Review: Downey Jr., Duvall shine in otherwise cluttered ‘Judge’

Posted on October 17, 2014

By MARK VIOLA

“The Judge” is part courtroom thriller, part family drama and part Robert Downey Jr. being Robert Downey Jr. While it boasts phenomenal performances from bown Downey Jr. and Duvall, along with Vincent D’Onofrio (“Law & Order: Criminal Intent”), it is a cluttered film that simply doesn’t pull all of its disparate pieces together well enough to be as good as it could have been. There is a lot to like about “The Judge,” but there is also a lot to complain about.

“The Judge” is directed by David Dobkin, best known for comedies such as “Shanghai Knights,” “Wedding Crashers,” “Fred Claus” and “The Change-Up.” He seems an odd choice for a weightier movie such as this, although Dobkin does get a story credit as well.

Ultimately, the movie simply tries to do too many things with too many characters. The main focus should be on the Hank and his father, their problems and the court battle. Of the film’s 141 minutes, however, perhaps 20 or so are spent in the courtroom. Compounding matters is that the entire case, or at least the audience’s knowledge of it, is blocked by Judge Palmer’s amnesia concerning that night. Although the reason for his block is directly tied to the several storylines, in the end, it still feels like a convenient storytelling device.

“The Judge” has an intriguing premise and several very strong performances, but the end product is unfortunately weighed down by irrevelent side stories and uneven pacing that sucks the emotional energy away before the movie has a chance to reach its crescendo.

The film is rated R for language including some sexual references.

(This is a shortened version of the full review available in our printed or e-edition papers.)

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