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Weekend Classics: Judge Dredd

In a dystopian future law and order have taken a drastic turn in the form of the judges, an ominous force assigned to keep the peace in Mega-City One. Among their ranks, the legendary Judge Dredd who will do everything and anything to keep and maintain justice prevails on the streets. However when damning evidence comes to light and Dredd is beileved responsible for first degree murder, he is forced to abandon his city, his law and his purpose. Dredd sets out to retain his Judge status and fight for the law he upholds with a vengeance, with his lawgiver fire arm primed to shoot a mass amount of deserved justice at his enemies, can Dredd prove his innocence and once again bring judgement to his enemies?
Sylvester Stallone is Judge Dredd, as usual he brings forth the testosterone fueled rampage that can be expected from him, while it works scenes which should be handeled with saitre and irony are brought to the silver screen with far too much realism. You would think Stallone thought he was hamlet at times with the amount of serious and over the top line deliveries. Physically and even in the humour at times (I knew you'd say that) Stallone makes an ok Judge, but with the weight of the world, missing the joke and far too serious moments meaning at times he can be rather Dredd'ful.... Moving on, Diane Lane is Judge Hershey who's only role is seeming to be the girl to give Dredd's character any depth. Armand Assante plays a crappy stunt double of Jean-Claude Van Damme... I mean Dredd's nemesis, Rico. He's the bad guy with a terrible side plot at some family rubbish. Max Von Sydow is apart from Stallone the only one able to be believable as Chief Justice Fargo, so kudos to him. And that is all. I did not see Rob Schneider. He was not there. That is all.
I won't lie to you, it's not great, good may even be a praise to high for it, but at times it's dumb and over the top, ridiclous ham acting can induce what you might consider entertainment. Small things like the monotone voice of Dredd's lawgiver gun, the rusty robot which looks suspiciously like Arnie or the terrible humour that Dredd inflicts on the audience can actually induce moments of geniune appeal which you would expect from good movies. Overall the Judge, the context and everything about the film takes itself far too seriously, which in a way helps give it that trashy dose of appeal to the 'so bad it's good' sub-genre of horrific waste of times for the mass audiences. For seeing Dredd, action/sci-fi flicks of the nineties and killing an hour and a half if your desperately lacking anything to do, watch it. If however you expect anything heart warming, character building or even time well spent, avoid.
"I AM THE LAW!"

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