Dredd 3D: A dystopian good time

Like the character, this film lacks emtional depth and seems to ejnjoy killing a little too much - but it sure is fun to watch.

Olivia Thirlby and Karl Urban. Courtesy Lionsgate

Dredd 3D
Director: Pete Travis
Starring: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey
***

The team behind this latest Judge Dredd outing may have an ace in the hole in bringing the dystopian comic book tale to the big screen. After all, a 1995 Hollywood take on the character showed the world exactly how not to do it.

This adaptation eschews big-name stars and expensive sets, offering a gritty, uncompromising and ultra-violent view of a nightmare future.

The anti-hero cop Dredd (Karl Urban) and his rookie partner Anderson (Olivia Thirlby) are trapped inside a giant skyscraper slum and must fight their way to the 200th floor to defeat the sadistic drug-manufacturing matriarch Ma-Ma (Lena Headey). Dredd 3D lacks emotional depth and seems to enjoy killing a little too much - but boy, does it show you a good time.