Based on what I thought I knew about Judge Dredd (1995) before seeing it, I thought it was going to be the one where I waxed philosophical.  I mean, you are talking about a film about a guy in a helmet acting as judge, jury, and executioner in a dystopian future.  My Catholic analysis naturally gravitated to the deep flaws within such a system that creates a law enforcement officer with near god-like powers.  Human institutions are imperfect, at best, and historically the more power we give them, the worse they become.  The original movie version of this comic book character, made in the 1990s, is awful because it throws in these existential questions for a character that I am not sure was ever intended to consider them.  To be fair, little thought is given to the chaos in the society in which the events unfold.  It is mentioned, but it is not the point.  For whatever reason, someone, somewhere, decided that they needed to make another film based on this character.  This time, it is all action.  What little lip service it gives to broader events is managed in brief voiceovers at the beginning at the end.  I guess, though I have no proof, that this is more in keeping with the source material.  Anyway, the result of all this is Dredd (2012).

I do not know why they called this one Dredd instead of Judge Dredd (Keith Urban) 2.  I did not italicize that second one because that movie does not exist.  Was it because Sylvester Stallone was too old?  Would that have mattered?  Dredd (I will just go with his title name from now on) never takes off his helmet throughout the whole film, so would anyone have been able to tell?  Anyway, after narrating the dire situation in Mega-City One, he is after a few bad guys speeding down the road in a minivan that looks out of place given how far into the future this is supposed to be.  The perpetrators are on drugs, a new substance called Slo-Mo (I will let you work out its effects), and their erratic driving results in the death of many bystanders.  This gives Dredd the authority to do what others like him are trained to do: to immediately issue sentences of death should the situation warrant it.  Apparently, this one does.  Okay, so now we are reminded of our main character and his purpose.  Back at the Hall of Justice (how original), Dredd is introduced to a potential new cop named Judge Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby).  It is only potential at the moment because she has come just short of passing the requirements to graduate into the ranks of the judges.  She is only three points short.  She is kept around because she is classified as a mutant, and one with strong psychic abilities.  The powers that be feel this could make for an excellent judge and they assign her to Dredd for further training.  Though he makes it clear that he will be tough on her, he allows her to choose their first joint call.  She lands on a triple homicide at an incomprehensibly tall housing project whimsically named the Peach Trees.  These victims are the work of Madeline “Ma-Ma” Madrigal (Lena Headey).  She is the head of a growing crime syndicate that has pushed out all the other gangs in the building and is using it as her personal empire to launch the spread of Slo-Mo.  With the help of her technology savvy, er . . . assistant(?) (Domhnall Gleeson), she is able to observe when Judge Anderson and Dredd enter the foyer, examine the bodies, and arrest one of her close associates, Kay (Wood Harris).  Judge Anderson knows he is associated with the killings because of her mind powers.  Remarkably, this is not enough for Dredd to perform a summary execution, and they decide to take Kay in for questioning.  For whatever reason, Ma-Ma cannot allow this, and she orders the entire building sealed, which it can do for, again, no apparent reason.  Once everyone is locked in, she announces over the intercom that she wants everyone inside to take part in murdering the judges, and that there will be consequences if they do not comply.  So, now it is two people versus 70,000 potential assailants.  Luckily, they do not all attack at once.  Enough do, though, to force the judges to start shooting back, all while keeping Kay in handcuffs.  Look, it is pretty obvious where this is going, so just picture a lot of shooting until we get to the final showdown between the judges and Ma-Ma.  There are only two hiccups along the way.  The first comes when two gunmen get the drop on Judge Anderson and Dredd.  They are distracted long enough for Kay to surprise Judge Anderson and capture her.  The other is Ma-Ma calling on four other judges from outside who are on her payroll to kill Dredd.  Dredd makes easy work of all of them.  He is wounded in the process, but he spreads on some magic future medicine and is seemingly totally normal within moments.  Also, Judge Anderson manages to free herself when Kay attempts to kill her with her gun, which is rigged to blow up in the hand of anyone uses it other than the person to which it is matched.  So, we get to the moment we have been waiting for, Ma-Ma facing Judge Anderson and Dredd.  She tells Dredd that she has rigged a device to blow up the building if she dies.  Dredd’s solution is to wound her, and then throw her to her death from the top floor, betting the signal for the explosives will not reach the top from the bottom.  Job done, Judge Anderson and Dredd stagger out of the building, with him approving of the rookie’s performance.

Yet again with Dredd, like its predecessor, you are dealing with a near plotless movie.  Judge Anderson does have a character arc, but she is not the protagonist.  So, like I said, nearly plotless.  Dredd remains the same pitiless enforcer beginning, middle, and end.  It is a trait, he claims, is needed to deal with the cesspool that is this future society.  I guess this presupposes that everywhere else is like Peach Trees?  Whether this is the case is immaterial to this Catholic reviewer.  Is it worth mentioning that the behavior of the judges is not Christ-like.  There is a passage in the Bible apropos of this state of affairs.  Romans 12:17-19 reads, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all.  If possible, on your part, live at peace with all.  Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’”  This harkens to what was said in the review for Judge Dredd, about how ultimate justice lies with God and not a man with a weird looking helmet.  What draws me is the part about living in peace.  No matter the situation, we have the opportunity to live in harmony with our fellow humans if we give it a chance.  Only sin can disrupt those good intentions.  Oddly enough, this is born out in Dredd.  There are plenty of people who simply want to live their lives.  Unfortunately, there is a mad woman living upstairs ruining it for everyone.

Still, you do not deal with a sickness like Ma-Ma by having Dredd throw her off a building.  To be Christ-like means we give people numerous chances to reform, not end their life.  Beyond this, you pray for them.  Indeed, this and its predecessor are not good films from a pro-life perspective.  Thus, once more, I am compelled to suggest that you avoid this one.