Theory 2: It's Another Comic-Book Movie/It's An Obscure Hero
The sheer weight of comic-book adaptations hitting cinema screens presented an undeniable problem for Dredd. The current cycle of superhero movies has thrown up so many characters and concepts that its easy to imagine audience fatigue, at least when it comes to this genre. Unfamiliarity with the character would invariably draw unfavourable comparisons - some people dismissed the movie as a cheap Batman knockoff thanks to misreading the apparent the dark vigilante feel of the trailers. Efforts to educate the masses to the unique properties of a property hadnt worked earlier in the year for John Carter or Green Lantern - and it sure as hell didn't work for Dredd. Then there's the matter of that uniform. And although the gritty redesign of the original outfit worked perfectly for the film (and won fan approval), word is that US audiences didn't like that they never got to see the main guy's face - some were disappointed at the lack of reveal - which of course misses the fact that we're not supposed to see his face, but that's beside the point. With the success of The Avengers, the bar was raised for all comic book adaptations - at least, those made in that mould. Dredd chose to be different and eschew it's comic trappings, presenting a very grounded, CGI-lite interpretation of the source material. So it's a bitter irony that, for a film trying to not be a comic book movie, it may have ended up being dismissed as one anyway.