Tales From The Quarter Bin--Schneiderless!!

Well, well, lookie what I found for two bits:

Hey, there's some talent there. Carlos Ezquerra co-created Dredd, for heaven's sake. And I've always been a fan of Helfer's.

Sadly, it's still not a great story, as the tale is "based on the screenplay." Shudder.

Which means, of course, we get way too much of Dredd out of uniform (and out of helmet), because dammit, Sly Stallone has a face people pay to see. And of course, the screenplay makes the fundamental error many superhero movies do, trying to jam every single thing that's ever happened to the character into one two-hour movie (I'm looking at you, Daredevil movie).

Still there are differences--perhaps because they were working from an earlier version of the script, or perhaps they were given a tad bit of freedom. Whatever the reason, Ezquerra does nothing really resembling likeness of the actors. And you have to admit that, no matter what your opinion of the movie, that this version of Fergee...

...is 5000000000% preferable to what we actually got:

Shudder.

Seriously, Hollywood--Sandler, Spade, Schneider...W.T.F?!?

Anyhoo, there was one other substantial difference:

That's it...no tacked-on, focus-group-mandated (or studio-demanded because they wanted to use the character in the inevitable (ha!) sequel) ending with Fergee surveying and being taken away in an ambulance. Nope, just as in the 2000 AD stories, Fergee died heroically in this adaptation, and didn't survive to quip away unfunnily.

And at least Dredd and Rico look like clones in this version...

So, not great, but no Schneiderisms, better art, and better end make this well worth the quarter...