Judge Minty

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.

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...

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!!!

I admit, there are far too many short films that I never seem to have the time to watch, between all of the feature length films, indie flicks & television series there is little room left. After catching this inspiring fan film "Judge Minty" I have made a vow to make some time in the future to ensure that I don't miss out on gems like this.

Oddly enough, what drew me in like a moth to a flame was the poster art, the rickety wooden sign exclaiming "NO LAW 2000 Miles". I didn't even check the runtime or plot summary, just went straight into it. The only drawback I found while watching was the unfortunate end. I could have easily sat through another hour based on the framework already laid down.

The story chronicles the retirement phase of one of the long standing judges of Mega-City, Judge Minty(Edmund Dehn),a secondary figure to Judge Dread from the comic book series. After an incident of slight indecision in the field almost cost him his life, he is given a choice where he can either live out his days teaching at the Academy or he can leave the city and walk alone, out into the lawless anarchy of Cursed Earth, most commonly referred to as "the long walk", a perilous journey in which he will live out the remainder of his days battling lawlessness in the post-apocalyptic wasteland of cursed Earth. A place teeming with dangerous threats & great evils, ranging from sub-human beings with the power of telekinesis, to savage creatures who have the ability to go unseen to the naked eye(Predator nod). And of course not to forget the man who made all of this come together so well, writer/director Steven Sterlacchini, way to go in making a very entertaining & visually stunning piece of film with limited resources.

I wasn't a particularly moved by any of the previous Judge Dread films, but this seems to carry more of a message than its predecessors, to go along with the uber-violent, chaotic action sequences that the "Dread" films carry. Best of all, it's FREE, a "for non-profit film" which is now available on youtube and various other streaming sites. So if you happen to have a half-hour to kill, this is undoubtedly a very cool way to burn it. -^-8.5/10-^-

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.