Dredd (2012)
78%RT Audience Score: 72%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Dredd, the 2012 adaptation of the long-running British comic-book character, is a film that is not for the faint of heart. However, it is a great sci-fi action film that hints at a broader, weirder world while maintaining a tight focus on the matter at hand. The film’s calculated approach to its hero and its visuals is a refreshing change from the shaky camera work and rushed editing that plagues so many action films. While some critics may find fault with its humorless and scowling tone, Dredd proves that the smartest way to handle an action plot is often the simplest. Overall, Dredd is a hyper-violent, sleaze-adjacent, and brutish movie that is exactly what the character deserved, and it should be lauded for its unabashed visual aesthetics.
If you’re looking for a movie that’s as violent as it is visually stunning, then Dredd is the perfect pick for you. This adaptation of the British comic-book character is a non-stop action-packed ride that will leave you on the edge of your seat. While some critics may argue that it’s too brutal, we say bring on the blood and guts! Karl Urban’s portrayal of Judge Dredd is spot-on, and the film’s sleek visuals make it a feast for the eyes. So grab some popcorn, buckle up, and get ready for a wild ride with Dredd.
Production Company(ies)
DNA Films & TV, Lionsgate, Netflix
Distributor
Lionsgate Films
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Johannesburg, South Africa; Gauteng, South Africa
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
2012
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 36m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 21, 2012 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 8, 2013
Genre(s)
Action/Sci-fi
Keyword(s)
starring Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey, Wood Harris, Langley Kirkwood, Junior Singo, directed by Pete Travis, written by Alex Garland, action, sci-fi, R-rated, Lionsgate Films, produced by Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Alex Garland, Jason Kingsley, Chris Kingsley, reviewed by Tim Grierson, Calum Marsh, Marc Savlov, Sam Adams, Claudia Puig, Katey Rich, Iván Kazi, Brian Eggert, Travis Johnson, Graeme Tuckett, Dustin Chang, box office gross $13.3M, budget, Dolby Digital, Datasat, Judge Dredd, Cassandra Anderson, Ma-Ma, Kay, Judge Lex, Amos, critic reviews, audience reviews, comic book adaptation, violence, special effects, self-satire, deadpan humor, gritty, psychic abilities, drug lord, dystopian future
Worldwide gross: $41,037,742
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: $13,414,714
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $50,000,000
3D RELEASE:
Yes
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Olivia Thirlby – Cassandra Anderson
Lena Headey – Ma-Ma
Wood Harris – Kay
Langley Kirkwood – Judge Lex
Junior Singo – Amos
Director – Pete Travis
Producers – Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Alex Garland, Jason Kingsley, Chris Kingsley
Writer – Alex Garland
Sound Mix – Dolby Digital, Datasat
Aspect Ratio – Scope (2.35:1)
Director(s)
Pete Travis
Writer(s)
Alex Garland
Producer(s)
Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Alex Garland, Jason Kingsley, Chris Kingsley
Film Festivals
Toronto
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (171) | Top Critics (44) | Fresh (136) | Rotten (35)
If Hollywood is going to be indicted for making mindlessly violent action films, let them at least be as good as this one.
February 12, 2013
Tim Grierson
Deadspin
TOP CRITIC
Whether by design or otherwise, Dredd seems better-suited to a 2D home video presentation than to the 3D silver screen.
December 30, 2012 | Rating: 3/4
Calum Marsh
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
I may have never seen a nonhorror film as relentlessly, brutally, and crowd-pleasingly violent as this skintight adaptation of the long-running British comic-book character.
September 28, 2012 | Rating: 3.5/5
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
A Judge Dredd for the 21st century: humorless, scowling and shot in murky 3-D.
September 28, 2012 | Rating: B-
Sam Adams
Philadelphia City Paper
TOP CRITIC
While not for the squeamish, Dredd 3D is an effectively gritty B movie accentuated by stylish visuals and irreverent humor.
September 21, 2012 | Rating: 2.5/4
Claudia Puig
USA Today
TOP CRITIC
With style and dour charisma to spare, Dredd proves that the smartest way to handle an action plot is often the simplest.
September 21, 2012 | Rating: 3/5
Katey Rich
CinemaBlend
TOP CRITIC
It is as ponderable in its entirety as in the sum of its parts. It is, fundamentally, a beating to the senses. [Full review in Spanish]
April 12, 2023 | Rating: 10/10
Iván Kazi
EscribiendoCine
When so many action films rely on shaky camera work and a seemingly rushed assemblage of shots strung together by a wired editor, Dredd is as calculated as its hero.
September 25, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
A great sci-fi action film, one that hints at a broader, weirder world while maintaining a tight focus on the matter at hand.
August 18, 2022
Travis Johnson
Flicks (AU, NZ, UK)
It is almost exactly the hyper-violent, sleaze-adjacent and brutish movie the character deserved. Bravo.
April 18, 2022
Graeme Tuckett
Stuff.co.nz
If anything, the new Judge Dredd movie should be lauded for its unabashed visual aesthetics. Presumably unintentionally, it has taken JG Ballard’s body/machine atrocity exhibition to a new height.
February 28, 2021
Dustin Chang
Floating World
Among all the pyrotechnics and bullet-filled mayhem, Urban (Star Trek, Priest) is a striking presence, seemingly all business, but still managing to generate more emotion and pathos within a helmet than Stallone did without.
January 19, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
James Croot
Stuff.co.nz…
Plot
In a violent metropolis ruled by felons, Judge Dredd and rookie Cassandra Anderson are sent to take down drug lord Ma-Ma and her empire in Dredd.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features Karl Urban as Judge Dredd, who is described as a “straw man Clint Eastwood.”
Pete-Travis.jpg
