6. Dredd (2012)
LionsgateAfter the woefully misjudged attempt at adapting the comic book character for the big screen in Danny Cannon's 1995 Sylvester Stallone vehicle Judge Dredd, Pete Travis' version managed to be twice as good despite having only half of the budget. A stylish, gritty and violent action flick, Dredd's disappointing box office performance seems to have killed any talk of a potential sequel. The stripped-down plot sees Dredd and rookie partner Judge Anderson trapped in a tower block, a bare-bones setup that lends itself ideally to a series of uncompromisingly brutal action scenes, enhanced by some great visual effects and an effective use of 3D. Karl Urban keeps the helmet on throughout the running time but still manages to give a strong performance, his natural charisma and deadpan delivery perfect for the character. Writer Alex Garland revealed that he had a trilogy planned for the rebooted franchise, but a disappointing worldwide gross of just $35.6m makes it unlikely that a sequel will ever see the light of day. However, there is the slightest glimmer of hope given the success of the movie on home video, along with star Urban's desire to make it happen. Fingers crossed as Dredd was a great action movie, and the character has a rich mythology that could be mined for any number of sequels.