Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Extreme violence, drugs in intense comic book tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Dredd
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 8 parent reviews
Based on 29 kid reviews
Kids say the film is a heavily violent and action-packed adaptation that delves into themes like morality and capital punishment, featuring intense graphic scenes and mature content. While some viewers appreciated the engaging narrative and character development, others criticized it for a lack of coherent storytelling and excessive gore.
- violence and action
- mature themes
- engaging narrative
- graphic content
- mixed reviews
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In the future, Judge DREDD (Karl Urban) works as law enforcer in Mega-City One; his job has been simplified, allowing him to kill anyone who's actually guilty. He's assigned to test out a new rookie judge, Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), to see whether she has what it takes. On their first day, they enter a 200-story high rise to investigate a triple homicide. They find a possible killer (Wood Harris) and decide to take him in for questioning. But the evil drug queen called "Ma-Ma" (Lena Headey) who runs the entire building shuts it down, preventing any escape, and then orders the occupants to kill the two judges. Will our heroes survive long enough to complete their mission?
Is It Any Good?
No subplots, romances, or comic sidekicks get in the way of the pure action in this adrenaline-filled movie. Both Dredd and the earlier The Raid: Redemption are set in a high rise with the bad guy at the top, where every floor is more dangerous than the one before it. Fortunately, the two movies are different enough—and enjoyable enough—that they can exist side by side. Based on the popular comic book, Dredd is extremely violent but minimalist at the same time. Even Urban, as Dredd, speaks only when necessary and only in an emotionless murmur.
Director Pete Travis uses space well and also incorporates awesome production design, such as a skateboard ramp that hangs off the side of the building several hundred feet up. The "Slo-Mo" drug trip sequences in particular are quite dazzling. Thankfully, even these flashier elements are all employed solely for the purpose of underlining and enhancing the action. Overall, Dredd isn't as rich or as deep as The Dark Knight Rises or The Avengers, but it's good, solid comic book fun.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Dredd's extreme violence, gore, and blood. How necessary is it to the story? How does it compare to what you might see in a horror movie? Does violence add to your overall enjoyment of the film? Why, or why not?
How do the actions of law enforcement characters compare to those of the villains? What is the movie saying about the powers of the law? Do you agree or disagree with the film's message?
As a superhero and/or comic book hero, is Judge Dredd a role model? How does he compare to other comic book heroes you've seen (Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, etc.)?
What does Anderson learn over the course of the movie? Is she a positive role model? If so, what character traits make her admirable?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 21, 2012
- On DVD or streaming : January 8, 2013
- Cast : Karl Urban , Lena Headey , Olivia Thirlby
- Director : Pete Travis
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Bisexual Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong bloody violence, language, drug use and some sexual content
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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