Judge Dredd

Dredd is the "old pro", "the experienced one", "he who is legend", and up close in real combat is bigger than the legend could ever be. And although Dredd knows this, he is, after all, a loyal and devoted public servant, himself unable to break even the smallest rule, including letting others into his emotional life. Well at least not anymore.

Max van Sydow plays the founder of this new police force and is Dredd"s mentor. But the mentor is losing power as his efforts seem to be losing ground quickly. Enter the bad guys. The mentor"s opponents are out to get him killed! In the end Dredd is convicted of trumped up charges (a real disaster for the squeaky clean Dredd), and his mentor is sentenced to the "long walk" a forced retirement outside the city and into oblivion.

The rest of the story deals with the psychopathic bad guy (surprise) whom Dredd must overcome, as well as his search for himself, which appears to have been lost when they took his badge away.

Stallone does well with the limited role, and even manages to play straight man to the comic relief guy who unfortunately comes off as "wise guy who could have been left out of the movie". Stallone"s other side kick is a young woman Judge who is asked by Stallone to be his defender at his trial and later to help him retake the police force back after the bad guys have pretty much hacked it to shreds. The key evidence, DNA evidence (Wow! O.J. already has his own movie!). But we find out that DNA tests don"t always tell the whole story, and as Stallone finds out in the end, in his case they tell only half the story.

Unfortunately, there doesn"t appear to be much more to tell in this story, so it may die a sequel-less death. Although, as comic books go, there should be a whole passle of interesting criminal types out there that can allow Judge Dredd to return doing what he does best, shouting "Guilty" then shooting the poor slob.