Dredd

When the casting announcements came out I was excited. Urban is a supreme actor. Great in LOTR, saved Doom, strong in Riddick, perfect in Star Trek, and his turn as Bourne's pain receptacle was easily the top Bourne beating. That's a solid resume and he lives up to it in this blood soaked baby. Problem is, not too many others have Urban on their top shelf. No matter the quality, this thing was destined for a box office grave.

Dredd is a victorious cinematic achievement. It's Scott Pilgrim meets Thomas Jane's Punisher. Its the last ten minutes of Doom for an hour and a half. The setting was so well done that adding an hour to the runtime could only have made the movie better. I was left wanting to explore the world of MegaCity 1, to dive into more Judging around the city before the plot took hold. I can't really fault it, though, the plot is focused, the one liners are effective, and the shear brutality of both the violence and the camera work is bone chilling. 

Karl Urban brought the full force of his talents here. His portrayal was stoic, commanding, and contained a hidden level of humor vital to level the dark tone. Most important of all he was human without ever removing the helmet. 

Surrounding Urban's Dredd with captivating characters was key to this film's success. Thirlby was affective as Anderson, a strong female character who held her own and was more defined by being a rookie than being a woman. Headey was enticingly evil, providing yet another counter gender norm detail, the elusive alpha female. 

The subversion of tropes, the depth in character and the overall brutal creativity in its deaths made this film captivating in every way. Best of all, no love story to cheapen the relationships built throught the story. I can only hope the DVD has more Urban, more Dredd.

10 out of 10.

Limitless

The movie that proves Bradley Cooper to be a stud. A kinetic style and quick pace are maintained for the entire run. You get those drippy eyes of Cooper in a complete panic. The camera work and effects in sync with the story. As a cast bonus, Anna Friel drops by and no matter what state of mind her future characters will be in, she'll forever be Chuck. And Chuck is wonderful. The ending provides a payoff that you cant help but feel satisfied by. The film had numerous chances to blow a good thing but somehow refused to do it. Great movie, no matter how fiction the science and its nice to see Di Nero in something worthwhile again.