Each Friday we will be bringing you weekend-viewing movie picks available for streaming on Netflix! From the popular to the obscure, we will browse Netflix’s Streaming library so you don’t have to, and bring you what we consider to be “Must Watch” selections!
DREDD (aka DREDD 3D)
Directed by Pete Travis, Screenplay by Alex Garland
Starring Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey
A long time ago there was a comic book which featured stories about a futuristic dystopian city, ravaged by crime and ruled by all-powerful judges. Then in 1995, Sylvester Stallone and Rob Schneider did their best to ruin it for everyone. Last year, the franchise was redeemed in a film worthy of its pulp comic and brutally ultra-violent roots. And starting today, it’s available on Netflix for you to put into your instant queue or your brain-hole.
I recommend the latter.
Dredd, which we reviewed when it came out, including interviews with Karl Urban and Alex Garland, drops the origin story route that most comic superhero movies try to deal with, and jump us right into the thick of the story. The main plot revolves around Dredd (Karl Urban) taking on an apprentice Judge (Olivia Thirlby) and an investigation of a murder in the giant Peach Trees housing complex. This pits them against drug kingpin Maw Maw (Lena Headey) and they have to fight their way up the giant building.
For those who have seen The Raid: Redemption this plot may seem familiar. For those who haven’t, I recommend you watch both of these as a violent double feature.
But the real reason to watch here is Karl Urban. He does more with the bottom third of his face and his voice than most actors can do with their whole bodies. Lena Headey has a lot of fan with this bad guy role, too. A scene with her and a mini-gun is especially fun.
For those on the squeamish side, this movie is not for you. This is bloody and brutal. If that’s your particular cup of tea, then I highly recommend you take advantage to watch this over the weekend.
Who knows? If there’s enough viewership, we might just get the sequel Urban and Garland have promised they want to do.