This Underrated Sci-Fi Action Flick Is a Must-Watch on Max Right Now

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Summary

  • Dredd is an underrated comic book movie on HBO Max, set in a dystopian future with intense action sequences.
  • The film stands out for its gritty visuals, self-contained story, and Alex Garland’s smart script.
  • Released during Marvel’s dominance, Dredd’s modesty makes it a special, well-executed sci-fi action flick.

In today’s streaming world, films appear to arrive and depart with each passing month. It’s crucial to catch what you can when it’s available since there’s no guarantee it will return. Each new month typically offers a variety of fresh viewing choices, including original content from streaming services as well as older titles that some viewers may have missed initially. Hidden among the influx of newly added shows and movies on February 1st is one of the most underappreciated comic book films of the recent past, now available on Max.

As a cinephile who appreciates gritty and intense sci-fi action flicks, I’d highly recommend checking out “Dredd” from 2012 – a film that was masterfully directed by Pete Travis and is based on the iconic Judge Dredd comic series from the British anthology, 2000 AD. Unlike many contemporary comic book movies, this one doesn’t demand an in-depth understanding of the character’s backstory or prior knowledge. In fact, even if you’re new to its comic origins, you can still fully immerse yourself in the thrilling adventures of our titular hero. For fans who overlooked it during its initial release, this is a must-watch gem!

What is Dredd?

In the future year 2080, the film Dredd presents a bleak, post-apocalyptic landscape called the Cursed Earth, where humans cling to life in vast, sprawling urban metropolises. Amidst chaos and anarchy, Mega-City One struggles under rampant crime, resulting in a police state. The dispensers of justice are the heavily armed Judges, who hold the power to administer punishment as they deem necessary. Among these Judges is Judge Dredd (The Boys’ Karl Urban), a strict and experienced enforcer, assigned to mentor Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), a cadet with failing grades but extraordinary psychic talents.

Instead of heading to the Peach Trees skyscraper slum, our protagonists are off to investigate the grisly deaths of three minor drug peddlers, discovered mutilated and thrown from the tower’s peak. Clues suggest that the brutal act was orchestrated by Ma-Ma, the local drug lord residing within the structure. As Dredd and Cassandra try to invade her den of illicit activities, Ma-Ma seals off the tower. In a struggle for survival, they must ascend through numerous levels of the tower, battling henchmen on their journey. This narrative bears resemblance to the praised Indonesian action film “The Raid: Redemption,” released the previous year, where law enforcement officers have to force their way through a decaying apartment building for the same purpose – raiding a drug den.

In simpler terms, the film “Dredd” explores a future where law enforcement has extreme authority over life and death, yet it’s not primarily concerned with politics. Instead, its main focus is to offer an intense and gritty sci-fi action experience, seasoned with occasional humor, which it effectively accomplishes.

Why Dredd Deserves More Attention

The film Dredd, upon its release, was generally well-liked, earning an 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and being praised by critics as a significant improvement over the 1995 Sylvester Stallone film Judge Dredd. In the years following its premiere, it has certainly amassed a dedicated fanbase, but it tends to be overshadowed in discussions about comic book movies. This could be due to the fact that it was released during what many consider to be Marvel’s peak period of influence over the comic book movie dialogue, debuting in the same year as The Avengers. Marvel’s initial films were successful, but The Avengers marked a significant shift for the franchise, launching the longest-running and most lucrative superhero movie series to date and steering comic book cinema towards more sophisticated and epic storytelling.

In contrast to other movies that aim for cinematic universes or franchise expansions, “Dredd” presents a more humble production. Unlike its counterparts that tie into extensive comic book lore, “Dredd” offers a self-contained story within an already established universe. If you were to separate it from the comics, it could effortlessly pass as a conventional action movie with a sci-fi twist. This isn’t a flaw but rather one of the factors that make it distinctive among comic book adaptations. At the time of its release in 2012, audiences hadn’t yet grown tired of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s expanding universe. A smaller-scale comic book movie might have been overshadowed by larger productions at the time, but with hindsight, “Dredd” seems even more unique and special.

Notably, Judge Dredd stands out as an exceptionally crafted film, boasting a gritty aesthetic that paints Mega City One as a cold, uninviting urban labyrinth devoid of warmth or happiness. Drawing from its dark and brutal source material, the creators successfully maintained the original’s grim tone while producing an engaging movie experience in its own right.

A significant aspect of this is also attributed to the screenwriter of the film, Alex Garland, who had previously penned scripts for films like “28 Days Later” and “Sunshine,” both directed by Danny Boyle. Fresh from his work on “Sunshine,” Garland started working on “Dredd.” Known for his exceptional talent in genre filmmaking, Garland later wrote and directed notable works such as “Ex Machina,” “Annihilation,” and last year’s “Civil War” – a distinctly different portrayal of a future dystopia. Garland is renowned for blending intelligence with excitement in his genre stories, and the script for “Dredd” reflects this signature style of his.

The film titled “Dredd” may not attain the same level of success as some of Garland’s other productions, but it offers a gritty, action-packed experience that is hard to resist for both sci-fi and action enthusiasts. If you are intrigued and have a Max subscription, I would recommend watching it promptly, as the ever-changing landscape of streaming platforms makes it uncertain how long it will stay accessible.

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2025-02-07 20:25