Dredd 3D
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Tagline: Judgment is coming.
Danny Cannon’s disastrous 1995 version of Judge Dredd, starring Sylvester Stallone (who pretty much lost the entire fanbase by ditching the character’s iconic helmet early on) didn’t exactly set the bar high. “The movie, by the end, practically seems intent on destroying itself,” noted Entertainment Weekly. Meaning that even if this version, helmed by Vantage Point director Pete Travis, is a travesty (or perhaps Travis-ty?) it will still be an improvement.
Stallone is replaced in the title role by New Zealander Karl Urban, probably best known for appearing in two parts of The Lord of the Rings trilogy as well as playing “Bones” in the recent Star Trek reboot. This time, the movie veers toward buddy-cop territory, with Dredd forced to team up with ever-so-slightly unhinged rookie partner Judge Anderson (Olivia Thirlby). The two get trapped in Peach Trees, a 200-storey megablock in Mega-City One, facing their nemesis Ma-Ma (Lena Headey) and her minions, who peddle a new drug called Slo-mo. Dredd and Anderson will need to take Ma-Ma down, get the heck out of dodge and make the streets safe again.
For those of you who keep abreast of foreign cinema, the plot might sound rather similar to Gareth Evans’ recent Indonesian action flick, The Raid, which wowed audiences and critics alike with its high-octane approach to action sequences. Take it as read that every single reviewer worth their salt will mention the Welsh director’s movie — but you shouldn’t let it put you off from seeing Dredd 3D.
“Travis shows unexpected muscle, delivering Dredd’s wham-bam rampages, and it’s properly stylish all round … it’s really quite good,” concludes the Daily Telegraph. And Time Out London is similarly impressed with the director: “Travis makes the most of limited resources: the industrial backdrops are stunning, the action scenes sizzle and the eye-of-the-addict Slo-Mo sequences are sickeningly beautiful.” Rounding out the surprisingly positive notices, Empire points out that, “This is an honorable attempt at giving an iconic character the adaptation he deserved. Just don’t double-bill it with The Raid.” We wouldn’t dare.
MORE: TIME’s Review of the 1995 Version of Dredd
Trouble With the Curve
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Tagline: Whatever life throws at you.
The tagline of the new Clint Eastwood movie couldn’t be more apt. Considering that the dust has barely settled on Clint’s surreal spot at the recent Republican Convention, where he spoke to an empty chair meant to represent President Obama, here he is once again. At least he has the good grace to speak to actual actors on this occasion.
Eastwood plays Gus Lobel, one of the best scouts in baseball, but even Gus can’t disguise the most important stat of them all: his ever increasing age and how that’s hampering his ability to spot future talent. Gus clearly needs help, and somewhat reluctantly turns to his daughter Mickey (Amy Adams), who naturally is named in honor of Mantle. Soon enough, they embark upon a road trip to find out whether dad can still cut it in the big leagues for the Atlanta Braves while Mickey puts her attorney’s career on hold.
First time director Robert Lorenz has made the most of his experience producing some of Eastwood’s own directorial efforts, including Mystic River and Flags of our Fathers. He’s also signed up a host of Eastwood stalwarts, including cinematographer Tom Stern, editors Gary D. Roach and Joel Cox and production designer James J. Murakami. (Trouble with the Curve marks the first time that Eastwood is appearing in a movie directed by someone other than himself since since 1993’s In the Line of Fire).
“Lorenz works in the same clean, aesthetically conservative register as his mentor, evincing a style of restrained classicism, no-nonsense craftsmanship and subdued but quietly enveloping emotion,” writes Variety. TIME’s Richard Corliss is a fan, though he’s aware that it “observes every law of Hollywood predictability: all the good people must be vindicated, all those lacking in grace defeated.” Eastwood “has a role not dissimilar to the old crank he played to such great success in Gran Torino and provokes similar laughs with his blunt assessments and pissed-off comments,” remarks the The Hollywood Reporter. And Box Office.com concludes that, “Giving directorial control to his longtime producer Robert Lorenz proves to be an excellent idea for Eastwood who, given enough time and care, can still nail a great role. And he’s got one here.” Let’s hope for the movie’s sake that there aren’t too many empty chairs in cinemas.
LIST: Clint Eastwood vs. Chair: Best Tweets from His Republican Convention Speech
End of Watch
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Writer/director David Ayer doesn’t stray too far from the streets of Los Angeles with his films. There have been hits (he wrote the screenplay for 2001’s Training Day, which saw Denzel Washington win a Best Actor Oscar), misses (2008’s Street Kings, whose solitary award nomination was a Best Actor for Common at the BET’s), and maybes (Harsh Times from 2006).
End of Watch seems to be a return to form. Officers Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Zavala (Michael Pena) don’t just carry out their patrol duties but like to hang out when they clock off for the day. Naturally, something external will enter the equation to disrupt the happy dynamic and the emergence of a Mexican drug cartel who want our two heroes executed for unwittingly uncovering their plans understandably puts a serious spanner in the works.
The reviews are uniformly excellent. “Like a knife in the eye, End of Watch cuts past the cliches of standard police procedurals, serving instead as a visceral ride-along with two thrill-seeking cops,” is the opening to Variety‘s take. “It should seem ludicrous, this top-heavy blend of action and drama, but Ayer whips us along, outpacing implausibility at every turn,” notes the Guardian. And Screen International writes that, “With a lived-in authenticity, Ayer’s leads reveal how these two cops share a bond that no one, not even their significant others, can truly understand.”
MORE: TIME’s Review of Street Kings
NewsFeed’s Flicks Pick: Not a duffer among them. As Trouble With the Curve would have it (which, at a pinch, is our pick), this week’s movies go three-for-three.