Category: Reviews

Reviewed by Joelene Pynnonen

It’s judgement time – Dredd 3D

Set in a futuristic American wasteland, Dredd explores a world over-run by criminals. The only justice available comes in the form of street cops called ‘Judges’ who act as judge, jury and, if need be, executioner. In the violence of Mega City One, Dredd (Karl Urban) is the Judge to be feared, dispensing judgement with clinical proficiency.

When he is teamed up with rookie, Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), and takes on a triple homicide in a usually Judge-free neighbourhood what at first seems to be a standard job becomes something far more sinister. The deaths are linked to Slo-Mo, a new drug that slows reality down for its users. It, and the turf that Dredd and Anderson have entered, belong to sadistic crime-boss Ma-Ma, and she will stop at nothing to make sure neither of them leave her neighbourhood alive.

The premise of Dredd was fantastic and director, Pete Travis, has manipulated it to its full potential. The neighbourhoods in Dredd’s world are super-structure buildings, encompassing hundreds of floors with each floor accommodating possibly dozens of families. The whole building lives in fear of Ma-Ma and her clan and so, once the building is under lock-down, Dredd and Anderson are utterly on their own.

Casting was probably the most important aspect with this film. Though there was not large cast, each of the actors was evidently chosen for how well they worked together. On their own, the cast shone; but when acting alongside each other, the push and pull of the interactions, both spoken and unspoken, resonated. Dredd’s character is set in stone, unwavering and seemingly incapable of seeing grey areas. The contrast between him and Ma-Ma, who is coldly calculating but thrives on the pain around her, is palpable. While Ma-Ma is demonstrative, making a spectacle of the devastation she unleashes; Dredd is understated, economical in action even as he wreaks his own brand of destruction. There are no similarities between the characters but, as enemies, their chemistry runs in perfect synch.

Anderson plays a much different role in the film, giving the audience a point with which to sympathise. Young and empathetic, she has all of the emotions that Dredd does not, and that makes her essential. While Dredd does undergo character development, his personality is too inflexible to make a drastic change. Anderson’s, however, is not and much of the emotional journey (including Dredd’s emotional journey) is facilitated by her.

As can be expected, there is an incredible amount of violence in Dredd. While carnage doesn’t usually bother me, in Dredd it did. The reason for this is that the brunt of it, both physical and mental, was used by Judges against Kay (Wood Harris), a black character, and it could be described as torture. He’s a bad guy for sure, but while police are still beating and killing people for not being white, this hits too close to home.

Visually Dredd is a pleasure to watch. The setting is gritty; giving the film an authentic atmosphere of a desperate and uncertain future. The contrast of this against the immaculateness of the Judges’ uniforms and bikes signifies the role they play in bringing order to the city. While these things add to the film, the treatment of special effects is the thing that I found most inspired. As the characters are tailored to enhance each other; the plot in Dredd is tailored to suit the effects. Slo-Mo, the drug that slows time down, is used to great effect during action scenes, adding dimension in a plausible way.

Based on the iconic Judge Dredd comics, Dredd is a dark and uncompromising film that will leave audiences hoping for a sequel. The plot, characters and even special effects are woven together to make Dredd a brilliantly multi-layered experience that is as visually stunning as it is entertaining.

Reviewed by Mandy Wrangles

SUITED is book two in Jo Anderton’s The Veiled Worlds trilogy and is the follow-up to Debris.

“The bitter war between the sinister Puppet Men and the nebulous Keeper for the control of the ancient city of Movoc-under-Keeper has intensified. For Tanyana, imprisoned within her extraordinary suit and cast down as a lowly debris collector, choosing a side should be simple. But when even her own suit becomes aggressive against her, Tanyana must weigh some very personal issues against her determination to serve the greater good.”

Suited picks up just after Debris left off – a handy little recap of book one in the form of conversation between two experimenting Puppet Men gives the reader an excellent grounding to where the situation now lies. I, for one found this particularly helpful; Anderton has built an extremely complex world with multiple characters, and this Analysis Of Past Events is a clever way of reminding the reader where the story is at. It also gives us a chance to settle in to a world literally made and held together by pions before chapter one – when wham! the action hits hard and fast.

As with Debris (you can read my review here), Anderton expects the reader to keep up – although she writes a rich, layered world, there’s no mucking around with over-explained or too-luscious details. Instead, we’re thrown into the deep end of world that sits somewhere between fantasy and science fiction, dotted with steampunk elements. In book one, it was the world-building that really blew me away. Suited capitalises on Jo Anderton’s talent here, but with more detail in passing. We’re privy to more history, politics and mythology than last time – but only as protagonist Tanyana herself finds this information.

The biggest difference with Suited – and where it really comes into its own – is the character development.

Tanyana Vladha spent much of Debris bound up in her own search for why and who made her fall from grace, both literally and figuratively. She has lost any trace of being a victim (though Tan didn’t exactly play that part as well as the Puppet Men would have liked her to…) and is now taking far more action regarding her situation. Tanyana was never a passive character, but in Suited, she is no longer helpless, beginning to take control of both the mysterious metallic suit that is now part of her and her own destiny. There is more at stake in Suited – it’s not just about Tanyana, but about the survival of their world and the people she cares about. Tan is more empathetic; her relationships with her debris collecting team have grown along with her own sense of belonging. Her romantic relationship with Kichlan is never ‘icky’ or out of place and helps to move the plot along. Kichlan’s brother Lad is still the most interesting character of this series next to Tanyana, even with the introduction of a whole bucket-load of new personalities. The intrigue and mythology surrounding the Keeper himself made a lot more sense, and I found myself having plenty of ‘a-ha!’ moments.

My only disappointment with Suited came in the form of the deception – after the betrayal in Debris, this one was a little too easy to see coming, however it didn’t detract from the storyline itself. I found it to be more of a case of wanting to scream at Tanyana and her friends to watch their backs, look over their shoulders.

Suited is a more emotional book than Debris. I’m not sure if that’s because as a reader I’ve come to know and love this cast of characters more, or if Anderton has set out to deliberately push buttons, to make us care about their fates and the world of Movoc-under-Keeper. There were places where I had to catch my breath with the simple (but oh, so well done) horror of a single moment: ‘…The debris came away from her body. Most of her stomach came with it…’ and then there were the moments where I had to stop and reach for the tissues. Seriously. Suited doesn’t suffer from Flat Middle Book Syndrome – while it can’t stand alone without Debris, it moves the overall arc of the trilogy along at a great pace. If you enjoyed Debris and haven’t yet got your hands on Suited – what are you waiting for?

Published by Angry Robot

ISBN – 978-0-85766-157-9

Paperback – 458 pages

Also available as an ebook via www.angryrobotbooks.com

Reviewed by Joelene Pynnonen

Finding a more proudly Australian film than Mental in 2012 will be a challenge. Writer and director, PJ Hogan, of Muriel’s Wedding fame has once again delivered with his darkly comic new film. Mental is what he likes to think of as a ‘whole-meal comedy’ rather than one of the all too common ‘dessert comedies’ floating around Hollywood at the moment. Had I not seen this irreverent film before Hogan spoke to us about it, I probably would not have understood the sentiments he was expressing. The description is apt though, Mental is a message told through the medium of comedy rather than a comedy existing for entertainment value alone.

The Moochmore household is fraying; each of the seven members holding on to sanity and each other by a tenuous thread. Barry Moochmore has not had dinner with his family since his eldest daughter, Coral, tried to kill herself. His wife, Shirley, is struggling with the responsibility of looking after their five daughters and, wishing that her life was happier, she finds comfort in The Sound of Music. Living with a mother who thinks she’s in a musical and a father who can’t tell his children apart, the five Moochmore girls self-diagnose mental illnesses because ‘if they’re not mental then they’re just unpopular’.

When Shirley suffers a breakdown that even Barry cannot ignore, he checks her into a mental institution. Unable to cope with the children he barely knows, he comes across Shaz, a hitchhiker who agrees to nanny the girls.

Every aspect of Mental pulls together near perfectly to make it a comedy with emotional and spiritual integrity. While the laughs come thick and fast, the themes of sanity, insanity and family add depth. As entertaining as Mental is, it opens up the ideas of mental health, leaving audiences with a wealth of subjects to consider and discuss. It doesn’t confine itself to the light fun bits of life either, instead balancing precariously on the fine line between tragedy and comedy.

Though comedy serves this film so strongly in many ways, it also weakens some of the moments that could have delivered much more of an emotional punch. Looking at something as frightening and lonely as mental illness with humour succeeds in pushing an issue that is all too often disregarded into the spotlight. Through most of the film and with most of the characters it works. Some scenes, however, do suffer because of previous humorous treatment. Because Malorie O’Neill’s character, Michelle’s, schizophrenia is regarded in a humorous way through the film; it becomes difficult to reconcile with the stark reality of her illness when it surfaces.

The cast work brilliantly together. They play genuinely flawed, sympathetic and believable characters, all of whom are very different. Despite the diversity, the chemistry between the actors is perfect. Toni Collette’s performance is especially good. As always she raises the bar for all everyone else, and they rise to the challenge magnificently. Four of the five girls playing the Moochmore children are new to acting but, from their performances, which four is anyone’s guess.

There is a strongly Australian feel to Mental. In many ways it could be considered a companion piece to Muriel’s Wedding. Both revolve around music, there is the same sense of small-minded, small-town community and no shortage of whacky characters with their own goals and insecurities. While Muriel’s Wedding suited the strong friendship focus of the mid-nineties however, Mental is thoroughly modern. The connection between family members is stronger and, while there is still emphasis on the importance of self-confidence, the characters have more support whilst finding themselves.

This is a fresh, fun take on a serious issue that affects far too many people. It unapologetically broaches subjects that are still taboo, utilising humour to keep it from getting too heavy. It’s for everyone who has never quite fitted in. And for everyone who has ever been embarrassed by their family; or worse, been the embarrassment, this is the movie for you.