Dredd (2012)

Not quite a remake since the 1995 Judge Dredd was such a notorious misfire, Dredd delivers a solid and entertaining, if not somewhat limited, action film to fans waiting for a Dredd film done right. I've never read the Dredd comics, but I know one of the big issues with the 1995 film is that Stallone took his helmet off. Well, rejoice fans, Karl Urban keeps his on the entire time. The film's story is not much more than a standard video game plot, a sort of sci-fi Die Hard where Judge Dredd and rookie sidekick have to fight their way through a locked-down building complex full of obstacles and enemies to get to the boss-woman at the top. It's not particularly original or special, but the visual flair and the execution of the action saves it from the heap-pile of generic re-dos. While I didn't think the film was mind blowing, it did whet my appetite for more Mega City and has me hoping for a sequel where budget constraints won't limit them to a single (albeit large) location. Dredd reminded me those mid-grade 80s action films that didn't really push the genre, but were well-made enough to keep you watching.

7/10