In a violent, futuristic city where the police have the authority to act as judge, jury and executioner, a cop teams with a trainee to take down a gang that deals the reality-altering drug, SLO-MO.
Urban is good value, if deliberately one dimensional, Thirlby excels and the film itself does more than enough to warrant future adventures.
The story is unoriginal but there’s enough action and visual inventiveness to keep fans of the comic book happy.
You can't watch this without being reminded of Gareth Evans's Indonesian thriller The Raid, which has an identical setting and plot, only with better fights and racier handling.
The cult Brit comic-book character Judge Dredd gets the movie he deserves.
Adrenaline-junkies and hardcore fans of the comic should enjoy the unremittingly bleak rush.
In a world of compromised adaptations, Dredd is something of a triumph.
There was much to dread about this new iteration of Dredd, but it’s a solid, occasionally excellent take on the character, with Urban’s chin particularly impressive.
Dredd is silly, derivative, and sometimes the budget cracks are visible in the CGI, but it's considerably more enjoyable than anyone had a right to expect.
Inferior to the similar Indonesian The Raid, but a great night out for unfastidious, unsqueamish loners.
The script isn’t much, but the action is inventively bloody and the 3D visuals are dazzling.
Grungy, compact and delightfully violent, Dredd wants to hit you as hard as it can. The sequel may be the movie you really want, but for now, justice has been done.
No-nonsene Dredd gives fans nothing to fear
A dream role taken on the chin
Urban Legend: Karl Urban on playing Judge Dredd
General release. Check local listings for show times.