Cinepals - DREDD Movie Reaction & Review!

Episode Date: February 19, 2024

Achara and Kristen react to Dredd, a sci-fi action thriller based on the comic book character Judge Dredd. The film stars Karl Urban (The Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, & The Boys) as Dredd, a law enforcer who has the power to act as judge, jury, and executioner in a dystopian future. Along with a rookie partner, Olivia Thirlby (Juno, The Darkest Hour, & The Stanford Prison Experiment), he must fight his way through a high-rise building controlled by a ruthless drug lord, Lena Headey (Game of Thrones, 300, & Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles). This film is directed by Pete Travis (Vantage Point, Endgame, & City of Tiny Lights) and written by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation, & 28 Days Later).   You can watch the full length reaction on our Patreon: www.patreon.com/jabykoay and a cutdown version of our reaction on www.youtube.com/@cinepals  SOCIAL MEDIA: ~ACHARA KIRK~ Twitter & Instagram: @Acharakirk YouTube: @Achara ~KRISTEN STEPHENSONPINO~ Instagram: @Kris10Kesp ~CINEPALS~ YouTube: @CinePals Insta: https://instagram.com/TheCinePals Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCinePals

Sinha. Pals. Hey guys. What's up? Hello. Hi there. Yo. It's a Chara Cook, joined by Kristen, who hopefully will not have a fit of hiccups. Are they gone? They're gone. They're gone. She had some... I did. She had some cute little hiccups before we started shooting. I'm sorry I wasn't rolling. You guys missed it. Maybe she'll have another bout of hiccups when we watched this movie. Yeah. So we're going to be checking out Dred.

you guys. And I don't know whether to dread this or not. Wow. Great jokes. Thank you for laughing. I'm sure no one else did. So this movie has strong, bloody violence and some other fun stuff. So yeah, we're in for a treat. I like Carl Urban. He's one of my favorite Kiwis. And I'm very excited to watch this. And I hope you are too. I feel like we need someone like. like her in this world, though, because it's like, it's too easy to just... Be normal? Well, it's too easy to just make these snap judgments, and maybe you don't know the entire

picture, and so it's helpful to have a psychic like her who can kind of see the full picture and be like, no, you don't deserve that, or you definitely deserve this, you know. I thought they illustrated that pretty well. Yeah. Yeah. This film made my stomach hurt. made me want to vomit. Made me uncomfortable in ways that I didn't know

were possible to like as watching, like as you're watching a film. I enjoyed it. I hate it so much that I love it. I actually really enjoyed it. However, I probably would have never watched this on my own within the first few seconds. I probably would have turned it off.

Yeah. If it wasn't for you, H.R. And I'm like, I probably would have turned it off, but I'm glad that I watched it. Because even I love the way they did things, especially with the mind control stuff like to me that was so cool like there was a lot of coolness to this

but also it was trippy it was funky and I'm like whoever wrote it you're twisted in more ways than one my brain does not even think these thoughts yeah I really loved that scene where she goes into his head and then he's like oh I can do whatever she wants she's like yeah and then she switches it

and like turns it around on him and she's like but I can do things too I thought that was so cool and then she got into a sudden got the answers that they needed like that was just kind of a badass moment at first i was like i don't know this guy made like i like i like his voice it's kind of sexy maybe but he's a little cheesy maybe and then all of a sudden they're like no no no you want to see cheesy christian let me mic drop in your face and i'm like yo you guys are bad at like this is really cool well i think i think like it definitely needed the the character of anderson the rookie because otherwise it would have been really one note.

Because you look at Judge Dredd and it's like, well, we already know it's established that he's a complete and utter badass, you know? And then he starts as a badass, he ends as a badass. There isn't really too much of an arc there apart from like in the beginning he's not very sure about the rookie and then by the end he's like, yeah, she passes. But I think we definitely needed her character in there

for us, the audience, to latch on. because, like, she kind of is like us. Like, she comes into this world, like, really inexperienced. And then by the end, she's like, no, I get it. And I'm going to completely, you know, take control of this situation and also become a badass. So, like, I thought that she was extremely necessary because otherwise this movie would have been so boring. And her empathy is, like, so relatable. Like, you said, we needed something, someone to relate to who can grow.

We're like, yeah, let's go. Get him. Yeah. But you're also like, ugh. Well, it's interesting too, because, like, the movie is called Dred, right? But it's really more about her than it is about him. Yes, exactly. 100%.

Yeah, but I thought that was really smart because I don't know the character of Judge Dredd, obviously. Like, I think he's a character that's already established. He might be, like, in comics or something like that. You guys correct me. But, like, we have a screenplay by Alex Garland here whose work, I enjoyed his stuff when he was writing novels, like, I thought the beach was really cool. But also, like, he writes pretty good scripts. He writes some excellent scripts, and he's also now, like, an interesting director.

So, you know, he definitely took something and was like, all right, this is what it is on paper, maybe. This is the character that is established is Judge Dredd, and we all know that he is this guy that's, like, really formidable. but I'm going to make this so that, you know, for people who don't really have a connection with that character, that we can still kind of jump on board and get into it as well. I'm kind of, I feel like the way Mama died, though, was a little too easy for me. I almost wanted the moment they faced her to have a little bit more chaos.

Yeah. So I was a little bit bummed out about that, but at the same time, I love that they made her go down in slow-mo, too. And I love the how they ended it, because they make you really feel like, I don't want to see this. But I want to see how you're going to do it. And I was expecting her head to go,

and then we were going to see her body cry. And I love that they made it almost like on this glass. Yeah, that was really cool. I thought that was cool. Cool thing that they did with the shooting of it there. Because, yeah, like you, I was like, oh, God, they've made a lot of things really gross in this movie. And so I did wonder if they were going to go full on, like,

brains exploding and like with her nastiness. Yeah. But I wish there was like more dialogue between her and them, the judges. I felt like it was almost like too easy. Like she kind of like surrendered too easy. Like oh I knew I was going to have this

and his defeat. I'm not sure if I was like I mean I was glad that I was done. But at the same time I almost wanted a little bit more of a fight or a little bit of something or maybe a backstory, like maybe the girl gets in her head

and then she realizes she's a mutant and then maybe she was like, I don't know, something they had and she's like, you don't even understand the first thing about whatever, whatever. And then she had a moment of this is my past and this is why I'm here. I don't know, something along those lines. You know, I think when you said like,

oh, it would be really cool if like the two women had to go up against each other. I think I felt the same. I was like, yeah, that would actually be really cool. Yeah. But I mean, I guess the ending had some sort of. of poetic justice to it because in the beginning the whole thing starts because she decides to throw these three guys off the balcony and so her demise follows that as well but she didn't get

skinned she did not get skinned so pretty to get skinned but but she was like such a great character as well and i think lena hetty gave an amazing performance as usual like she's so good at playing villainous women. And if you ever watch Game of Thrones, you will understand. She is one of just the most heinous, diabolical characters that you love to hate. Everything that she does here, she

does in that show. Like, she's just so cold. There's something in her eyes, which she can make her eyes look just like really dead and flat. Like she doesn't care about anything. She had no soul, nothing. Like, I was, I'm not going to love. Like, if I saw

her in person just from this film, I'd be like, hi. I know you're not really evil, but, ooh. Yeah, she's probably really nice in real life. She probably is, but she made, like, I think this is the first villain, like, truly, the first villain I've ever seen in a film that I was like, oh, like, it made me want to like crawl up and, like, I wanted to be a turtle and, like, hide my head. Like, she made me want to hide, but also, like, I don't even know if I can get away working for you. Yeah. I'd hate to be her kid and bring home a bad report card.

It's like if she just gave me that withering stare, I'd be like, I'm sorry, I'll do better next time. I'm so sorry. Now, she's terrifying. I hope she won like an award or something because she is probably not for this movie. Well, she should have. She's gnarly. I think she's like one of the best villains I've ever like seen in my life so far. Yeah, no, she's, She's great. One thing that I did notice as I was watching this was it stands out to me just because like I can hear these things, but just like the accents. Yeah.

Like obviously, you know, we've got quite a few stars here that are not American. Like Carl Urban, I know Lena Hedy, I know Domino Gleason. You heard a little hint. Yeah, I was like hearing hints of the accents and I was like, oh, that's interesting. And then of course my brain goes into like the making of the film and like, oh, what was the decision to cast so many non-American actors? Were they shooting this in the UK? And is that why they cast a lot of like non-American people? Did it just work out cheaper that way?

Because I know you can get a lot of good British actors for much less money than than you can in the US. So like my brain was just kind of headed in that direction just because I was like just. noticing their accents and all. So, yeah, even Olivia Thirlby. So she was born and raised in the U.S., but she trained in the U.K. And so, yeah, it just makes me wonder. I'm like, did this, was this movie shot? I think she is beautiful.

In the UK, yeah, she's gorgeous. She's beautiful. And she, I loved the innocence that you see in her eyes. Yeah. Through the whole film. It slightly started to change, but not in a sense, not in a way that's so, like, drastic. It was like you could just see the hurt.

Yeah. I was like she still had that kindness but it was almost like she's fed up but she like I don't know she did that very well and I think it like for her character that was really important because we needed someone who

was kind of like you said like she's very dough eyed and she's and she was neutral I felt like in the beginning and stuff you didn't really be like oh I love her you weren't like oh I don't like her you had no feelings whatsoever you were just kind of watching her journey

which is interesting because normally by a certain point you're already like, you know, with her. But I feel like she did such a great job that we started to grow with her. And it was almost like we were her. Like, I don't know how I feel. And then all of a sudden it was like, all right, we're going. Yes. The end was when we're really like rooting for her and going, I'm so proud of you.

You know what I mean? Versus like, oh, yeah, let's go. It's more like, oh my gosh. Is she going to make it? Yeah. We're like the judge guy. I think you're doing good. Yeah, like you're going to make it for sure.

But, like, I'm questioning you, and, like, I don't really care for you, but, like, I care for you. But at the same time, I don't know how I feel about you. Like, I don't really trust you. Like, you make me feel uneasy, you know? And I wouldn't want to be next to him. But at the same time, you're also kind of like, well, all right, protect me, save me. You know what I mean? He gave that really good.

I think all these characters really gave you that eb-g-be, like, like. Well, yeah, because even with the judges, right? Like, I always had the sense of. of just unease because it just feels kind of strange, especially, you know, with how our justice system works, which is like innocent until proven guilty. Here you have these people who can make judgments on individuals. And I didn't know how I felt about that.

Yeah. Like it makes me question, are you really good? Are you just, only like a law? Like, I don't know because, you know, just like that in the beginning, they had that homeless guy, right? Yeah. And he's like, oh, you're going to go, whatever. And it's like, come on, man.

He's just sitting there. Leave him alone. Yeah, like he's just, he's a junkie. He's homeless. Like, yeah, leave him alone. It's, the law seems to be just very brutal in that world. And so, I mean, everything just kind of makes sense for the world that we're in. So, yeah.

I mean, it was, it was really well done and an entertaining sort of sci-fi dystopian action movie. I did like it as much as I felt nauseous. But I did like it, which I'm, I'm surprised at how much I liked it. I don't like blood. I don't like killing. It hurts my feelings. And I feel like when I watch these things, it just sometimes puts the, it puts, like, my imagination is too intense for this stuff. That my brain starts to wander and then I start to overthink at night.

And then I scare myself. And I'm like, oh, man, Achara. What did I do? Now I'm scaring myself even more. But at the same time, like, I'm enjoying the process. And, yeah, like, if it wasn't for you and Javi, like, there's no way in hell I would ever watch it. Like, half the stuff I watch her. Yeah, well, happy to expand your movie palette, Kristen.

Yeah, and thank you guys for joining us on this journey. Do leave any recommendations for any other stuff that you would like to see in the comments below. and let us know your thoughts as well. Last thing. Go ahead. Until you all, I didn't realize or know how gory films could be. Oh. I didn't know that they could get as bad as I've seen.

We've expanded your PG world. And supposedly I heard there's worse, and I didn't know that. Yeah. I didn't realize. Honestly, I thought this was going to be a lot goryer than it actually was. So there's that. That was true of. Like, just like Kill Bill?

Like, that one was pretty rough. I didn't realize that people made films that bad. Like, and then not that bad, but in the sense of, you know, like, the violence. The violence. I didn't know the violence could go that hard. God bless you, Kristen. I know. You must be protected at all costs.

All right, guys. I keep my happy thoughts until now. Okay, keep your happy thoughts, Kristen. We're going to do our best to break them down. Just kidding. You'll be fine, though. I do know a good therapist. I can refer you.

Perfect. Just throwing that out there. My mind has been blown. See you guys soon. I'm a Chara Kirk. This is Kristen Stevespino. Ciao.