Release Date: Friday October 10, 2014
Runtime: 141 Minutes
MPAA Rating: Rated R for language and sexual references
Starring: Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Robert Downey Jr. play something other than Iron Man or Sherlock Holmes. “The Judge” features a serious and emotional story and strong performances by both Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall.
“The Judge” tells the story of Hank Palmer (RDJ), a big city lawyer who returns to his childhood home where his father (Duvall), the town judge, is accused of murder. Hank must find out the truth while reconnecting with his estranged family.
In some ways, Hank Palmer is not so different than Tony Stark. Both are quick witted, arrogant, and, yet, oddly likable. In other words, both characters are basically Robert Downey Jr. Here, though, Downey puts in a much more serious and complex performance. Duvall’s performance is equally strong and he is perfect as the tough titular character.
While the story is important, this is primarily a character driven movie. In such a movie, the casting is key and they really nailed it. The two leads are great actors, and they fit the roles perfectly. The supporting cast also does will and is equally well chosen. The performances by both the leads and supporting cast make “The Judge” an enjoyable, moving, and entertaining film.
On the It’s An Ordinary Blog movie review scale where one is the worst, five is the best, and ten is the worst again, I give “The Judge” a 6.349384938098 with an emoticon based sub-ranking of “Wow, that was intense.”
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