Movie Review: The Judge


I had a feeling The Judge was going to be good, just based on its cast: RDJ and Robert Duvall as the main characters, with Vincent D'Onofrio, Vera Farmiga, Dax Shepard, and Billy Bob Thornton in supporting cast roles. It did end up being good, though not in the way I thought it would be; it's a slow-moving film, but I still enjoyed it.

Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) left the small town in Indiana in which he grew up in a long time ago, and he now practices law in Chicago. His marriage is falling apart, but he still has his daughter, with whom he's very close; he's in the midst of a case when his brother (D'Onofrio) calls and tells him his mom has passed away. Hank makes the flight back to his hometown, to find that his dad (Duvall) is still a jerk, though he's fine with seeing his brothers (D'Onofrio and Jeremy Strong). The brothers notice that their dad's precious vintage car has some scratches on it, with one of the headlights knocked out, but don't think much of it - until, that is, the police come by to question him on murder charges. The town's small-town lawyer (Dax Shepard) isn't cutting it, so Hank makes places to stay in the town indefinitely in order to defend his father from the charges; and in the process, he learns a thing or two about his dad and their relationship.

This may sound strange, but this movie in regards to family relationships is how I wanted This is Where I Leave You to be - a dash of humor, a lot of drama, and great chemistry between the cast. RDJ and Duvall work great together, and it's interesting to see why Duvall's character has supposedly disliked RDJ's character for so long. RDJ and his brothers have interesting backstories, as well, and he also ends up seeing an old girlfriend, Samantha (Vera Farmiga), while he's in town, though he originally doesn't know she now has a daughter, Carla (Leighton Meester, aka Blair from Gossip Girl).

Yes, see this film. Originally I was thinking of giving it 3.5 stars, but I really liked the ending of the movie and overall, due to the great performances throughout, it deserves a higher rating. The runtime is definitely not short - it's about 2 hours and 20 minutes long - and could have been shorter, but at the same time, I'm not sure what they would have cut from the film. I'm usually a big RDJ fan, especially in the Iron Man and Avengers movies, and he does retain some of his signature "snark" here, but at the same time it's a different sort of role for him too. This movie should do well at the box office this weekend due to its cast of A-listers, but at the same time it's one I also would recommend for any moviegoers to see; I will say it's rated R, mostly for language, though.

The Judge is in theaters today, October 10th, and is rated R with a runtime of 141 minutes. 4 stars out of 5.

Popular Posts

Review: Polar Pizza at Baskin-Robbins

Image
*Disclosure: I received a gift card to try the new Polar Pizza at Baskin-Robbins. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Baskin-Robbins launched its Polar Pizza last month (July), as I talked about in my recent post about them, and because this past month was crazy busy for me, I didn't get to try the Polar Pizza until this past Sunday. My parents and I went to the combined Dunkin' Donuts / Baskin-Robbins near them, in Novi, MI, to split one of the ice cream pizzas.
Read more

Upcoming and GIVEAWAY: Mamma Mia! at the Fisher Theatre, Detroit, April 23-28 {ends Dec. 12}

Image
*Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with Broadway in Detroit. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. MAMMA MIA! will be playing at the Fisher this April, from April 23-28, and I'm excited to see it—I'm a big fan of the movies but I've never seen the Broadway show. About the show: Since premiering in London in 1999 and on Broadway in 2001, the irresistible musical has captured the hearts of millions around the globe. The sunny, funny tale of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads on a Greek island paradise, all unfolding to the storytelling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs, has now been seen live on stage by 65 million people across the world and turned into two record-breaking movies – MAMMA MIA! The Movie and MAMMA MIA! Here We Go Again. To date, MAMMA MIA! has been seen in 50 productions in 16 different languages grossing more than $4 billion at the box office. MAMMA MIA! opened on Broadway in 2001 where it played for a record-breaking 14 year
Keep reading

GIVEAWAY: Duel in the D, February 10 at Little Caesars Arena, Detroit {ends 1/10}

Image
*Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with 313 Presents. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. I had a great time at Duel in the D last year—I'm a UM alum, but I had only ever seen ONE hockey game in my life at that point, and this was the second one.  I'm looking forward to it again this year, and one of my lucky readers will win a 4-pack of tickets to experience it as well! About the game: The return of college hockey is headed to Little Caesars Arena with the annual “Duel in the D,” presented by Meijer, set for Saturday, February 10 at 8:30 p.m.  The fans of Hockeytown will be treated to one of the most intense and exciting rivalries in college hockey, as the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans men’s ice hockey teams will add another chapter in their storied rivalry and clash for the “Iron D” Trophy.  The “Duel in the D” matchup features the most-played rivalry in college hockey. The game will mark the 346th all-time meeting between the h
Keep reading