The Judge
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The Judge

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Courtoom melodrama from the director of Clay Pigeons, starring Robert Downey Jr as a big city lawyer who returns to his hometown for his mother's funeral only to discover that his estranged father, the town's judge (Robert Duvall), is suspected of murder.

2014Rating: M, Mature themes and coarse language142 minsUSA
Drama
Director:
David Dobkin ('The Change-Up', 'Wedding Crashers', 'Clay Pigeons')
Writer:
Bill DubuqueNick SchenkDavid Seidler
Cast:
Robert Downey JrRobert DuvallVera FarmigaVincent D'OnofrioBilly Bob ThorntonDavid KrumholtzDax ShepardLeighton Meester

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The Judge | Reviews

49%201 reviews

Rotten Tomatoes® Score

All reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Flicks, Steve Newall

Flicks, Steve Newall

Part courtroom standoff, part dude-returns-home-to-small-town tale and part familial dramedy, The Judge juggles its components in pleasant enough fashion to warrant a low-expectation recommendation. Pleasingly, the two Roberts (Downey Jr. and Duvall) who top the cast list and square off as father and son bring their acting A games, with Duvall in particular helping coax Downey Jr. out of his usual glib comfort zone - though this over-exposed facet of the latter’s personality comes in handy as a brash, show-off, unscrupulous defence attorney.

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Variety

Variety

Pivots on a simple yet inspired stroke of casting, pitting Duvall’s iconic gravitas against Downey’s razor-sharp wit.

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Time Out

Time Out

A charismatic performance from Downey Jr and the growling presence of Duvall makes up for a multitude of sins in this big and brash family drama that puts the heavy emphasis on drama over family.

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The Telegraph

The Telegraph

A guilty conviction for Dobkin: first-degree, low-grade schlock.

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The New York Times

The New York Times

[The scenes] add up to a sprawl of narrative that is as unconvincing as the suspiciously sprawl-free, nostalgia-tinged town where it all takes place.

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The Guardian

The Guardian

Sadly there's no denying the charge: first-degree cheese, with intent.

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Hollywood Reporter

Hollywood Reporter

Undercut by obvious note-hitting in the writing and a deliberate pace that drags things out about twenty minutes past their due date.

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Empire Magazine

Empire Magazine

A great cast and promising premise get swamped in an awkward mix of airport-novel noir and blokey family melodrama.

Full review

The Judge | Trailers

The Judge | Release Details

The Judge is available to stream in Australia now on Stan and Netflix and Google Play and Prime Video and Apple TV and Prime Video Store.

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