News is now popping out that a new Judge Dredd movie has been green-lit. My first reaction was “Oh, Hell. No. No no no no no”. But that’s an obvious knee-jerk given the cinematic abortion that resulted from putting Sylvester Stallone in the lead rôle and hiring a bunch of ******* who didn’t give a **** about comics continuity as script-writers.
For those more familiar with the Marvel world, let’s just say that the 1995 Judge Dredd plot was akin to having Spiderman appear maskless; his uncle still being alive; Aunt May being a lesbian; Spidey teaming up with Sandman (played by Joe Pesci for humour value); and killing off The Kingpin. Just ignore anything and everything in the continuity. It doesn’t matter. It’s only a film about a comic. Nobody will care.
The new productions company is DNA, fronted by Danny Boyle. Now, this is something very different from what Boyle/DNA have done before. Their cinematic repertoire is pretty good, but I think this is their first license. However… the main thing that makes me feel positive is that they simply won’t want the backlash that results after the first one came out.
Given it’s also a new company and a fresh license they can get away with pretending the first film never happened. **** know, I wish I could.
Credit where it’s due – the designers and builders who created the vision of Mega-City 1 for the original film deserve plaudits. Sure, there were differences between the comic and the film version but that’s akin to giving a new artist a license to tweak things to his own style. And why shouldn’t the LawMaster be able to fly? There are plenty of other flying vehicles in the Big Meg. Plus, those huge shoulder-eagles aren’t evry practical, even if they do look good in the comic.
Nah, that was all fine. But the script-writers should have been taken down a back alley and shown how a daystick works. Particularly the guy who though nobody would mind The Ferg’s memory being besmirched by turning him into an annoying Pesci-like sidekick.
Mr Boyle, the ball is in your court. I have faith in you and your company. Please don’t let me down like the last lot did.
Have always loved the Dredd comics and have to admit that the movie was a real treat for the eyes in terms of set and special effects but the script and cast was diabolical. I was gobsmacked that Dredd was unmasked, as a matter of course, not even in a lame end-of-movie-revealing shot. I hope they make it dark and violent like the comics, please don’t pander to kids toys and duvet sets and make it a PG rating!
The last film was a PG or 12, I think? 15 on video? Bloody awful anyway.
From what I recall, RoboCop *was* Dredd. Basically, the license wasn’t available to Verhoven took the whole dark future view and plopped Robo into it instead, And in fairness, it’s a spot on environment.
What we need is a combination of the two. And I’m all for a “just making it” 15 or an all-out 18 rating.
It’ll never be an 18, probably unlikely a 15. More like a 12A I reckon. If it gets close to how Robocop was done, then I’d be happy.
Well, AvP was a 15 and it bombed. They “learned” for AvP2 and bumped up the gore which had been deliberately skipped from the first one, making it an 18.
You never know.
I’m just hoping that it makes it to, and plays well, on this side of the Atlantic.
The first one bombed and that was the first experience a lot of people had with Dredd. I consider myself a fan of Dredd (NOT the movie) and have a hard time tracking much down.
No reason why it shouldn’t make it. With the director of “Trainspotting” (as well as many other films) behind it, at least it’s got more experience than first-timer Danny Cannon did at the time. A lot of it will be down to casting as well. I guess we just stick with the “fingers crossed” thing.
Personally I’m surprised nobody’s picked up SlaÃne for an adaptation yet. Strontium Dog went as far as planning for a TV show (ideal), but that died a death, too.
Rogue Trooper anyone? (weenie has a little daydream of all the hunks who would look good being blue and barechested… 🙂 )
I think Strontium Dog is ideal for a TV series – the whole original thing was episodic and then moved on to become more of a “proper” drama with a fully-formed backstory. Hel, it’s even had spinoffs in the form of Durham Red and Middenface McNulty – oh, and Strontium Dogs.
Rogue’s more suited to films or longer dramas. I don’t know if it has enough going for it to be an ongoing T show.