 My final movie for Action Month is, in my humble opinion, one of the best all out action movies of the last decade... and NOBODY went to see it!
The idea was to bring back something no one was really asking for in 'Judge Dredd'. The original Stallone film had its fans, but for the most part, it was seen as pretty bad. Therefore, when this was coming up, no one seemed to pay much attention to it. However, once it was released on home video (all too quickly), word got around that this was actually a really cool action flick. This one takes place in a dystopian future where the metropolis' police force have been given the authority to act as judge, jury and executioner due to the massive increases in the cities violence and overall crime. Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) has been teamed up with a rookie named Anderson (Olivia Thirlby); a mutant with psychic abilities. Together, they are sent to take down a gang leader and drug lord named "Mama" (Lena Headey). The drug in question is "slo-mo", a narcotic that makes it seem like time slows down to super slow motion, and the effects make everything look sparkly and shiny. It's very often portrayed throughout the film, almost to a fault, unfortunately. But, it's a neat effect when it's all put together. With that said, though, that's pretty much your plot in a nutshell. From there, it acts as another "non-video game movie" (the concept I brought up when talking about 'John Wick' in which a movie feels like it could be based on a video game) It's quite literally an hour and a half of nonstop action, only pausing to fit in the necessary dialogue. And for as quick as it moves, there's actually plenty of character development going on as we go, namely in the character of Anderson. If I was to compare this to anything, I'd probably compare it most closely with something like 'The Raid: Redemption' with hints of 'Die Hard'. It's just one of those movies that brings back the idea of action for the sake of action, but while having a good, simple story going on. It's even complete with one-liners, reminiscent of Schwarzenegger's work... okay, maybe that's a stretch, but still, enjoyably cheesy and bad ass. If you've ever watched 'Judge Dredd' and thought to yourself "hey, this is rated R but feels like PG-13", this is a movie that absolutely lends itself to its R rating. It's brutally violent, often in slow motion, the language is nice and Headey's character can very well be compared to her Cersei Lannister. Mama is a little more quick and to the point though. Either way, I have to hand it to Lena Headey for doing such a good job with her villains. But what about Karl Urban as Judge Dredd? To be frank, it's not like I really know how the character is supposed to be portrayed, but for my money, he does a good job with what he has. It makes me think of Christian Bale's Batman. It's a great series with great storytelling and great characters, but there's still something kinda goofy about the lead character. And that's not necessarily a bad thing in this case, 'cause I think there's a part of this movie that's self-aware. It knows how the last movie did, so it's allowed to be a bit silly here and there. In any case, it's a nice and short, shoot-'em-up good time of a movie. Just bear in mind that the violence can get a little over the top, and to have some patience with the slo-mo scenes. If I have one complaint at all, it's that those went on far too long. But I mean, that's about it.
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 So, a couple of things to get out of the way off the bat on this. I give both 'John Wick' films a solid 5/5, but this isn't a review so much as a recommendation. Secondly, here's a link to the 'Chapter 2' review, if you care you read my thoughts on it, after reading my thoughts on this.
The very basic plot involves John Wick (Keanu Reeves) losing his wife to Cancer. While John mourns, he receives one last gift from her - some words of her love to him, and an adorable puppy the audience almost HAS to fall in love with right off the bat. And we do. John soon confronts a kid (Alfie Allen) outside of a gas station, who wants to get his hands on John's car, a 1969 Mustang. He refuses, and the kid along with his cronies hunt John down, jump him, do something almost every movie-goer truly despises and steal his car for themselves. From there, it is a flat out balls-to-the-wall revenge film, involving the incredibly intriguing and awesome style of "Gun fu". This is one of those movies I lump into an incredibly specific category. There's not enough of these I can think of to make a top 10 list out of, but a few titles coexist with it. I call them "non-video game movies", in the sense that they are in no way based on a video game, but if they were, the movie would be the perfect adaptation of it. It's sequel follows suit pretty well, and I'd put movies like 'Raid: Redemption' and 'Dredd' on the list just as well. All of which are, at least to myself, very reminiscent of first person shooters. Anyway, there's really not a whole bunch to say on the matter. It's just one of those revenge films that works incredibly well, and contains next to no padding. When I say this is a balls-to-the-wall revenge film, I mean that. Hell, John is even blessed with his own mythos to him, referring to him as "Babayaga" (the Boogeyman). Except John's not exactly the Boogeyman. Hes' the guy you send to kill the Boogeyman. So, if you're in the mood for some interesting stunts, nonstop action, and guns a blazing, this is another high recommendation. I'd even say it's a better 'Punisher' movie than 'The Punisher' (I don't care which version, pick one). The catch, you've gotta watch 'Chapter 2' immediately afterwards. Make it a revenge night marathon. |
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