The current cinema
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I dunno, I think Dredd is one of the better American films I’ve seen this year, but I’m not familiar with either the comics or the first movie, so it’s probably difficult for me to appreciate a lot of what you’re talking about here. I do think Travis’ use of 3D was tremendously tactile–it’s probably stretching things to call a film so unabashedly fascistic subversive in the way it explicitly ties 3D’s hallucinogenic qualities to hallucinogenic drugs, but it’s there if you want it to be. & really it reminded me of prime Carpenrer & Hill–just a really well-done, unpretentious, visually inventive picture.
Just realized it’s a British production. Sorry about that.
Mmm-hmm.
Did the editors as MSN Movies mean to make Bryan Cranston look just like Clint Eastwood in juxtaposing the thumbnails of TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE and ARGO? Never saw it before, but it’s hard to deny.
Still want to see Cranston as Blofeld in a Daniel Craig version of ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE. We know he can pull off bald.
Oh, and please tell me the Amy Adams character is named after Mantle. It seems like that kind of movie.
I just saw the film, and I have to say that I agree with Peter, excepting that I have seen the other movie and read,by no means all, but some of the comics. It was, to me, an excellent rock’em sock’em style R‑rated action picture. I won’t claim it’s anything above it, but as one must admit one’s laughter, I will admit I walked out of the movie with a big, uncomplicated smile on my face. That the themes are questionable at best and nowhere in line with the intent of the comics could not put a dent in my happiness. Not even the incredibly wooden acting found purchase, with Karl Urban’s ridiculous sub-Bale gravel voice even increasing the joy that I felt.
For me, it was the best action experience I had at the theaters this summer. Obviously, your mileage has varied.
Not David Bordwell: Cranston’s doppelgänger is and always will be Charlie Ruggles.
I enjoyed Dredd, but was disappointed that it *wasn’t* as consistently rock-em-sock-em as I wished. I kept wanting them to reduce the cutscenes (given the video game immersion it’s going for, that seems the right word for the talky part) and give me more action, more mutants, more druggy pretty stuff. Also for Anderson to get to use her psychic powers for more badassery, rather than keeping her quivering for the first 75 minutes in order to create a narrative and emotional arc about which neither I nor anyone else cares. Nothing wrong with big, loud, simple action movies, but MAKE BIG LOUD SIMPLE ACTION MOVIES! We do not need all that talky-talk!