Vashirdfel
Simply A Masterpiece
Deanna
There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
Zandra
The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
porcgi
Full of tired old cliches...there's nothing new here. Downey's a wasted talent here as he just reads through the lines...and Duvall's performance whilst hailed and Oscar nominated, falls well below the mark. Threre's nothing much to recommend...more entertaining watching paint dry...!
thetwoacorns
Great acting; hits "close to home" family dynamics; nice twists; perfect ending. I actually watched this whole movie instead of leaving to go read.
sol-
Having grown up hating his father, an arrogant lawyer gradually finds it in his heart to defend his father, a respected judge, when he is accused of murder in this courtroom drama starring Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall. The film made Oscar history when Duvall became the oldest Supporting Actor nominee for his role here, and he is every bit as good as that as he battles aggressive cancer and chemotherapy side effects while standing accused. Duvall has a particularly strong scene in which Downey helps him in the shower and the two of them bond over pretending (for the sake of Downey's daughter) that everything is fine with the old man. His stance that he would "rather die in prison that be remembered as that" resonates too. And yet, while there is much to like in how Downey and Duvall gradually patch up their differences, there is little escaping the fact that they are pretty obnoxious characters on their own (Downey intentionally urinates on another man's leg in the opening scene), which in turn makes the experience a little hard to sit through when it turns sappy and sentimental towards the end. The film is also bloated with a couple of subplots that could be trimmed (the old flame in particular), and yet, 'The Judge' is surprisingly riveting despite its massive length. Duvall is really that compelling and any music score by Thomas Newman always helps.
areatw
'The Judge' is a decent enough drama with some very strong acting performances and an interesting plot, but it doesn't do enough to justify the two and a half hour running time. The films goes through lulls where there just isn't enough going on to keep your attention. It seems strange to me that they didn't cut down the scenes of extensive dialogue. A lot of it wasn't really necessary and would have shaved off a good portion of the running time. As it is, the film is too long. The plot doesn't have the depth needed for a two and a half hour film, and whilst the drama and story was nicely done, I would have liked some more intense courtroom scenes. After all, the film centers around 'The Judge'.
