1. Dredd (2012)
From the perspective of a big fan of Judge Dredd, it’s a travesty that a character with such a rich history should have been so underrepresented in other media. The first live-action adaptation of the ultimate comic book badass was widely considered less than adequate, and it wasn’t until the second attempt in 2012 that one finally nailed it. And for all that, it came to nothing.
Karl Urban was as perfect a casting as exists in modern cinema. He understood the assignment just as well as Pete Travis and Alex Garland understood the world and tone of Dredd and how to make it work in movie form. In short, the film was an excellent representation of everything Judge Dredd should be.
With that in mind, it’s mind-blowing that a franchise didn’t immediately spring up off the back of Dredd‘s cult success. His comic book stories are as extensive as practically any Marvel or DC hero, offering up a wealth of potential narratives and characters to adapt. In every sense, Dredd is the ultimate standalone movie that deserved to have started its own franchise.
And that’s our list. Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to follow Corner of Film on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @corneroffilm to keep up to date with all our excellent content!