A Few Slo-Mo Seconds from Dredd 3D

Got some fresh-from-the-oven new precious seconds of footage from DREDD 3D. This 30 second spot from Lionsgate spreads on a little more slow-mo sauce starring Karl Urban as Judge “I am the law” Dredd.

I’m still holding out full judgement (HAH! Get it? JUDGEment? JUDGE, cuz… judge dredd..nevermind) about this particular remake, but I’ll admit to being iffy. Total Recall was something of a bust; a gorgeous effects feast wrapping a ho-hum, forgettable plot with the occasional homage to the original film. Dredd points to a largely new story, at least compared to Stallone’s version. In Dredd 3D, Urban’s Judge is tasked with ridding the streets of a new super drug called “Slo-Mo”. Along with a psychic rookie partner (Olivia Thirlby) Dredd is called to infiltrate a 200 story, bad guy infested building controlled by the drug overlady known as Ma-Ma, played by Game of Thrones’ Lena Headey.

It bares a striking similarity to last year’s Indonesian actioner, The Raid: Redemption where a SWAT team is called to infiltrate a derelict, bad guy infested apartment building controlled by the drug overlord known as Tama.

Obviously Dredd will have the main stream, and brand recognition advantage here, but I suspect Lionsgate will still have their work cut out for them. The original Dredd didn’t exactly get an outcry for a sequel and doesn’t hold a place in people’s hearts as some kitschy throwback. That said, the tech, weaponry and costumes of this remake all have a much sleeker, less comic-booky bulk to them and what we’ve seen of this bullet-time-like “Slo-Mo” vision packs quite a punch as long as it’s not overused.

DREDD 3D, in theaters, September 21st.