Review of Judge Dredd exclusive statue

Introduction

I never liked the first Judge Dredd film - the plot was weak, the acting even worse. Stallone parading around in Frankenstein boots in a desperate attempt to be tall enough to play the classic comic book character? Lame.

The new film was much better. Karl Urban didn't need to leave the helmet off for half the movie to prove he was an actor - he actually acted. The plot was reasonable, and the action was terrific. But it's really the old Dredd, the one from the comics, that most fans still love the most.

Pop Culture Shock went back to Dredd's roots with their statue series based on the 2000 A.D. comics. The standard version was limited to only 300 pieces, and runs around $400, depending on the retailer of course. The Sideshow exclusive version was even more limited, with just 150 produced, and cost $500 initially. That's the one I'm checking out here, and it has a very different base than the regular edition.

There's an upcoming Judge Death statue as well to accompany this one on your shelf.

Packaging - ***1/2
The box is fairly basic, but it's collector friendly of course. Everything was safe and secure inside. I wasn't happy with the medium density Styrofoam, since it tends to flake, but it's still not quite as bad as the low density stuff.

There's a Certificate of Authenticity of course, pretty standard stuff with such a low run collectible. The edition size and number are also on the box and the bottom of the diorama base.

Sculpting - ****
As I mentioned earlier, there's actually two versions of this statue. The normal version comes with a different base, which you can see on the front of the box. Dredd is standing on the head of "call-me-Kenneth", from the 2000 AD comic. While that's nice, the exclusive comes with the base adorned by the beaten body of Sharky, from the 'Chicken Run' issue of the Judge Dredd Megazine...even better!

This is a quarter scale statue, and overall it stands just shy of 21". You'll need some serious shelf space but he's well worth the real estate.

While I generally hate a grimace, I have to admit that it works pretty well for Dredd. Even Urban knew that when he reprised the character last year.

The proportions are comic book hero, and the detailing and musculature look fantastic. There's all kinds of textures and small details that make the entire statue pop. I love the boots and the armored shoulder pads, but everything, right down to the belt buckle, looks amazing. The details are so sharply cut and cleanly defined, and there's just so much complexity to the overall sculpt, that I was impressed from every angle.

The gun holding right hands and the baton for the left are both held in place with strong magnets. The larger Lawgiver has a series of  cool sculpted ejecting shells, appearing to spin through the air, and these are also attached to the side of the weapon with a strong magnet.

This exclusive version has the highly detailed base with Sharky, who's clearly seen better days. He's so large and well done that it's almost like you're getting two statues for the price of one.

The overall statue is actually made up of five pieces - one of the two gun holding right hands, the long club of the baton, the body of Dredd, the entire figure of Sharky, and the overall diorama base.

Once assembled, this is one of the finest large scale statues I've seen in quite some time, and big fans of the character will love it. It's not just the detailing or basic sculpting, but the overall design that makes it stand out. The stance, expression, and diorama all work beautifully together.

Paint - ****
While I love just about everything about the sculpt, it's really the paint job that makes this statue sing.

The colors are bright and clean, with consistent coverage and finish. There's subtle variations, and edges and cut lines are super clean.

They also used a variety of finishes to bring out the different pieces, and it works extremely well, especially with the boots and gloves.

While this is a very expensive statue, the high quality paint work helps support the price and does what any great paint job should - makes the sculpt even better.

Accessories - ***1/2
Generally speaking, statues don't have accessories, so getting a score here is a big plus. Dredd comes with two different Lawgiver guns, one larger (and with the ejecting casings) and one a bit smaller. Both look terrific, and the strong magnets keep them firmly in place.

Value - **1/2
While it might seem ridiculous to spend $400 to $500 on a statue, even a quarter scale statue, I can't ding it too much. With such an incredibly low production run - these really are limited - the cost is a much more justified. Add in the second gun and the highly detailed base, and you actually get what you pay for.

Things to Watch Out For -
Remember that several pieces are held in place with magnets - they can drop off when you are handling him. I forgot and almost dropped the baton on the ground!

Overall - ****
While I'm a bigger fan of the mixed media style of quarter   like the Premium Formats from Sideshow, I have to say that this all sculpted version of Dredd is one of the nicest I've seen in a long time. The quality of the detailing and design, along with the extremely high quality paint job, make this one of those rare high priced collectibles that's actually worth the price point. The truly limited nature helps too - you'll be one of only 150 Dredd fans to have this guy as the centerpiece of your 2000 AD collection.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ****
Accessories - ***1/2
Value - **1/2
Overall - ****

Where to Buy 
This exclusive version is only available through Sideshow, where it's $500. They also have the regular version for $400. Online options for the regular version include these site sponsors:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I recently checked out the Sub Zero life size bust from Pop Culture Shock, but I've never covered any other Judge Dredd merchandise - I'm shocked!

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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