Dredd 3D - C

Rated R, 98 minutes

Splashy but empty "Dredd 3D" is overkill

Karl Urban is Judge Dredd

"Dredd 3D" is a vacuous, violent and unmemorable remake of the 1993 Sylvester Stallone film "Judge Dredd," by no means a masterpiece and based on the comic strip character of the same name. In this film, Dredd is played by Karl Urban ("The Lord of the Rings," "Star Trek"), and it's a futuristic film set in a vast dystopian metropolis of Mega-City One. The city is overrun with criminals, and order is kept by urban law enforcers known as Judges, who are given the power of judge, jury and executioner. Judge Dredd is tracking down a drug kingpin named Ma-Ma (Lena Headey), who is responsible for a deadly drug epidemic in the city, not to mention he must train rookie Judge Anderson (Olivia Thirlby). Buckets of blood, bullets and bodies fill "Dredd 3D," but the story is (unsurprisingly) thin and derivative and makes some major changes to the comics. Urban, a likable New Zealand character actor, isn't the best choice for Dredd, and the costume seems to swallow him up at times. The bombastic special effects and post-apocalyptic wasteland sets are the most memorable thing about "Dredd 3D," directed by Pete Travis ("Vantage Point") and scripted by Alex Garland ("Never Let Me Go"), and I enjoyed seeing a strong female villain in Headey, best known for playing Sarah Connor in the TV show "The Sarah Connor Chronicles." Those looking for quick fix of action and an excessive amount of gory violence should be pleased, and you'll get a chance to see much of it in slow-mo too. "Dredd 3D" is mildly entertaining but forgettable fun with minimal appeal outside of the fan boy set.

Wes's Grade: C