9. Economy
What's perhaps most galling for the filmmakers of the first attempt at Dredd is how this new film manages to do more with $45m than the original did with an astounding $90m, and naturally, when adjusted for inflation over the last 17 years, that figure would be comparably even larger. Though a budget that size was relatively large for 1995, one possible explanation is that it reflects a trend of over-inflation in film budgets that occurs with these sorts of films - one which still goes on today - allowing higher-up cast and crew members to pocket bonuses, though we must of course add that this claim is unsubstantiated. The casting of lesser-known actors for this reboot prohibits that to a large extent, and the focus on a smaller, more intimate story - largely set in one location - likely helps reduce the costs involved with the exuberant visual effects and mechanical puppets needed for the first film. Judge Dredd was a colossal disappointment at the box office, in part a victim of its own excess - grossing only $113m - whereas Dredd, a comparably low-risk venture, will secure itself a sequel if it can gross as little as $50m, according to Alex Garland. Moreover, though Dredd is absolutely sodden in lavish visual effects, it feels absolutely sewn into the fabric of what both writer and director were intending all along.