When it comes to remaking movies, usually the films that are remade are the films that were once successful – often critically and financially. Breaking that trend is director Pete Travis, who with his new film “Dredd 3D” remade a movie that was considered an undisputed failure even though it starred Sly Stallone. 

In a nuclear-ridden future where Mega City 1 - an urban slum that stretches from Boston to Washington D.C. - is the only habitable place in the world, individuals called Judges act as the police force, the jury, and the judge – which gives them the right to execute criminals on the spot with proper reason. The legendary Judge above all others is Judge Dredd (Karl Urban – read my interview with him here). 

He’s seen it all and he’s done it all; he’s tried to help the world for the greater good to no avail, hence the reason you never once see him smiling. He’s representative of the ever-shrinking population of humans who know how to truly evaluate justice as the dictators (and even the law enforcement) of this world continually proves their incompetence. 

Basically, the corrupted world is screwed – but Dredd has nothing better to do than viciously kill outlaws and protect the few remaining innocent bystanders. He eventually takes in a sidekick – a mutant female psychic named Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), and during her training the two get trapped in a giant project called PeachTree run by the scarred and vicious drug dealer/gang leader MaMa (Lena Headey). 

“Dredd 3D” eventually evolves into a cat and mouse chase within the inescapable project, where the mouse (Judge Dredd) must fire back until it runs out of ammunition - and this film definitely keeps firing on all cylinders. With trippy “slow-mo” drug hallucination sequences and murders so bloody that they might even be considered artsy in some circles, this is one of the few films released in the last few years that has actually used 3D technology to its advantage. 

Travis has made a movie in “Dredd 3D” that makes its way onto the short list of 3D films that actually use the often criticized technology to add substance to the scenery. From blood to broken glass to exhaled smoke, the crew of this film used every trick in the book to enhance the audience’s experience – and I personally think you’ll all enjoy this movie, however silly it may look.

Grade: B-