HBO Max Users Have a Week Left to Watch One of the Best Comic Book Movies of the Century

Rarely does a comic book adaptation do better with critics than it does with audiences, but this sci-fi film, which is soon leaving HBO Max, managed to do just that—with critics calling it “bombastic” and full of “self-satire and deadpan humor” that doesn’t detract from the original story’s violent and gritty nature. 

Dredd, starring Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, and Lena Headey, debuted in 2012 and centers on the metropolis of Mega City One. In this sprawling, violent city, criminals run free and make all the rules; the only law lies in the hands of “judges,” who act as judge, jury, and executioner, and Dredd (Urban) is the most reviled of the bunch. Dredd, now partnered with Cassandra (Thirlby), a rookie with powerful psychic abilities, receives a report of a terrible crime that sends both of them to the seediest part of town, ruled over by Ma-Ma (Headey), a drug lord who will stop at nothing to protect her empire. 

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It’s A Great Take on the Original Material

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Critics, surprisingly enough, raved about Dredd, giving it an 80% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer. Brian Eggert of Deep Focus Review gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, saying, “When so many action films rely on shaky camera work and a seemingly rushed assemblage of shots strung together by a wired editor, Dredd is as calculated as its hero.” Charles Webb of MTV agrees, adding, “Dredd knows its characters and world in a way that many adaptations do not, and it blends them together with a not-overly-complicated narrative to deliver one of the best jolt-to-the-brain action movies of the last year.”

General audiences were slightly less impressed with the new take on the comic IP, handing it a 72% on the Popcornmeter. “Thin plot and generic villain, but it was a slick, cool, bloody, and enjoyable movie, Karl Urban was a badass with his constant stank face expression, shame they never did a sequel,” said one viewer. Another said, “Appreciated the coarse setting and the locked-in theme. But the satire, the self-aware humour or the nods to fundamental questions of justice and self-righteousness are not enough to justify the hollow brute force violence, that in the end is not grounded, but empty.” Most, however, can agree that the film was due for a sequel and had the potential to kick off an entire franchise—which looks like it might finally be happening.

Will you be catching Dredd before it leaves HBO Max on January 31st? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to head over to the ComicBook forum to see what other fans are saying.