Movies and TV shows based on comic books were hit and miss in 1994-1996 or in the case, the mid ’90s.
“The Crow” starring the late Brandon Lee was a huge success gaining a cult following. Jim Carrey starred in “The Mask” which was a critical and box office success. Fox Kids introduced Spider-Man for a new generation of Marvel fans. X-Men: The Animated Series: Seasons 2-5 ruled gained high viewership as one of the highest viewed Saturday Morning Cartoons. Bruce Timm’s Emmy winning “Batman: The Animated Series” aired its second season on Fox Kids before it got transferred to Kids WB. Mr. Timm later created “Superman: The Animated Series.” Honorable Mentions go to “The Tick” for its silly satirical take on superheroes and “Blankman.” Although the latter was a critical and commercial flop, it became a hit on home video and a ’90s cult classic.
The Mid ’90s had adaptations that were either disappointments or pure garbage. Alec Baldwin portrayed “The Shadow” in a divisive commercial flop. Tank Girl was a piece of crud and tanked (no pun intended) at the box office. Billy Zane as “The Phantom” also flopped. “Batman Forever” starring the late Val Kilmer was a commercial hit despite mixed reviews. One critical flop in particular is a film adaptation of a street judge who apprehends scum and villainy in a dark dystopian cyberpunk post-apocalyptic world became the complete opposite starring Sylvester “Sly” Stallone. The dud I’m referring to his none other than “Judge Dredd.”
Released in 1995, (same year Goldeneye came out) Judge Dredd was critically panned by critics, fans and movie goers alike. The film barely recouped its budget. Mr. Stallone earned a Razzie nomination for “Worst Actor.” 17 Years Later, Alex Garland wrote and produced a full reboot with Karl Urban as the titular character. This one earned massive praise, but failed to make a profit. Shame we never got a sequel or TV show. Recently, Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Thor: Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit) announced he’s directing a reboot of Judge Dredd. Drew Pearce will write the script.
I don’t give a crud if SPOILERS are present. This film doesn’t deserve to exist.
Innocent & Guilty Aspects
Innocent: James Earl Jones narrates the opening text on the lore.
Alan Silvestri (Predator, Back to the Future Trilogy, The Avengers) orchestrated the soundtrack.
Diane Lane & Max on Sydow both did a fair job for their respective performances.
Practical Effects are solid. An ABC Warrior is animatronic.
Cinematography was shot lacking technical issues.
One joke only made me laugh. Dredd strips a knocked out judge’s uniform in order to go incognito. Fergus says this line. “We don’t have time for this.” Dredd gives him a dirty look. A darn shame Dredd never wore his uniform and helmet until the very end.
Fun Fact: Despite Rob Schneider’s annoyance as the comic relief sidekick, my mom and I got a photo of Deuce Bigelow himself at Fan Expo Dallas 2025. He’s a pretty cool funny guy.
Guilty: Sylvester “Sly” Stallone’s performance as Dredd, didn’t feel authentic. He’s just a carbon copy of John Spartan from “Demolition Man.”
Speaking of Demolition Man, Rob Schneider’s performance as Fergus the comic relief sidekick is so irritating. I’m Tripling Down Poins Fergus constantly yells, complains and screams. He’s got Capshaw’s Disease or CD for short. What is Capshaw’s Disease? It means somebody who’s annoying as heck like Kate Capshaw’s character, Willie from “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” Symptoms include, Annoyance, Nagging, Yelling, Stupidity, Screaming and Uselessness. Fergus is on the same level of annoying sidekicks listed. No disrespect to Mr. Schneider. I blame the writers.
- Gurgi – The Black Cauldron
- Amanda Kirby – Jurassic Park III
- Rachel Ferrier – Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds
- Skids and Mudflap – Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
- Leo Spitz – Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
- Patty Tolan – Ghostbusters 2016
- Franklin Webb – Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Danny Cannon (CSI franchise) didn’t do so well directing.
William Wisher Jr. (Terminator 2: Judgement Day) & Steven E. de Souza (48 Hours, Commando, Die Hard) failed to write a faithful adaptation of the titular character. Same guys who wrote legit action movies co-wrote a stinker.
Unlike the comics and Karl Urban’s iteration, Dredd has his helmet off. In the comics, his face is censored whenever he’s not wearing his helmet. What made it worse? His uniform’s stripped before he was wrongfully sentenced to prison. Boy, it must’ve made pure fans angry.
Dredd wears a codpiece which is part of his uniform. This predates the Batsuits from “Batman and Robin.”
Armand Assante’s performance as Dredd’s evil brother, Rico is so bizarre. He acts like a cartoon character like Ren off of “Ren and Stimpy.” The way Rico saying law made me rolled my eyes.
Despite an R rating, Action Sequences lack the ultraviolent blood and gore from the comics. The 2012 reboot retained it.
During the climactic battle, Fergus gets shot. A few minutes later, he survives. Fergus isn’t wearing body armor.
A flying bike chase scene has a fake looking Green Screen.
The Tone has a lighthearted atmosphere instead of the edgy mood reflecting Dredd’s no-nonsense brutal personality. I see this as a “Power Rangers” episode.
I didn’t care about the chemistry between Dredd and Fergus. Not as good as Dredd’s partnership with Anderson in the 2012 reboot.
The Final Verdict: F, For Faker!
Slyvester Stallone’s Judge Dredd is a huge mess. If you’re a pure fan of the comics, it’s not your cup of tea. The 2012 reboot with Karl Urban is by far the definitive adaptation. If you wanna poke fun at the 1995 stinker, crack some jokes with your buddies like it’s “Mystery Science Theater 3000.” I hope Taika Waititi doesn’t screw up. Judge Dredd’s one of favorite non-Marvel/DC characters besides my number pick, Spawn. Give Dredd the A24 treatment in terms of cinematic quality.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 