Judge Dredd

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Judge Dredd ★½ 1995 (R)

Futuristic lawman Dredd (Stallone), who acts as cop, judge, jury, and executioner, is framed for murder by his “brother” Rico (Assante), a renegade misfit. With the help of a female Judge (Lane) and an ex-con (Schneider), Dredd fights to clear his name and save the people of Mega City One. Big names, big bangs, big budget—big disappointment. Dialogue makes “Rambo” sound like Shakespeare, and the choppy, convoluted plot doesn't help. Schneider provides a rare bright spot while acting circles around Sly, who hoped (in vain) that the project would provide him with another profitable action franchise. The source comic book has been a cult favorite in England for 20 years. 96m/C VHS, DVD . Sylvester Stallone, Armand Assante, Diane Lane, Rob Schneider, Joan Chen, Jurgen Prochnow, Max von Sydow; D: Danny Cannon; W: Steven E. de Souza, Michael De Luca, William Wisher; C: Adrian Biddle; M: Alan Silvestri.