Judge Minty

As much as I enjoyed Dredd (2012), I did struggle a little with Mega City One's 'realistic' aesthetic, and to a lesser extent, the practical design of the judges' uniforms and their new-look lawmasters. What fan-film Judge Minty proves is that, even when working on a very tight budget, the unmistakable visual style of 2000AD's greatest strip need not be compromised. Mega City One is exactly as it should be; the Judges' uniforms retain the iconic gold shoulder pad and the eagle; the lawmaster looks exactly like it did in the comic. And it works. Brilliantly.

Put simply, director Steven Sterlacchini, his cast and crew have worked miracles, their obvious passion for all things Dredd shining through in every frame; the attention to detail is stunning, the effects are great and the plot, although simple, is guaranteed to please long time fans of the comic strip, with the action taking place both on the streets of Mega City One and the wastelands of The Cursed Earth. Watching Judge Minty, one cannot help wonder what these guys might have achieved with more money at their disposal; someone should give them a chance to show us...

I'm so impressed, I'm giving this a rating of 8.5/10 (rounded up to 9 for IMDb), which is actually higher than I gave Dredd!!!

A little over 20 minutes, "Judge Minty" chronicles the retirement of the eponymous Mega City Judge and his survival in the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Cursed Earth. Apart from a short prologue it is a really long, visually stunning action sequence, bringing to life the gritty universe of the comic book. Edmund Dehn does a terrific job, bringing the old lawman to life with only a number of lines at his disposal. Budgetary limitations aside, it fleshes out characters and setting with strong performances, top-notch Visual SFX and an exemplary sound design. Watched this on a screening at a local Comics Festival (Comicdom Con - Athens 2013). Definitely a short film that should spread out and be seen...

This short film, made by a set of fans, is a very pleasant surprise.

Don't expect shakiness and jerky camera work, this is actually very well put together with some great special effects. Granted it's obviously done on a very low budget, and it shows, but never denies to be otherwise. Despite that, it works very well without falling into a trap of B-movie unintended hilarity.

A fine lead by Edmund Dehn in this short and dark judgement story in the 2000AD world. The film is an exercise to bring out a short story from the Dredd franchise that would appeal to many without the need for elaborate sets & complicated stories.

It's a very good effort. With a bigger budget, support and time it could have been expanded to something greater but just bear in mind that this is a small scale product.

I liked it, and wish the producers of this all the best in the next efforts which I'll keep an eye out for.

The world of Judge Dredd is not a happy one. This has been proved three times now - Judge Dredd (1995), Dredd (2012) & Hardware (1990). All of which display the same kind of dystopian society with the worst crime rates around and the only law enforcement around are Judges from the hall of justice. But the question is, did anyone ever think of what would happen when a judge loses his sense of right and wrong? This is what happens to the character of Judge William Minty.

Judge Minty is a veteran at the hall of judges and has served a long time on the crime-ridden streets of the old world. However, it is when he begins to wonder if he can change the people he fights by giving them second chances, that ends up making him unreliable. It is because of this, he is forced to leave and begin the long walk among the cursed earth. This is where things become interesting because so far in film (based on this particular comic), there hasn't been a story that focuses on judge that is forced to walk the cursed Earth.

For a short film, this plays out very strong. Everything from the production design to special effects is good for the budget that it had. Steven Sterlacchini's direction (as well as co-written screenplay) was well executed. The dialog is very thought provoking as well as disheartening because how relateable Judge Minty is a character. The actor who plays Minty, Edmund Dehn, is the reason why the role of Minty feels more human than most characters. Dehn isn't a Hollywood blockbusting actor. He's a normal man playing an unknown role. What makes him contrast to Judge Dredd is just how Dredd doesn't think about his actions. Dredd follows the law and that's it, no questions asked.

The music provided by Phil Oates was decent too. It did convey the right tones but perhaps not as much as I had expected. That's only because the material that Minty focused on is a touchy subject so I thought the music would have been the same too. But what makes this film stand out from others is that it focuses on the possibility of mending poisoned minds. Is it worth the time to help? Or is it easier just to do things the old fashioned way? Again, it's a short film so I'm not giving a full score but still, a very good film.

By shifting the focus to a more human level, Sterlacchini's extended play short film brings up some controversial questions and makes the viewer wonder if what is being done today is right or not, for the same issue.

When I think of "Fan Films" I think of low budget productions put together on a shoelace...that LOOK like it.

This is not a "Fan Film". This is an independent film made by fans. The difference is the quality. Perfectly acted, with breathtaking visuals, this is something that left me wanting more from these folks. I want another film in the Judge Dredd universe.

Seriously, the only disappointment is that Greg Staples has no chin and should NEVER be shot in profile if being used as Dredd.

Judge Minty follows the retirement, and long walk journey into the Cursed Earth. Never has the Cursed Earth looked this good. This 27 minute movie has it right where an entire Hollywood production couldn't even take a single correct step.