The Judge

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2:14

The Judge

R

2014

2h 21m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

49%

Tomatometer

197 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.), a brilliant but shady attorney, returns to his Indiana hometown after learning that his mother has passed away. His arrival triggers renewed tension between himself and his father, Judge Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall), who makes no secret of his disapproval of Hank's morally ambiguous career. As the lawyer prepares to depart, his father is arrested for a hit-and-run death. Hank takes on his father's defense, despite the objections of the resentful old man.

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Critics Consensus

Solidly cast and beautifully filmed but thoroughly clichéd, The Judge seems destined to preside over a large jurisdiction of the basic cable afternoon-viewing circuit.

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Donald Clarke

Irish Times

10/20/2014

2/5

Objection! Meretricious sentimentality! Objection! Badgering the audience! Where is this leading, your honour?

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Mark Kermode

Observer (UK)

10/19/2014

3/5

As the verdict draws closer, the sentimental silliness and courtroom cliches pile up ...

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Kate Muir

The Times (UK)

10/17/2014

2/5

Unfortunately, when Downey is not centre-stage the drama becomes leaden, sentimental and utterly improbable.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Feb 24

2/4

It's packed with so much empty incident and superfluous drama that, when it’s over, you’ll swear you just watched a television miniseries over three nights rather than a theatrical release in one sitting.

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Ankit Ojha

Cinema Elite

07/09/2024

3.5/5

[...] as predictable as it sounds, “The Judge” is anything but that. The film might be a family drama, but it’s refreshingly adult [...] and filled with surprising emotional honesty.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

07/18/2022

2.5/4

The familiarity of the story hurts what is Dobkin's otherwise pleasantly sincere and straightforward direction, and a number of fine performances.

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Danny L

@Dman2 Feb 16

This is a fantastic movie. A Duvall classic. I really don’t understand the bad reviews.

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Susan W

@Soosie Feb 14

Allowing children to take centre stage even for ten minutes is a no no, for me. The film had a good premise and of course a first class cast. But lacked in originality, predictable marriage break up with old school flame romance reignited coupled with attention seeking offspring, all so done before.

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robert g

@Gray1950 Feb 4

The two Robert’s were excellent, can certainly recommend watching

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Alex K

@RT55114811 Oct 25

Esse filme é excelente e Robert Downey Jr. está perfeito nesse personagem. Um drama familiar envolvendo o relacionamento conturbado de pai e filho e que foge das resoluções óbvias.

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Alexander S

@RT61935749 Oct 20

The Judge is a riveting drama that features remarkable performances from Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall, but its narrative may not quite live up to the expectations of some audiences, who might be yearning for a more complex and engaging crime storyline rather than a more conventional family drama that, although well-executed, feels a bit too common and predictable. Nevertheless, I found the exploration of the family dynamics to be impactful. Grading: B

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Ben N

@Bneffer Oct 19

Decent story about family - made you think about the complexity of parental relationships. Could have been a bit shorter and more to the point. Maybe some scenes or arcs could have been tightened up. But overall a good film and worth watching.

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David Dobkin

Director

Robert Downey Jr.

Hank Palmer

Robert Duvall

Judge Joseph Palmer

Vera Farmiga

Samantha Powell

Billy Bob Thornton

Dwight Dickham

Vincent D'Onofrio

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The Judge: Trailer 1

2:14

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Synopsis

Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.), a brilliant but shady attorney, returns to his Indiana hometown after learning that his mother has passed away. His arrival triggers renewed tension between himself and his father, Judge Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall), who makes no secret of his disapproval of Hank's morally ambiguous career. As the lawyer prepares to depart, his father is arrested for a hit-and-run death. Hank takes on his father's defense, despite the objections of the resentful old man.

Director: David Dobkin
Producer: Susan Downey, David Dobkin, David Gambino
Screenwriter: Nick Schenk, Bill Dubuque
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Big Kid Pictures, Team Downey
Rating: R (Some Sexual References|Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 10, 2014, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 5, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.7M
Runtime: 2h 21m
Sound Mix: Datasat, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)