Summary
- Dredd is a complete reboot of the Judge Dredd film franchise, separate from the 1995 adaptation starring Sylvester Stallone.
- Karl Urban's portrayal of Judge Dredd in the 2012 film is much stricter and more stoic, contrasting with Stallone's charismatic version.
- Dredd received positive reviews for its dedication to the source material and immersive cinematography, despite its box office failure. A sequel is still possible.
Dredd is far superior to the 1995 movie Judge Dredd, which is based on the same comic book, but it's not clear whether the 2012 reboot is connected to the earlier Sylvester Stallone adaptation. The Judge Dredd character is a legendary law enforcer in the sprawling dystopian metropolis of Mega-City One, which is among the most nihilistic portrayals of the future. Dredd acts as the judge, jury, and executioner in the crime-ridden city, and the epic sci-fi action franchise has had two major movies. However, this iconic comic book character, created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, had a tumultuous journey from page to screen.
Judge Dredd was released in 1995 and stars Stallone as the title character. It grossed just $113 million worldwide against a $90 million budget (via Karl Urban-starring Dredd entered Netflix's top 10 over a decade after its original 2012 release, finally finding an audience. Urban's version of Judge Dredd is much more enigmatic in his movie. Almost nothing is revealed about him, which makes it unclear whether Dredd is a remake of Judge Dredd or if it's a sequel or prequel.
Dredd Is A Completely Separate Judge Dredd Adaptation (Unrelated To Stallone's Movie)
Dredd is totally separate from the 1995 adaptation of the comic book character, and the 2012 movie is a complete ground-up reboot of the Judge Dredd film franchise. Though both films are based on the same character, and they're both set in a very similar dystopian future where men like Dredd serve as judge, jury, and executioner, the two projects are significantly different. Karl Urban's depiction of Dredd in the 2012 release is much stricter and more stoic than Stallone's charismatic portrayal, which is relatively uncharacteristic of the comic book character. The varied portrayals make it clear that they're two very different versions of the same character.
The movies are also totally different cinematographically, as Dredd is much grittier and doesn't even have a shred of levity, unlike 1995's Judge Dredd, which features Rob Schneider in a comic relief role. The style of Dredd alone shows how the movie takes place in a totally different world too, as its slow-motion drug scenes create a bleak hallucinatory tone as opposed to the vibrant and somewhat campy Judge Dredd. The 2012 reboot spends more time building the world in which the movie takes place, and it masterfully depicts the harsh and violent world of Mega-City One and Judge Dredd's ambiguous morals.
Dredd Does Judge Dredd A Lot Better Than Sylvester Stallone's Movie
Reviews for Judge Dredd were overwhelmingly negative, and the movie sits at a miserable "rotten" critic score of 22% on Rotten Tomatoes. Between the Judge's sidekick (played by Rob Schneider), Stallone's uncharacteristically charismatic performance, and the subpar narrative, the film was criticized for not being faithful to the comic books and being too silly. Dredd, on the other hand, was a surprise hit with critics, as the film has a "certified fresh" 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. Unfortunately, the overwhelmingly positive reception wasn't enough to make the movie a success, as Dredd bombed at the box office, grossing just $41 million worldwide against a $50 million budget (via Box Office Mojo).
Dredd's dedication to the source material, the distinct and immersive cinematography, and Karl Urban's dedication to the title character make it such an innovative comic book film. The 2012 adaptation is continuously being discovered by new fans, and it has become something of a cult classic in the decade since its release. With that in mind, the highly in-demand Dredd 2 is still possible. Urban is still willing to reprise the character, telling GQ, "There's just such a great depth of material there that was written by John Wagner and various writers over the years, particularly stories revolving around Judge Death, and a lot of great stories."
