Judge Dredd (1995)

The Plot of Judge Dredd: During a battle between apartment blocks in MegaCity Judge Dredd and Judge Hershey arrive and restore order, mostly by killing the participants. He also identifies Fergie who is hiding in a food dispenser and sentences him to five years imprisonment. Thereafter we see Rico escape from high security lockup, and pickup  a judge’s accoutrements from  pawn shop. Rico also identifies and activates a combat robot to help him – with what? He goes ahead and kills a journalist, and it appears that the hit has been carried out by Dredd who is tried, found guilty and banished to prison, travelling by airship, together with Fergie. The airship is shot down out in the badlands, and Dredd and Fergie survive to be captured by a group of grotesque cannibals. It becomes evident that Rico is Dredd’s evil brother and he is creating havoc within the judge’s environment. Can Dredd escape from the cannibals and restore order in MegaCity?

Content: No sex or nudity. Judge Hershey kisses Dredd once. We see Dredd arriving at the block battle on is motor cycle and restore order ruthlessly by killing people with his coded handgun. Then Rico breaks out of prison and becomes the opposition with the war robot, which is particularly threatening. Dredd is found guilty of murder in court. After he and Fergie are captured by the cannibals they are under threat, particularly due to presence of a part man, part robot who is grotesque. Judges are eliminated by Rico. Dredd escapes from the cannibals and returns to MegaCity, at one point riding an aerial motor cycle, chased by guards on similar machines. Dredd and Rico face up, the robot participating until disabled.

A View: If we know about the back story for this film its lack of popularity might be understandable, since the director was after a much darker film than was finally shown, as well as the fact that there were cuts to get it an R rating. Stallone, who was behind the script changes was after a more comic presentation. And, he took his helmet off! For a better darker and more realistic Dredd have a look at the 2012 film of that name, with Karl Urban and Olivia Thirlby. I still liked this version though.

Fun Fact:  The motor cycles featured were so difficult o ride that only stunt men did the job. The cast rode modified Lambrettas.