It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

"Judge Minty" is a 27-minute (live) action short film from 2013, so this one will have its 5th anniversary next year already. It is the first filmmaking effort by writer and director Steven Sterlacchini and his second is following these days. But back to this one here, it is basically about a judge on a rampage, so the connection to Judge Dredd (not just the one in the title) is undeniable. Besides that, however, it is just a pretty generic action short film that offers very little in terms of story-telling. The deficits there also have as a consequence that the actors (including lead actor Edmund Dehn) just don't have the material to shine here unfortunately. It does not even ooze coolness sadly, which could have elevated the material a bit like in one or the other Tarantino film. So yeah with the quality of this one, I cannot say I am too curious about Sterlacchini's next works, but I sure hope he managed to step up his game in the past couple years will keep doing so in the years to come. Final note: The very last scene reminded me a bit of Batman vs. Joker. I don't recommend the watch. Thumbs down.

Just how did these guys, with no doubt a very tight budget and limited resources get it so right when two Hollywood efforts got it wrong (so wrong with Stallones version)? I think the reason is that they know and love the characters, history and idea behind Judge Dredd and his world, they did not compromise when it came to the basics, like the uniforms, the bikes and the city (admittedly a very big basic). Judge Minty is a character from Dredd's past, and I remember reading his story many years ago in 2000AD, I also remember wishing someone would make a film or TV series about Dredd and the world he inhabits, Stallones film was dire, Urban at least understood the character but this short film leaves both previous films for dead, you would have forgiven the makers if they had shot the entire thing in the Cursed Earth, but no, the first part of the film is based in Mega City 1, and the visuals are excellent, the action outside the city walls shows the desolation of the cursed Earth and highlights the vulnerability of even a experienced Mega city lawman, he is on his own. I give this 9/10. like others have pointed out, this films Judge Dredd is in urgent need of a chin, other than that small niggle I can't and will not fault it.Hollywood, watch and learn.

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.

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!!!