No need to dread this Dredd. Karl Urban nails the title character, and staying true to the comic book, that helmet never comes off. The audience is introduced to Dredd's world through the eyes of Dredd's rookie partner Anderson, beautifully played by Olivia Thirlby. The movie starts off with a bang, and doesn't let up. Stylish and violent, this is one of the better comic adaptations this year.

One of my personal favorite movies of the year, Dredd delivers in every way. The story is pushed by Dredd's commitment to law and the rookie, he's a gruff badass that shines throughout. Karl Urban nailed the character, you can always tell there's something deeper with him, but he pushes the story with bloody and relentless violence. The cast is superb, I love the film quality, and there isn't one slow moment the entire film. It's some of the best action I've ever seen and a very hard R rating, but if you don't mind that, jaw dropping and absolutely brutal violence, with a smart and simple plot that flows on its own, you'll love Dredd.… Expand

Metacritic, I have to say, is a terrible review site for movies and games. The only part of this site I trust is the overal score given by users.

Besides from constantly choosing critics who give truly crap games great scores, it is terribily flawed when it comes to movie reviews, Dredd, which was made in South Africa, is a an example of this. Just prior to release in the United States, metacritic had 6 (6!) reviews of Dredd while rottentomatoes.com had more than 50 with a 90% approval rating. WTF? Why so behind in the sample base and those reviews on tr STILL haven't been included after its US release!

Now, since it's release in the US, many American reviewers haven't the first clue what Dredd is about, the comic book history or that it is a satire on the political climate in both the UK and the US and the consumer-obsessed and often violent culture of the US, particularly in the 70s through 90s. This movie is an absolute hit in the United Kingdom and Canada. Yet, many American reviewers don't get the satire (see above) or they feel offended about Dredd's premise being set in a futuristic US - and its bleak outlook of the society and culture - and the movie's message about violence and US society. Either way, metacritic sucks balls and many American reviewers are thin-skinned, ignorant nationalists who buy into any soppy jingoistic American-made fluff pieces to get them through their pre-packaged, cotton-balled little worlds. My two cents.… Expand

Fantastic film! Karl Urban and Olivia Thirlby (must admit, never heard of her before) work really well together! Had the perfect mix of action and story/ character building. And the 3D was nicely done too. Didn't find it distracting at all and was used in just the right places.

Bit weird seeing Lena Headey as a gritty character though, as used to her being the pretty one in film/ TV.

Dredd, the final movie that be based on a comic book of this year, and what happen? The movie is awesome, have a great story with a really good development, the performances, the effects, all is incredible in this movie.

Dredd is brilliant Science Fiction. Perfectly constructed, with a lean and clean narrative, and yet, sensitivity to each character and scene that raises the bar significantly for the genre. This movie is deeply intense, with strong delivery in visuals, art direction along with fantastic performances from every single actor in the film. It's scary, uncompromising and a work of art.

DREDD was everything anyone could want in an action/comic book movie. This was one of the very best adaptions of a "non-mainstream" comic property I have ever seen. If you enjoyed the 2000AD comics series or have never read it, this movie really gives us a good look t who and what Judge Dredd is. Karl Urban really nails his role as the title character and you completely forget that he is an actor playing a roll.
This movie really shows you what someone can do with a limited budget and a decent plot. It does not try to pander to anyone, not the fans and certainly not the critics. Be warned, this movie is rated R for a reason. And and movie about the good Judge should be at least rated R.… Expand

This is the most fun I have had at the movies in AGES. I had lost faith in movies after Prometheus, and against all odds Dredd gave me hope again. It isn't necessarily anything groundbreaking, but it is one heck of a great feel good movie.

Absolute masterpiece. I really don't know how it got only 55% or something. By far best and most original superhero movie that came out this year and yes, I watched them all. And you should see it in cinema, because in this one 3D actually makes sense. Strong recommendation and pure example of a movie that critic just didn't get.

Very straightforward, yet full of substance if you are ok with ultra violence,the story isn't about saving the world or becoming a god among men for once, just surviving each day in the gritty meat grinder of Dredd's world. That's the "nonexistent" setting or backstory for this film that naysayers are clamoring for. Instead, you get pure action and solid acting in a very consistently gritty and otherworldly place. This is a perfectly made, powerful action movie with a great setting and a good edge.… Expand

So, I went to check this out yesterday, in glorious 2D. This movie is awesome. Seriously. Somebody finally got it right. This is right up there on the top 5 list of comic movies done correctly. We are spared the tired old cliché of an origin story. Thank freakin' God. I am so sick of that. The story is a simple one, that begins in medias res, and is basically Clint Eastwood's 'The Enforcer', set in a dystopian near-future. Karl Urban, who I think is one of the better actors of our time, nails the jaded, sometimes cruel, but ultimately justice serving, Dirty Harry-esque archetype. His character is refreshingly devoid of cornball one-liners, and never strays from his primary motivation. What was also refreshing, is that he keeps his helmet on through the whole movie. When I first heard that Dredd would be partnered up with a woman (Olivia Thirlby), I thought, "Oh no....here we go again with some cliché vamp, dressed up in a skin tight catsuit and heels." Thankfully they did not do that. She's in uniform, psychic, and deeply twisted. Damaged goods. This is a real smart move, and it adds a lot to the film. The violence, and gore, is Robocop level goodness, and much of it is treated in an almost artsy way. The soundtrack is as filthy as the scenery. Lots of distorted break beats, without any cornball attempts at dubstep. The other really nice touch about the soundtrack, are the drug sequences, which lovingly use the Nick Pittsinger styled 800% slow down filter. This works beautifully. The villain (Lena Headey) is superb. You really hate her. I haven't left the theater feeling so damn good, in a very long time. What's so sad, is that a lot of people are just gonna sleep on this film due to it's odd release time, the foul taste of the Stallone disaster still lingering in their mouths, and some really unfounded negative reviews. Do not sleep on this. Go see it. I will definitely buy this on DVD.… Expand

This film is awesome in every way apart from the advertising budget, which couldn't stretch as far as buying off critics and led to fairly poor box office figures.

Buy it when it comes out on DVD/BluRay!! I want another Dredd film just like this one!

I haven't been as eager to see a movie in the theater, opening weekend as I was to see Dredd. This movie was pretty much everything I wanted it to be and addressed a lot of my concerns over the watering down of action films these days. Dredd is dark in tone but colorful, and interesting, and gritty and, most importantly, believable as a world. Karl Urban is great in the role. Everything about the movie seemed like attention had been paid to it from the sets to the story. Is it freaking Shakespear?? No! But, it's damn fun for 90 minutes. That's right, 90 minutes! None of this 2 hour plus crap. Look, there are exceptions but Battleship ain't one of 'em. But as far as Dredd is concerned, the plot is cohesive and makes sense. And there are some clever little twists here and there. I can't say enough about how badass Dredd is. Anyone who says otherwise simply doesn't care for action films. I know that sounds close-minded and maybe it is a bit, but as the user reviews on this site show, Dredd has done something right for a change.… Expand

I went into this movie thinking it wasnt gonna be any good due to all the bad reviews it was getting. I came out of it thinking thats one of the best movies ive seen all year. It flows great, the atmosphere was spot on and the characters were suberb. The story is simple but that works in the movies favour. common people get behind these fllms that dont try and cater for a wide audience and stick to what it should be.… Collapse

Gather some of your strong stomached buddys and go see this movie it will not dissapoint. The action in this movie is allmost non stop and extremly graphic, Dredd definitely earns its R rating and has some of the most realistic and brutal violence of any film I have watched. Dredd himself is like an extremly angry Batman who has said **** it" to his no killing rule and decided to clean up the city with gunfire.… Expand

I did not see this movie expecting much but it was definitely a pleasant surprise. Very entertaining movie that seriously does not disappoint. Good cast, good enough storyline and best of all good action and charated development. The whole atmosphere of a ruined metropolis of the future is nailed perfectly and I can't think of any major flaws with the movie. I don't know what these critics are smoking (maybe slow mo) but this movie is a must see for anyone that is interested in the dredd universe of anyone that just enjoys a good action movie.… Expand

Now that's what I call a proper Judge Dredd film and I've never felt so fanboish in my life!There were precisely 4 things wrong with it though.1-Not futuristic enough.2-The Mega-City looked more like LA than NY as the Mega Blocks were far too spaced.3-The Lawmasters were laughable.4-Most importantly,Dredd passed Anderson.That would never happen...A re-evaluation by Dredd himself(sequel) would be an outside chance at best.Those minor/major gripes aside,I loved it.NOW DO BAD COMPANY and ROGUE TROOPER!… Expand

this is an absolutely mind glowingly awesome picture. it's eyegasm after eyegasm strung together by a story full of bad ass little moments. the scope is fairly small, but it fleshes it out so well that you will allow it. just pray we one day get a sequel.

I assumed that this movie would be better than Stallone's effort and I had hoped it would be as good as the comic. But I didn't expect it to be actually better! This movie simply blew me away. Whatever they paid Karl Urban, it wasn't enough as he IS Dredd. The setting and action was spot on and the movie shot to my number 1 all time favorite before it was even over. Awesome.

The best action movie of 2012 period. Karl Urban is perfect as Dredd. Extremely violent and fun as hell, this a must watch for everyone who likes a Bada** movie.

This Dredd (in contrast with the Stallone one) really reminded me of the comic character. The film and city atmosphere was also true and worthy of the comic equivalents. Nice action film and a must watch for fans and would be fans. (The users' reviews and scores on this one verified my trust on Metacritic's Users' ratings).

Whether you love Dredd or loathe it is going to depend I think on how much of a fan you are of one-dimensional asskickers in general and Judge Dredd in particular. Me? I'm a long time fan of the Judge ever since Prog 2 of 2000AD back in the seventies!! I loved the hell out of this movie and rate Karl Urban's Dredd as the best characterisation of any comic book character ever to make it to a non-animated movie. He didn't just nail the character he managed to blow away any memories of the Stallone fiasco with a number 4 cartridge and set the universe to rights.
The ultra graphic violence didn't really add much to the story although it did ensure that the intention of the movie was never going to be one of catering to the tweenage market.
Comparing this movie to The Raid: Redemption is stupid and there is no way that either movie was a rip-off of the other. Sometimes movies just seem to arrive at the same time with similar ideas and these movies are very different animals. I loved The Raid and would rate it as a better action flick btw, but Dredd does what it needs to do and does it extremely well. For the general perpulation I would give this about a 7 out of 10 but for me and my fellow Dredd-hedds, I cannot give this anything less than 10/10.… Expand

This is an incredible film, totally engaging and always interesting. Don't let the violence put you off, it's handled really well without being gratuitous; in fact it's becomes quite beautiful. There's some political subtext and implicit satire if you interested in reading into that stuff but other than that it's also completely engaging on just a surface level too. It's econimical with its plot but the characters of Dredd and Anderson are the real focus. It really is a small character study in what it means to embody the role of Judge, Jury & Executioner hiding inside the body of a smart but gripping action film.… Expand

Go see Dredd! This is a fun, fun movie with a great John Carpenter-type soundtrack. Don't let the critic reviews keep you away from seeing a straight-up thrill ride of an action movie. This is the most fun I've had at the movies in a long, long time! I have never read the comics but this movie makes me want to. I loved this movie.

If you can stomach a strong focus on violence and borderline gore porn, Dredd is a great and solid action movie. Although some changes has been made from the comic, the movie still holds up for both fans and non fans.

In the movie however, Mega City One is not depicted as crazy and culturally corrupt as in the comics - which might make the judges seem unjustified to those unfamiliar with the IP, having them question their almost fascist demeanor.

That said, aside from a couple of weird script moments (all movies has them) it's still a great action movie and pretty accurate depiction of Dredd and the changes/choices that has been made to characters such as Anderson works great.

Now repeat after me; "Stallone Dredd? Never heard of it.."… Expand

The movie's poor reception in North America is a real surprise, considering the movie is significantly above average where action movies are concerned. I knew practically nothing about Judge Dredd and had no expectations when I went to see the movie and I walked out having seen one of the best movies I've seen in the last couple of years. Highly recommended if you don't shy away from a little more than average red on the screen, whether or not you're familiar with the franchise.

Quite possibly the best comic book to film adaptation made to date.… Expand

The most fun that I have had watching an action movie in the theater since T2. A tightly paced thrill ride that combines great characters with great acting. The world is also very well conceived and I cannot wait for the inevitable sequel to take us back there again. I feel legitimately sorry for those people that are not seeing this film because they are basing their opinion of it off of the Stallone version that came out decades ago. For me, this was the biggest cinematic surprise of the year.… Expand

This is the best Shoot'em Up movie I've seen in a long time! It doesn't set out to do something other than give us a great action movie based on a great character. Lately action movies have taken to being preachy and have political undertones. This movie just puts good guys in a situation where they have to fight bad guys and they did it right. The action feels fresh and original, the pacing is fantastic; there's never a dull moment, and Urban is fantastic as the title character Dredd. If you love movies you owe it to yourself to see this movie, if we have any hope of another one of these movies being made then go see this GREAT action movie!!!!!… Expand