Subject: REVIEW: JUDGE DREDD

From: [email-masked] (berardinelli,james)
Date: Wed, 5 Jul 1995 13:38:16 GMT

JUDGE DREDD
		       A film review by James Berardinelli
			Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
 
RATING (0 TO 10):  5.1 
 
United States, 1995 
U.S. Availability: wide release 6/30/95 
Running Length: 1:36 
MPAA Classification: R (Extreme violence, profanity) 
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 

Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Armand Assante, Diane Lane, Rob Schneider, 
      Jurgen Prochnow, Joan Chen, Max von Sydow 
Director: Danny Cannon 
Producers: Charles M. Lippincott and Beau E.L. Marks 
Screenplay: William Wisher and Steven E. De Souza from a story by 
            Michael De Luca and William Wisher 
Cinematography: Adrian Biddle 
Music: Alan Silvestri 
U.S. Distributor: Hollywood Pictures 
 
     Some two decades ago, Sylvester Stallone actually did a little 
acting in a movie called ROCKY.  Since then, he's pretty much strutted 
his way through film after film, grunting convincingly and occasionally 
uttering a line or two of dialogue.  He probably has more range than 
Steven Seagal, but that's not saying much.  RAMBO, CLIFFHANGER, and THE 
SPECIALIST have been box office successes, and now Stallone carries an 
impossibly large price tag.  His latest, JUDGE DREDD, based on a popular 
British comic book, comes across pretty much as a retread of DEMOLITION 
MAN, right down to the basic quality of the production. 
 
     DREDD has a serious tone problem.  Sometimes, it's rather amusing, 
but it's impossible to decide whether this is accidental or on purpose.  
Is the director playing with the audience or is the picture an exercise 
in campy seriousness that would make Ed Wood smile?  There are few 
clues.  Often, JUDGE DREDD appears to be a parody, but my guess is that 
Danny Cannon was aiming for an action/adventure flick with a humorous 
edge.   
 
     At least visually, this film aspires to be BLADE RUNNER, but 
aspirations are all it has.  Ridley Scott's science fiction classic gave 
a unique visual look to the future.  DREDD's Mega-City One (formerly New 
York) is a glitzy replication.  In fact, just about everything in this 
silly, sub-par science fiction farce is derivative.  For example, 
there's an air speeder chase lifted directly from RETURN OF THE JEDI, 
and DREDD is littered with nods to ROBOCOP.  Those hoping for a coherent 
story would do better to stay away.  When the film's narrative makes 
sense, it's only because of hard-to-swallow contrivances. 
 
     It's the twenty-second century on Earth (now called "The Cursed 
Earth", as James Earl Jones informs us in an introductory monologue), 
and crime is out of control.  A new breed of law enforcement officer has 
been born.  With the power to apprehend, convict, and carry out 
sentences, the Judges have become rightfully feared.  Dredd (Stallone -- 
who else?) is the best of the bunch.  Emotionless and rigidly devoted to 
the Law, he doesn't cut anyone any breaks, not even a petty crook just 
trying to save his own life (Rob Schneider).  Then the tables are 
turned.  Dredd is framed for murder and, when his chosen defense 
counselor, Judge Hershey (Diane Lane), can't contradict some DNA 
evidence (no, this isn't the O.J. Simpson trial), he is sent to prison.  
And, while Dredd is on his way up the river, an irredeemably vicious ex-
Judge, Rico (Armand Assante), returns to Mega-City One to wreak havoc. 
 
     Performance-wise, there isn't much that's memorable here.  Stallone 
is Stallone; need more be said?  Diane Lane is pretty bland, and she and 
her beefy co-star don't threaten to start any fires with their sparkless 
relationship.  Rob Schneider is fitfully funny as the comic relief, but 
that's his job.  Armand Assante seems to be having a whale of a good 
time, though.  Like any actor playing a solid, over-the-top villain, 
he's fun to watch.  Respected thespians like Max von Sydow and Jurgen 
Prochnow have relatively brief appearances.  And Joan Chen again wins 
the "most underused performer of the film" award. 
 
     In the STAR WARS movies, we had "May the Force be with you."  
Schwarzenegger is known for saying "I'll be back."  The tag line for 
JUDGE DREDD appears to be "I knew you'd say that."  Catchy, huh?  Of 
course, all the "best" lines go to Stallone, and he half-bellows, half-
grunts them in typical fashion.  These include:  "I AM the Law!" and the 
Spock-like "Emotions:  there ought to be a law against them."  Now, 
we're not meant to take this sort of dialogue seriously, are we? 
 
     The problem is, no matter what you expect from JUDGE DREDD, you're 
likely to laugh at it more often than with it.  It is frequently 
diverting, but this is entertainment of the lowest level.  Other comic 
book characters (most notably Superman and Batman) have weathered the 
transition to live action far better.  Dredd is pure Stallone and, 
irrespective of all the sci-fi trappings, that statement is probably all 
that's needed to define exactly what kind of movie this is. 
 
- James Berardinelli ([email-masked])