dredd import region A

I just finally got the 3D blu ray of Dredd, how did this slip the radar..I hated the Stallone version, Urbans version here is superb keeping to the original 2000ad roots ,with amazing visual effects that if you watch in 3D it must be incredible, but the disc is both 3D and 2D , I only had 2D system but still looks visually amazing.. fantastic story almost entirely set in mega block full of crime and despair waiting to be cleaned up...check out that lawgiver, amazing...if you like SF action, madmax,wick,transporter ...don't miss this!

If you have a Blu-ray player and are going to buy this movie, then it must be bought in Blu-ray (BR). I have seen this film in standard definition (SD), and it just doesn't compare to BR. I put the movie on just for a moment to check out what the picture quality was like. That was since some folk in early reviews mentioned bad picture quality. There is some film grain, but it's normal to me. It is more noticeable in some places that others. However when you're that blown away watching, it's totally liveable with. Anyway, I only meant to watch for a moment, but could not stop watching until it was over. Considering I have seen this movie already, I was not expecting that. (Not even remotely expecting it.) In BR the film is easily twice as good as it is in SD. Blu-ray takes away that sort of dark greyness that it had in standard definition. The uniforms can be seen to be made of quality leather and you can see the leather grain. It comes to life in Blu-ray. Everything comes to life in Blu-ray. It's alive, vibrant, and right at you. Action is more dynamic. The effects of slo-mo are stunning and I wasn't even impressed with that in SD. The bike and weapon looked much better. You could see the gun in BR. I saw things in BR that I never or barely even noticed on SD. Like during the bike chase Dredd fires the bike cannons, and you see the rounds hit the vehicle. All I noticed in SD was the van being chased. I can't really overplay how much I enjoyed this in BR. Urban rocked it. It's well directed. PSi Anderson looked different to how I expected her, but Thirlby rocked it too. There were downsides to the movie, that were present in any format. In the comics, all of Mega City One was extreme high-rise, but in the movie not. Vehicles were from present day in the movie. Maybe if they had put some effects into making the vehicles look from the era, it might have sold more. I think time relevant vehicles might have sealed the sci-fi vibe. It still didn't detract critically from the movie though, and barely detracted at all. It was just an 'if only' moment. Dredd has gone from a good/very good movie in SD, to one of my favourite movies in Blu-Ray. On Blu-ray it's right up there equal first, to any other movie I think of as a favourite movie. (Or best action movie.) Any Dredd fan owes it to themselves to buy this in BR format.

I just saw this movie and can only say that it's probably one of the best action films i have ever seen - it's certainly the best since the Bourne films. Having read some off putting reviews I decided to go with it anyway. To be fair the negative reviews seemed to focus mainly on the DVD quality which i why i went for the none blu-ray/3D, the quality of which was excellent. First off, if this is a budget film i see no evidence of lack of cash being spent on visuals. Present day street scenes have been used but they look superb, and why not use them? For the look of this particular film the locations and sets are spectacularly gritty. Almost Matrix beating. There are no super space-age shiny uniforms as per the Stallone version. Everything is functional and fits in with this devastated and socially diseased vision of earth. Characters are believable. Karl Urban does for Dredd what Val Kilmer did for Jim Morrison, or what Johnny Depp did for Hunter S Thompson - he IS Dredd! In fact there are no characters that seem out of place here. I particularly enjoyed the portrayal of Ma Ma, gang leader of the Ma Ma clan. This is someone who is a product of Mega City One - corrupted, twisted and scarred by her environment, and have no doubt that this is a sick place. Effects are stunning with the best of being focused around the use of 'Slow-mo', the brand new drug of choice. What i love here is the use of some practical effects. Use of blood and gore goes straight to 11. Judge's weapons are beautifully crafted yet fairly understated. They look like they would actually work. Again, with the budget i fail to see where film makers have been frugal. A lot of reviews point out the anti-climax with Ma Ma ..blah blah blah. Those people fail to understand what life as a Judge in Mega City One is all about. In my opinion this film IS simply a day in the life of a Mega City judge, albeit possibly the hardest Judge of all. This film is not trying to be pretty or to please all. It's an introduction to show what could be possible if somehow a wider audience could be met. Unfortunately the downside with Dredd is that it's likely to become a cult movie because it won't appeal to the main stream. To me that means 'no follow up'. And that is gutting. I just wish that sequels could be made. So much could be done with this world. The stories and characters are already there. Ground has been laid with this first fantastic film. My only advise is that if you appreciate what is going on here you should sell it to others. I don't think Dredd is dead just yet!

For the uninitiated [just in case they're reading this]. Dredd is another comic book movie. Based on Judge Dredd. Long running star of long running British science fiction comic 2000AD. Set in a future America which has been mostly destroyed by nuclear war, it takes place in Mega City one. A huge urban conurbation that takes in most of the east coast. Residents of the city live in city blocks. Gigantic skyscrapers which contain absolutely everything you could ever need. And you can live your entire life in one without needing to go outside. Mega City one is a crime ridden and violent place. All that keeps order [such as it is] are the Judges. The law of the future. Judge, jury, and executioner, all rolled into one. Best of them all is Judge Dredd. tough but fair. A man of few words but very good with one liners. He is the law. And you never see him take his helmet off. He's an embodiment of faceless justice. Dredd appeared on screen once before, in the mid 1990's Slyvester Stallone version. Which didn't quite meet with universal approval. Many were hoping he'd get another go on the big screen ever since. And then it finally happened. Thus this is a fresh cinematic take on the character, with no tie in whatsoever to that earlier version. Dredd in this version is played by Karl Urban. Who isn't seen taking his helmet off. The film, like any that tries to start a franchise, is an introduction to the character and their world. Such films show viewers the character and their setting. Give you their origin story. And give them an adventure as well. But since this film summaries all you need to know about Dredd's origin in a brief bit of opening exposition, it is thus a faster and pacier piece of work than many would be franchise starters, since it can get right on with the action. Dredd, after taking down some gun wielding dangerous drivers who happen to be high on drugs, is assigned by the chief of his department, to assess a rookie Judge's capability. Said judge is Cassandra Anderson [Olivia Thirlby] who happens to also be a powerful telepath. The two investigate a murder in Peachtrees city block. Which is ruled over by Ma-Ma [Lena Headey] a very viscious gang leader. Whose gang are responsible for producing Slo-Mo. The drug that the dangerous drivers happened to be high on. But when things go wrong, the two judges find themselves trapped in the block. With no help on the way. And with a suspect to take into custody. But with lots of viscious killers out to get them. Can justice prevail? This wasn't the biggest budgeted movie ever, but it gets around that by presenting a more near future look to the setting than the comic. Whilst most of the costumes and vehicles are almost the kind of thing you would see today, this approach does work fine. Particularly as all the action sequences and motorbike scenes are done for real without anything in the way of visual effects. It is also one of the most violent and graphically so movies you will ever see, and is thus an eighteen certificate. But it's never gratuitious. All this just shows you what a harsh and dangerous place the city is, and what the judges are up against. Karl Urban captures his character perfectly. There are moments when comic book fans will probably grin with delight simply because this really is Dredd as you've always imagined him being done visually. Olivia Thirlby presents a spot on version of Anderson also, even though this a younger version of the character to what you might be used to. As an action movie this has some pretty decent set pieces that should keep fans of that genre happy. Any similarities between it and The Raid [DVD ] aren't much, and purely coincidental. It aims to show just one ordinary day in the life of Judge Dredd. It does exactly that. It should keep fans of the comic very happy. And action movie lovers might just be hooked also. The dvd has the following language and subtitle options: Languages: English. Subtitles: English. The disc begins with no trailers whatsover. Just a short copyright message. You can't skip past it, but it doesn't last very long. There may appear to be a lot of extras at first glance, but they are all very short featurettes. Dredd: 2000AD the original. Slo mo. Dredd's gear. Welcome to Peachtrees. Dredd. The third dimension. All of these cover what their titles say, and none last more than two to three minutes. But are okay for what they are. The interview section gives interviews with the four main cast members, the scriptwriter along with Judge Dredd creator John Wagner, the director, two of the producers, and the cinematographer. These can be watched individually or all in a row. None lasts for more than five minutes. Some only one or two minutes. And all contain very short soundbites. But some are okay. In particular the one with John Wagner in it. There's also a section of previews, which contains eight trailers for totally unrelated movies. Which can also be watched individually. Or all in a row. An ok dvd. A very good movie. Especially if you're a fan of the character from the printed page. Alas, poor international performance of the film has probably killed off any chance of a sequel. But Dredd did in the end get the movie that he deserves.

*A few Spoilers* I've been biding my time on writing a review for Dredd 3D, mulling over the memories of 'beautiful' psychedelic violence, remembering the good ol' days when all action movies were like this (though they had it to a much lesser extent!). Like many other people, I had anxiety regarding Karl Urban playing Dredd. He isn't the gravelly throated, grim faced giant you would have expected filling the role. He is however, very adaptable and a good actor to boot. To my massive relief, he definitely got it. He hit the nail right on the head of Dredd's character, fulfilling the Dirty Harry-esque quiet, calm but ultimately dangerous presence. Urban has you scared of Dredd as much, if not more than his enemies. A poignant moment for me is a scene where he has a perp (perpetrator) slammed against a wall and is 'interrogating' him in the most forceful fashion you can imagine. At the end of the movie, Anderson walks away and you feel she's escaped Dredd as much as Ma'ma's henchmen. He's the most anti-hero character I've seen on the big screen. Dredd gets right to the point, no over-exposition, no faffing about at all. Villains die in all kinds of excruciatingly non-sympathetic detail. Sometimes they'll peel open right in front of you as a bullet rips through, other times a simple bang from Dredd's gun, the Lawgiver, and a big puff of crimson. In terms of the plot, it has various channels including Dredd's role to assess Anderson as a street Judge, her special mutant abilities that often come to help despite being seen as taboo, Judges who are revealed as corrupt and pose a huge threat to Dredd and Anderson. The central plot is that both Anderson and Dredd are locked down in a huge tower block ruled by a drug lord, the aforementioned Ma'ma and her henchmen. The pair work their way to the top of the building to 'judge' Ma'ma but have to work their way through droves of perps. This has often been compared to The Raid, and shrugged off as a copy. Lazy people who have not done their homework neglect the fact Dredd was in production, with a script and plot long before work started on The Raid. But The Raid was released first so according to them, Dredd is a rip off... Other people, right here on Amazon, complain the movie is too violent. It IS too violent if you have a nervous disposition, or haven't grown up on movies like Predator, Rambo, Alien/s, Commando, etc. But if you know 2000AD and the Dredd character, you shouldn't have a reason to complain. This is a fantastic movie, criminally ignored even by some of my friends who claim to love action movies. There's no excuse to go see the massively overrated Dark Knight Rises but fail to see this. Buy it. Please. I want to see a sequel.

I was a massive Dredd fan in my early teens, and when I first heard that Mega City's finest was about to appear in a major Hollywood movie I could scarcely contain my excitement. It's fair to say that while Sylvester Stallone wouldn't have been my first choice for the role, I kept an open mind and - like so many other young Earthlets - handed over my pocket money at the cinema in anticipation of the thrill of a lifetime. This isn't really the place to talk about the shortcomings of that particular adaptation, but needless to say I was hugely disappointed. Call me fickle, but it wore me down so much trying to convince people the film was nothing like the comic books that I eventually felt like some whiney runt who needed to get a life. My subscription to 2000AD expired without me even noticing, and suddenly (completely without warning) I was listening to moody rock music and desperately trying to get girls to notice me. It would be many years before I even gave Dredd a second thought. Then, a couple of years ago, I saw a billboard for this movie while making my way to work. At the time, the sheer volume of comic book adaptations hitting the big screen put me off seeing it - and after the Stallone debacle I couldn't help wondering if Dredd would be safer remaining firmly and resolutely on the printed page. But, having heard great things about this film from my friends, I cautiously decided to give it a go. I'm glad I did: this film is FANTASTIC. Dredd takes place over the course of a single day, in one location. Sounds dull, huh? No way. Not only does this build up tension and atmosphere, it also allows everything that happens to be as a result of the characters' ethical choices - not simply because of plot demands. Dredd, played marvellously by Karl Urban, is the same rugged, hard-nosed bastard we've grown to love ever since he first appeared in the pages of 2000AD. The film doesn't soften or betray him in any way; he's a product of this harsh, unforgiving world and represents the necessities/excesses of a police state gone haywire. In a very smart move, Judge Anderson, beautifully brought to life by Olivia Thirlby, becomes the audience identification figure. We see Mega City One and the rigors of bringing law to lawlessness in this nightmare world through her eyes. For 95 minutes, we're trapped in Peach Trees mega-block with our protagonists, negotiating our way through a maze of concrete and bullets - and it's utterly gripping. The dialogue is taut, sometimes urgent, but never clunky, and tells us just enough without being exposition heavy. It also gives the actors a great degree of scope in bringing their characters to life. While Alex Garland's remarkable screenplay gives very little away about the terrifying Ma-Ma, portrayed with great relish by Lena Headey, we understand her motivations (and even personal demons) right from the off. There are so many more things I could tell you, but I've done enough gushing (other reviewers can tell you more about how the movie accurately reflects the world of the comic books, not to mention how stunning the cinematography is). All that's left for me to say is, give this film a go - you won't be disappointed.

Adi Shankar, the movie's producer, has confirmed that no Dredd 2 is in the pipeline, and that's a real shame. Originally conceived by the writer, Alex Garland, to be a trilogy with a rumoured finale involving the Dark Judges it all looked really promising. However, it was a flop at the opening weekend in the cinemas and never recovered. Personally, I blame the poor marketing campaign (Dredd 3D sounds like a B movie) and the lingering associations with the travesty of the Stallone version. There is a small piece of good news, there will be a movie short, so that is something to look forward to. So what we have is all we will have (for now at least) and therefore must stand on it's own, and it definitely does. Karl Urban is a great Dredd (and yes, he doesn't ever take off his helmet) who is about as close to the Wagner creation as we are likely to see. OK, there are a few flaws, but really die-hard Dredd-Heads are about the only people who might pick holes in the performance (real swear words instead of "Drokk", a premise that a witness might end up in court are a couple of minor points). The movie plot itself is simple enough, and works well and the inclusion of a rookie Judge Anderson is an interesting spin (although clearly nothing to do with the comic version of events, but so what!). Basic premise is that Dredd and Anderson have to fight their way to the top of a megablock to take down a particularly nasty perp, Ma Ma (played by the excellent Lena Headey) who is the head of a clan controlling a narcotic called Slo Mo. The movie has been rightly praised for the cinematography, and it is beautifully shot. The 3D is well integrated, rather than an after-thought, and has picked up awards for it's effectiveness. I would urge you to buy this movie. Don't borrow it, torrent it, or whatever. If the DVD / Blu Ray sales pick up we still may have a slim chance of seeing Dredd 2. And if you like it, tweet Adi Shankar and tell him! Oh, and Dredd-Heads, see if you can spot the Chopper graffiti. It's there...

Well after the debacle that was Stallone's dredd...far too short, takes his helmet off, Rico not having facial surgery in preparation for Titan and then not going there either!... (although the introducion of the ABC warriors was a nifty idea) this was a pleasant relief. Karl Urbans 'gritty' dredd is true to the cause and the story line is of it's own right and not trying to egg off others already written. The inferences to other 2000AD characters and storylines in the background to the film (eg chopper) are nicely snuck in and iconic everyday elements like the hottie house are incorporated well. Dredd keeps his helmet on and all is well on that front, he is suitably stoic and emotionless but if Anderson had been an out and out mutant he would have been wholly intolerant as it was after all, a crime. For all readers of the comic (as I was from prog 1) she did not have the physical attributes (read breasts) to bring the character to life on screen and she was far too meek and not esoteric enough for the part. The iconography was spot on and the mix between the Mega City 1 we know and the modern day south africa was apparent and identifiable; although maybe not futuristic enough for my liking. Having seen it in 3D in the cinema and on a friends TV and in 2D on my own TV I would say that 3D on TV did not make that much of a difference but in the cinema made a massive difference and was worth the money. From a fans perspective its a great film that I hope spawns a sequel or dozen, as there are potentially unlimited plots and major characters that they can exploit which would all bring something to the screen. All I can say is I loved it (even though I spent the film equally reminiscing and critising). If you have ever read 2000AD and loved Dredd then this is what you have been waiting for - ultra violent and by the book (of law, that is)...rent it, buy it...watch it on big screen if possible. You will love it for the entity it is. I can't help watching it just one more time. Dredd.