h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

You all have very good suggestions for the worst movie ever and I agree with a lot of the opinions already stated, but I must cast my vote for Judge Dredd. Stallone's tag line in this movie was "I knew you'd say that." The ideas taken from the comic book were translated into something that was so silly I couldn't help laughing at it.

The thing that most ruined this movie for me was the fact they Dredd took his helmet off. Part of the mystery of the original comic bokos was the fact that nobody knew what Dredd actually looked like. Okay, I know we all know what Stallone looks like, and that it probablt doesn't matter that much. There were some other things that were wrong, and I think the makers of the movie should have stuck to the comic boks ideas a bit more closely.

The most disappointing thing about the movie was that they had so much good stuff to work with from the comics and they managed to totally ignore that and stuff things up totally. I knew it was in trouble as soon as they cast stallone as Judge Dredd

I have to wonder if there could ever have been a Hollywood movie made that did stick to the original 2000AD version of Dredd that we all know and love. The problem when you look at the film seems to stem from the fact that the makers of this version totaly failed to grasp the deeper meaning of the character and the world in which he exists. Most people are able to appreciate the fact that on a fundamental level Judge Dredd is a satire of a society gone mad much like Orwell's 1984 or Huxley's Brave New World. The strip was created at a time when the UK was undergoing a great deal of social upheval under the Thatcherite Tory government of the 70's, 80's and 90's. In this time we had huge unemployment, the destruction of traditional industries and a tendency as a population to riot as a sign of our discontent. Against this backdrop the character of Dredd made perfect sense as he parodied the establishment and also provided a release of energy as he dispensed justice washed down with a healthy dose of violence.

The world in which Dredd lived was dark indeed, but the black humour was there in spades. The off-world construction worker who became super-humanly strong on Earth and persued a vigilante career (i.e. just like Superman) and whom Dredd shot for his crimes. The reign of the insane Chief Judge Cal and his deputy Judge Fish (a goldfish). There was also moving tradgedy in the form of America Jara and the depridations of the Dark Judges.

All these things were forgotten and then betrayed in the persuit of what was at the end of the day nothing more than a vehicle. As far as I'm concerned I think that the best thing that can be done is to forget the film and stick to the comic itself. You're always going to have a problem selling the idea of a hero who is basically a facist authority figure to a Hollywood studio simply due to the fact that as far as they're concerned that guy should be the villain...the idea of satire and irony seems to have a long way to go in La-La Land.

I think Stallone was badly cast. In my humble opinion there is probably no actor who could play the role exacty right, but if I had to choose someone to play it I would choose Clint Eastwood...

This might shound crazy, but Eastwood is an older guy and as we all know Dredd was no spring chicken. Also I reckon that Eastwood has the right sort of dark humour with a sinister twist that Dredd was written with. This is much evident in the Dirty Harry movies, and I always thought the Harry Callahan character was quite similar to Dredd.

OKay, maybe you all think I'm crazy, but I just thought I'd air my view

Stick the helmet on Dirty Harry and you've pretty much got "Old Stoney Face" himself. Come to think of it, I'm sure that I read somewhere the original artist based Dredd on that character just like he based Judge Anderson on Debbie Harry.

Well I always thought that Judge Dredd had a connection to Dirty Harry somewhere down the line. I didn't know that Judge Anderson was based on Debbie Harry though

I think we're talking early days Debbie Harry rather than the older version that entertained the Glastonbury crowds a few years back by dancing like an embarassing aunt at a family wedding.

hahaha

I must've missed that. I bet it was rather amusing

Not as funny as watching a bunch of pissed townies sing along to the line "we just want to get drunk" in "A Design for Life" by the Manics as though it was a vindication of their lifestyle rather than an ironic statement on the fact that there is nothing else to them than alcohol and loutish behaviour.