tone, it fits perfectly here. Dredd takes place in a future where cities are controlled by crime syndicates, and pollution has damaged the environment.
This setting isn’t far from reality. The film’s focus on the increasing power of law enforcement justifies its bleak tone. Even though Dredd himself does some good, he can’t stop the ongoing cycle of violence.
Karl Urban’s performance as Dredd stands out, and people often ask if he’ll return to the role. It’s not just because his growling voice sounds cool (though it definitely does).
Urban plays Dredd as someone worn down by his job. Enforcing the law isn’t heroic for Dredd, it’s just his work. The city’s corruption and crime have taken a toll on him. Urban brings a roughness to Dredd that goes beyond macho posturing, and it adds depth to his character.
Olivia Thirlby’s Cassandra Adds Depth to ‘Dredd’
Dredd’s strict way of doing things is tested by his partnership with psychic Cassandra Anderson, played by Olivia Thirlby. She’s a judge-in-training, paired with Dredd after barely failing the test to join his ranks. This close failure creates tension between them.
For Dredd, delivering justice is only possible when he’s sure the person is guilty. Watching Dredd shoot a street thug during an armed robbery feels justified because he doesn’t show the same violence unless the threat is real. This sets Dredd apart from other superhero films, as it’s aware of collateral damage.
Anderson’s ability to read minds challenges Dredd’s black-and-white view of justice. She brings empathy to situations that Dredd would handle with force. The film shows Anderson’s psychic abilities through nightmarish visuals, making it clear that she experiences the inner worlds of others.
This contrast between them adds another layer to their crime-solving partnership. Dredd acts like a tough detective, but Anderson’s powers allow her to get information from even the most unwilling people.
‘Dredd’ Uses 3D to Enhance the Film’s Action
Anderson’s psychic abilities are just one part of Dredd’s great use of 3D technology. Even though the film was converted to 3D after being shot, it still works to make the action feel more intense. Dredd and Anderson often communicate silently, and the 3D lets the audience see the details of their environment clearly.
Mega-City One, the decaying metropolis, looks realistic, but director Pete Travis uses stylized violence to keep a pulp-fiction feel. The violence in Dredd is exaggerated to the point of being absurd, with graphic scenes of destruction and dismemberment.
One standout use of 3D comes with the drug “Slo-Mo.” This drug, which Ma-Ma (Lena Headey) uses to control her building, makes users feel like time is moving slowly.
The 3D shows the drug’s effect on people in a vivid and disturbing way. It also makes Dredd’s most brutal kills stand out. Watching Karl Urban blow someone’s head off to a slow, somber song is a memorable moment.
The tower where the action takes place is well-designed, and screenwriter Alex Garland focuses on making a large world feel small. Most of the action happens within one building controlled by Ma-Ma.
By keeping the story contained, Garland creates more suspense. While The Raid: Redemption used a similar concept a few months earlier, Dredd still manages to make its own mark on the “action in a tower” genre.
‘Dredd’ Was Ahead of Its Time
It’s ironic that Dredd came out just a few years before R-Rated superhero films like Deadpool, Logan, and Joker showed that there was a big audience for darker superhero stories. Dredd could have benefited from a wider range of superhero films, especially as some fans have grown tired of the typical Marvel and DC formula.
Dredd works well for those who don’t follow superhero films closely, as it doesn’t rely on any past knowledge of the character or its universe. Since the 1995 Judge Dredd film didn’t do well at the box office, many viewers likely saw Dredd as a fresh take on the character.
Dredd was released before R-Rated action films like The Equalizer and John Wick became hits. At the time, action movies were dominated by PG-13 franchises like James Bond, Mission: Impossible, Bourne, and Fast and Furious.
But audiences showed there was interest in more mature, violent action films. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic, films like Nobody, The Beekeeper, Monkey Man, and Bad Boys: Ride or Die prove that a film like Dredd could have found more success today.
Garland’s growing fame could have also helped Dredd. After writing the film, he became known for his successful genre films like Ex Machina, which earned him an Academy Award nomination, and Annihilation. Urban has hinted that Garland’s involvement in Dredd was more significant than people thought.
Today, Garland’s name would attract more attention to the film, making it stand out as more than just a comic book adaptation. It’s unfortunate that Urban hasn’t had the chance to return to the role, as he was perfect for it. While he’s found success playing Billy Butcher in The Boys, Dredd could have given him the big movie career he deserved.
Not every comic book movie that doesn’t do well at the box office is worth revisiting, but Dredd might have just been released at the wrong time. Maybe audiences weren’t ready to forget about the Stallone version, or the marketing aimed too much at hardcore fans.
But Dredd fills a gap in modern action movies with its gritty, ‘80s-inspired science fiction. There’s still hope for a sequel or TV series, and this is a universe worth returning to.
“Dredd” stands out as an overlooked yet powerful superhero movie. Its gritty, dystopian setting, strong performances, and smart use of 3D effects make it a unique entry in the genre. Although underappreciated upon release, its impact and style continue to resonate, making it worth revisiting for fans of mature action films.
Dredd is currently available to buy or rent on Prime Video in the U.S.
