Chris Tookey has done it again

Daily Mail film reviewer Christopher Tookey didn't much like Dredd, citing its lack of "characterisation" and "glorification of extreme violence" as his reasons for a two-star review. Oh, and he compares the character to mass-murderer Anders Behring Breivik. Because it was literally impossible not to do so.

Film critic Chris Tookey knows what he likes, and he likes hating violent movies. The Daily Mail reviewer has previously labelled comic-book lark Kick-Ass "evil", said of the character Hit-Girl "Paedophiles are going to adore her" and signed off his review with the following zinger: "Do we really want to live in a culture when the torture and killing of a James Bulger or Damilola Taylor is re-enacted by child actors for laughs?"

No, Chris. No we don't. We just want to watch fun, adult films that are suitable for our age-range, if that's cool with you.

The Tookmeister General has been at it again, this time targeting excellent and highly pulpy comic-book painfest Dredd in his outraged crosshairs. I thought Dredd was brilliant: violent, yes; ridiculous, definitely; an 18-certificate; well, obviously. But Tookey won't let it lie. Dredd is a dangerous movie and will corrupt us all, given the chance. Here's what he had to say.

Granted, the movie did lack a certain satirical sting, and- WOAH THERE. JESUS. I enjoyed Dredd for what it was, but at no point during my screening did I think, 'You know who else would like this? That Norwegian mass-murdering fascist that killed 77 men, women and children'. The offhand way he mentions "enthusiastic audiences" and Breivik in the same sentence is staggeringly revealing. It's almost like he's saying if you like Dredd, you're a danger to society. And you're not. You're cool.

It's a troubling habit of Tookey's: hate on a movie for its ultraviolence (which he's perfectly entitled to do, obviously) before casually dropping in a comparison to a famous psychopath or hot-button murderer to stir up the hornet's nest a little. It's a despicable trait of The Daily Mail - journalists generating controversy in the name of hit-whoring - but Tookey's off-colour comments frequently seem to suggest a link between violent movies and real-world violence, which of course, has never been proven.

It's just as well no one puts any stock in anything he says, really.

Thanks to Rich for the heads up.