Maintaining law and order in the dystopian Mega-City One, one of the last strongholds against the barren wasteland of the “Cursed Earth,” lethally efficient Street Judges operate as judge, jury, and the instant executioner. When the most formidable and revered of the these – Judge Joseph Dredd (Sylvester Stallone) – finds himself framed for a murder and sentenced beyond the walls, he teams up with a computer hacker he sent to prison (Rob Schneider) to clear his name. Based (admitted loosely) on the British weekly comic, Judge Dredd notably flopped in the US but did quite well in the rest of the world, possibly one of the first victims of complaining fanboys who couldn’t get over the fact Dredd took off his helmet or kissed Diane Lane (who can blame him?)
In recent years, the film has gained more defenders, especially in the wake of the lifeless 2020 Karl Urban reboot. The sets, vehicles and costumes (including Versace’s Judge uniform) sparkle and capture the comic book’s aesthetic, as does director Danny Cannon’s darker satirical version. Cannon joins us to discuss law, justice and the meaning of life (hint: it ends).
Maintaining law and order in the dystopian Mega-City One, one of the last strongholds against the barren wasteland of the “Cursed Earth,” lethally efficient Street Judges operate as judge, jury, and the instant executioner. When the most formidable and revered of the these – Judge Joseph Dredd (Sylvester Stallone) – finds himself framed for a murder and sentenced beyond the walls, he teams up with a computer hacker he sent to prison (Rob Schneider) to clear his name. Based (admitted loosely) on the British weekly comic, Judge Dredd notably flopped in the US but did quite well in the rest of the world, possibly one of the first victims of complaining fanboys who couldn’t get over the fact Dredd took off his helmet or kissed Diane Lane (who can blame him?)
In recent years, the film has gained more defenders, especially in the wake of the lifeless 2020 Karl Urban reboot. The sets, vehicles and costumes (including Versace’s Judge uniform) sparkle and capture the comic book’s aesthetic, as does director Danny Cannon’s darker satirical version. Cannon joins us to discuss law, justice and the meaning of life (hint: it ends).