Now THIS is a futuristic action flick! Well directed and compelling. The music was pure 80's. Okay if you like that kind of thing. They should have adapted and incorporated Goldsmith's trailer theme for the old Stallone version! What a missed opportunity. That would have been cool. Otherwise, me like very much.
Reading what Leonard-Morgan has said in interviews, the producers definitely wanted to distance themselves from the original movie - and that included the music.
Saw this film the other night and really enjoyed it. It's a lean, mean grime machine. Reminded me of early John Carpenter films like Assault on Precinct 13 and Escape from New York. Even the music tries to emulate Carpenter at times, but forgets to bring along a main theme or much interest, other than ambience. This is the film I envisaged when I used to read 2000 A.D as a kid. It's heavy on the violence, in that Peckinpah slo-mo style. Very brutal at times. It could have done with a bit more satire and humour (I imagine Verhoeven would make a great DREDD film) but overall, it was way better than I expected (from initial early advance reports and the trailer). I hope it does well because this film acts as a precursor of great things to come and I'd certainly be up for more. The 3D btw is a complete waste of time and it pissed me off that there aren't any 2D showings, so I had to watch it in 'rip-off' mode.
I remember reading the script early last year and while it was very Dredd in places i thought it needed a bit of beefing up. There was zero satire and it was very dry and humourless. It's definitely gone through a revision since then and a few of the characters changed due to the actors hired.
I'm really glad it is getting generally good reviews and hope it makes enough money for a sequel. Was very worried it looked cheap as hell, going for some sort of Robocop look - but it looks decent the more clips i see - don't take leaked set photos at face value, i guess - but many have said it looks more expensive than it's small budget. Urban was an excellent choice for Dredd.
I am going watching it this friday, when it is out in Canada. I listened to the samples of the music and didn't like it at all, but am interested to see how it works in the film, context might later that.
It opened in first place in the UK but it wasn't a particularly strong opening. I guess it will depend on how it does everywhere else before a sequel is announced.
However, the film cost $35 million so it should break even.
There was an album that came out this year called "Drokk: Music Inspired by Mega-City One" by Geoff Barrow of Portishead, and Ben Salisbury, who I think composes music for British television; and from what I've read, it was originally intended for the film, but was rejected by the filmmakers, so they have released as a stand alone work.
The music is definitely very Carpenter-influenced, and a little bit retro (they used old analogue synthesizers like the Oberheim), but I still think that there are some really good themes in it, and maybe its a shame that they didn't use it in the film.
Early indications don't look good for this one in the U.S. About $6 mill weekend opening if it's lucky. It's probably too gritty and violent to have much cross-over appeal (a bit like Kick-Ass) which is a shame. I would have gone along to any future instalments. Ahh well, there's always Adam Sandler!
Early indications don't look good for this one in the U.S. About $6 mill weekend opening if it's lucky. It's probably too gritty and violent to have much cross-over appeal (a bit like Kick-Ass) which is a shame.
Also, the "great reception by comic fans doesn't alwasy equal wide success" thing may have come into play... plus he's never been as popular in America (or - let's face it - in the UK) as Bruce Wayne or Peter Parker.
Rather gutted it has bombed so badly, and quite surprised. Thought it would be at least safe. It'll probably do well on DVD, btu after the opening and reviews in Europe this must come as a shock to the makers.
Rather gutted it has bombed so badly, and quite surprised. Thought it would be at least safe. It'll probably do well on DVD, btu after the opening and reviews in Europe this must come as a shock to the makers.
I have to spend my dollars watching it this week.
Me too. I'm looking forward to its unrelenting, unfliching nihilism. Maybe this one, despite being smaller in scope, will be less problematic than the years other comics-based films.
Absolutely LOVED it - Straightforward, unpretentious, ultraviolent, and lots of fun.
Dredd is a badass. Urban played the role perfectly, and I'm so happy he never took the helmet off. Megacity 1 also looked excellent, basically like Detroit with some added highrise towers. Didn't try to be a Blade Runner rip-off in the design department. The actress who played Anderson must be a newbie because I've never seen or heard of her. She's damn cute & did a good job in the role. The actress playing the lead villain was fantastic. She was a hardcore bitch, loved it. The action was graphic and gory, just like I like it. It was a fun, entertaining, fast paced film that is a BD buy for sure. Definitely down for any sequels.
The score was MAGNIFICENT. Definitely had an old school Carpenter/Howarth vibe to it!
Anyone know when the score soundtrack be released???
Absolutely LOVED it - Straightforward, unpretentious, ultraviolent, and lots of fun.
Dredd is a badass. Urban played the role perfectly, and I'm so happy he never took the helmet off. Megacity 1 also looked excellent, basically like Detroit with some added highrise towers. Didn't try to be a Blade Runner rip-off in the design department. The actress who played Anderson must be a newbie because I've never seen or heard of her. She's damn cute & did a good job in the role. The actress playing the lead villain was fantastic. She was a hardcore bitch, loved it. The action was graphic and gory, just like I like it. It was a fun, entertaining, fast paced film that is a BD buy for sure. Definitely down for any sequels.
The score was MAGNIFICENT. Definitely had an old school Carpenter/Howarth vibe to it!
Anyone know when the score soundtrack be released???
Fans of electronic/synth scores will NOT be disappointed! The score is FANTASTIC and agreed - it definitely has an 80's Carpenter/Howarth feel. It fits perfectly in this movie...
I feel the film failed not because of the source material's obscurity but because of its British nature. UK-made action films simply don't sell in the US (unless it's James Bond, but those films have had a lot of American financing in recent years).
I read 2000AD from when the comic Starlord merged with it and stopped reading probably early/mid nineties and caught up with earlier Dredd in some of the albums before they started calling them 'graphic novels'. So I know/knew my Dredd.
Saw Dredd 3D tonight - can you believe it was half price Tuesday and it was still £8 (wish they'd released it flat as well)?!?! Film was okay, too gory/violent and too much swearing. I prefer the Sly Stallone version, ditto Alan Silvestri's music for the Stallone. This was all bang whomp bang - all mouth and no trousers. A little humour and subtext in the script of the new film would have helped and I think if you do have a film with this level of violence, then a little redemption at the end would have helped - a little light after the darkness.
