Based on the reaction we got online, Dredd was among the most exciting things we saw at Comic-Con. Perhaps it was because there was a special screening - of the entire film that is, not just a sizzle reel - but it went down a storm.

There was a collective sigh of relief breathed in the auditorium, as we discovered that Dredd was faithful to its gritty, grubby comic-book roots. And, yes, Karl Urban’s mug is obscured by a sleek helmet throughout.

The levels of grue being blasted out of the screen in (surprisingly welcome 3D) paint this as a distinctly family ‘unfriendly’ affair. Robbed of his eyes, Urban snarls in a throaty, Dredd-appropriate drawl, sharing zero DNA with Sly Stallone’s interpretation of the character.

The single location set-up (a siege on a drug-addled tower block) made for a leaner comic-book movie than your average, and Olivia Thirlby impressed with a decent arc from newbie to tough cookie during the course of one very bad day.

Read our full first reaction to the Dredd screening.

For more on Dredd, visit totalfilm.com/dredd