The Judge was exactly what I thought it would be: an average fictional movie released in the heart of better films based on true stories. There was a lot of hype around this movie, but I felt it would do nothing for me. And that was what happened. Audiences seemed to like this movie while critics slammed it. I’m in favor of the critics. At best, this was an average movie. At worst, it was a movie that tried every trick to get you to think it was a great movie. The fact that Robert Duvall (Apocalypse Now, The Apostle) got a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination is a bit of a joke. His performance is a bit of an embarrassment when you compare it to the four other nominees. The highlight of this movie is not the story. Nor is it Duvall. If you are going to see this movie at all (which I would recommend you don’t), you would see it for Robert Downey Jr.’s (Iron Man, Chaplin) outstanding performance.

As mentioned, The Judge was released when many of the most anticipated movies of the years were released. 2014 has been the year of the biopic with such critically acclaimed films (The Theory of Everything, The Imitation Game, Wild, Foxcatcher, Selma, American Sniper) as well as movies that did well at the box office but didn’t quite live up to the hype (Unbroken). Each of these movies was far better than The Judge, and I recommend seeing all of them except Unbroken. If you are interested in the story Unbroken, I suggest reading the book. The Judge is designed to throw your emotions around the room. It’s a story that has been told thousands of times in thousands of different ways. You’ve got the father and son who don’t speak but have to come together due to an unfortunate event. The sad event brings the two together, but not without some heartache along the way.

Downey Jr. is fabulous in this role because the character he plays shows a particular vulnerability that you haven’t seen in any of his recent characters. However, I still don’t know why he decided on this movie as his break between Iron Man and The Avengers. I think he wanted to branch off from the superhero character, but he could have picked from basically any script out there. I don’t know why this is the movie that he would have chosen. Perhaps he just wanted to have a chance to work with Duvall (which I could understand).

Hank (Downey Jr.) is one of the best defense lawyers in all of Chicago. The prosecuting attorneys all know it. The judges in the city all know it. And, most importantly, he knows it. He defends the worst of the worst, and his favorite line seems to be, “those who are guilty of the most heinous of crimes are the ones who need me the most.” I am paraphrasing because I don’t know the exact quote, but it is something like that. Though his ethics are questionable, he gets results. If you only watched this film for the first 20 minutes, you would think you see Tony Stark as a lawyer. He is that cocky and sure of himself. But Hank Palmer is not Tony Stark. Whereas Stark seems invincible (or indestructible in his Iron Man suit), Hank most definitely is not.

Hank is the middle son of  Joseph, who everybody, including his own family, refers to as The Judge. His older brother Glen (Vincent D’Onofrio – Full Metal Jacket, television’s Law and Order: SVU) seems to be the caregiver of Hank’s younger brother Dale (Jeremy Strong – Selma, Zero Dark Thirty). But unfortunately, he has a condition that prohibits him from fully taking care of himself. The Palmer brothers have an evident love for each other, but there is a little friction between Hank and Glen just because Hank is off doing his thing in Chicago, and Glen is stuck raising their younger brother. At one point, Glen had as promising of a career in baseball as Hank had in law. But a car accident derailed those plans, and Glen works in a shop.

 

But the small amount of friction between Hank and Glen is nothing compared to that between Hank and The Judge (Duvall). The Judge earns respect from all (including Hank). He is friendly to everyone except for his middle son. There was a rift between the two when Hank was growing up, and The Judge seemed the one who could hold a grudge. The Judge doesn’t seem to care that he and his son don’t interact much, but he is bothered that Hank didn’t maintain a relationship with his mother. So there is friction there, and it’s been there for years. Hank is there to pay his respects for his mother and then cannot wait to get out of there, especially after seeing that his childhood room is full of The Judge’s possessions and that The Judge fails even to address him when he is there. You can see Hank never being good enough in his father’s eyes and how much that bothers him (this is the vulnerability part of Downey Jr’s character).

So, without giving the story away, The Judge goes out for a drive one night. He’s distraught over his wife’s death. A young man is struck by a car in a hit and run and dies. The Judge is charged with the crime. He denies all guilt, but the evidence all points at him. So he needs a great lawyer to defend him. Who is the best defense lawyer he knows? Yup, it’s Hank! Shocker! So Hank goes on to protect him, and the two men attempt to iron out their differences along the way.

The Judge is an average Lifetime movie with a current A-list Hollywood actor and a former A-list Hollywood actor. Check Netflix or skip it entirely. Billy Bob Thornton (Friday Night Lights, Monster’s Ball) delivered an excellent performance as the prosecuting attorney.

Plot 7/10
Character Development 8/10
Character Chemistry 8/10
Acting 8/10
Screenplay 7/10
Directing 7/10
Cinematography 7/10
Sound 7/10
Hook and Reel 7.5/10
Universal Relevance 7/10
73.5%