Brief review: Based on the British comic strip "2000 AD", Pete Travis' latest feature, "Dredd" is also a much needed remake of the lame 1995 film, "Judge Dredd", starring Sylvester Stallone. Although conceptually similar to this year's martial arts phenomenon "The Raid: Redemption", "Dredd" differs significantly in terms feel, look, and overall effectiveness. The storyline is pretty straightforward, yet well-conceived, and the script itself is reasonably smart, filled with wit and satirical humor. Director Pete Travis manages to capture the tone and mood of the source material quite perfectly, delivering one of the most visually good-looking films of 2012 - the camera work is skillful, the futuristic Mega-City One is darkly glorious, the use of the murky tower-block setting is remarkable, and the CGIs are top-notch. The 3D works as well, adding lots of depth to the already stunning imagery. The 'Slo-Mo effect' scenes, shot in super slow motion, are true state-of-the-art, and the action scenes are so loud, brutal, well-staged, and eye-poppingly entertaining, they will blow up your mind. "Dredd 3D" is also brutally violent, but the violence itself is awesomely-stylized, featuring lots of torn flesh and blood splatter. Dredd, acted brilliantly by Karl Urban, is sarcastic, tough and uncompromising, Olivia Thirlby's sweet look contrasts with her character's fearlessness, and Lena Headey is mesmerizing as the harsh drug lord Ma-Ma.
Overall summary: Grim, gritty, gory, spectacularly violent and visually-striking, "Dredd 3D" not only surpasses vastly the original in every single aspect, but also ranks as one of the best remakes ever made, thanks to its finely-written script and absolutely outstanding execution.
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