ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

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Since I never read the comic this movie is based on, I saw it with no preconceived ideas. That allowed me to like it for what it was, and not dislike it because of what it wasn’t. ____________________________________________________________________

Judge Dredd (1995)

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A big budget adaptation of the sci-fi character which began in British comic books back in 1977.

In the future, Earth is mostly a wasteland and most of humanity resides in mega-cities. The law in Mega City One is enforced by Judges who act as police officers, judges, and executioners all rolled into one.

In other words, these judges of the future have a lot of legal power, perhaps too much. The title character (Sylvester Stallone) is probably the best of these enforcers, but he's framed for a murder and sent to a penal colony as punishment. The main villain is Rico (Armand Assante), another former judge who turns out to be a cloned experiment to create the ultimate judges, of which Dredd was also a result. Dredd, of course, soon makes his way back to his city for a confrontation.




____________________ Judge Dredd (trailer)


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As with many such films, the story and concept strayed too far from the original. One superficial difference is that Dredd in the books never took off his helmet. But in such a film, Hollywood felt that the star (Stallone) needed to be seen in all his glory, and perhaps to humanize the character so that the audience can readily identify with him.

The bigger issue is all this hokey plot about Dredd and Rico being experiments to create better Judges. Diane Lane plays Judge Hershey, one of Dredd's very few allies; she's definite eye candy. Rob Schneider, as a convicted thief, is there for comedy relief; he doesn't really belong in a story such as this, though he offers some respite from the doldrums.

Max von Sydow lends dignity to the role of a Chief Judge and Dredd's mentor. The money is well spent on the sets and set design, but there's an emptiness to the proceedings.

BoG's Score: 5.5 out of 10

____________ Superhero Origins: Judge Dredd


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BoG
Galaxy Overlord Galactus
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)