Robert George
Screenwriter
- Joined
- Jul 3, 1997
- Messages
- 1,176
I'm sure there will be an official forum review and a "Few Words About" from Bob Harris, so I'll only steal a little of their thunder. And "thunder" is more of a pun that you may know.
My nomination for most under-appreciated movie of the year is...DREDD.
Perhaps it was my expectation of another major cheese fest after Stallone's semi-comical treatment of the not very funny comic book of Judge Dredd, my ignorance of the original comic book story, or just a poor marketing by Lionsgate, but the theatrical release of Dredd did not make my list a few months ago. Too bad for me. Or, considering the new Blu-ray treatment of this terrific little film and a better than average audio and projection rig at my house, maybe the wait is actually worth it.
First off, there is little to compare this new film to Stallone's version. It has been written by others more familiar with the original "Judge Dredd" material that this new film is considerably more true to the comic series. I'll take their word for it. Certainly this new version is grittier, grimier, and considerably more blood-soaked than the cartoonish treatment of the previous film. The production design of Dredd is much more believable in its depiction of a post-apocalyptic cityscape, or mega cityscape in this case. Characterizations are also more realistic here. Drug dealers in the future still act like drug dealers, although like the over-the-top violence that permeates the action, they are simply more predatory in an environment where crime is a way of life. For Karl Urban's portrayal of Judge Dredd, the lack of background or character development does not seem to affect our perception of the character. Urban does a terrific job of making an unbelievable character believable. Extra props to Urban for taking a role where his full face is never seen. IMO, this is the real Judge Dredd.
While this was a relatively low budget film, it looks like everything got put on the screen. The production and effects are solid, especially the "Slo-mo" drug effect. Really cool to look at, and the Blu-ray transfer captures everything beautifully. But the real standout here is the totally sick 7.1 soundtrack. I can't think of a single film I have heard that made better use of the multichannel format. The bass is deep yet so well integrated, this is bound to become one of THE demo soundtracks.
I really liked this movie, and the Blu-ray is everything it should be in the sound and picture department.
Way recommended.
My nomination for most under-appreciated movie of the year is...DREDD.
Perhaps it was my expectation of another major cheese fest after Stallone's semi-comical treatment of the not very funny comic book of Judge Dredd, my ignorance of the original comic book story, or just a poor marketing by Lionsgate, but the theatrical release of Dredd did not make my list a few months ago. Too bad for me. Or, considering the new Blu-ray treatment of this terrific little film and a better than average audio and projection rig at my house, maybe the wait is actually worth it.
First off, there is little to compare this new film to Stallone's version. It has been written by others more familiar with the original "Judge Dredd" material that this new film is considerably more true to the comic series. I'll take their word for it. Certainly this new version is grittier, grimier, and considerably more blood-soaked than the cartoonish treatment of the previous film. The production design of Dredd is much more believable in its depiction of a post-apocalyptic cityscape, or mega cityscape in this case. Characterizations are also more realistic here. Drug dealers in the future still act like drug dealers, although like the over-the-top violence that permeates the action, they are simply more predatory in an environment where crime is a way of life. For Karl Urban's portrayal of Judge Dredd, the lack of background or character development does not seem to affect our perception of the character. Urban does a terrific job of making an unbelievable character believable. Extra props to Urban for taking a role where his full face is never seen. IMO, this is the real Judge Dredd.
While this was a relatively low budget film, it looks like everything got put on the screen. The production and effects are solid, especially the "Slo-mo" drug effect. Really cool to look at, and the Blu-ray transfer captures everything beautifully. But the real standout here is the totally sick 7.1 soundtrack. I can't think of a single film I have heard that made better use of the multichannel format. The bass is deep yet so well integrated, this is bound to become one of THE demo soundtracks.
I really liked this movie, and the Blu-ray is everything it should be in the sound and picture department.
Way recommended.
