Will the playboy star of Iron Man pull off the damaged act in his latest dra-medy?
Shedding his iron gear for a sharp suit, Robert Downey Jr – the face of laugh-fest Due Date and the Iron Man franchise – returns as a big city lawyer in the upcoming dra-medy, The Judge.
He plays Henry “Hank” Palmer, pulled back home to a small town in Louisiana for his mother’s funeral. There, he discovers his estranged father, Judge Joseph Palmer, is a prime suspect in a murder investigation.
He must reconnect with the father he has long lost, and defend his honour against one of the most brutal attorneys in town.
Check out the trailer:
The Judges
Alongside Robert Downey Jr, Robert Duvall stars as the town judge cum grumpy ol’ gramps. The award-winning actor is best known from classics like The Godfather (1972), Gone in 60 Seconds (2000) and Get Low (2010).
Now he’s Judge Palmer – mourning husband, separated father and murder suspect.
It’ll be quite the treat to see both son and father reconciling their differences and recovering lost time, especially in the face of lawyer Dwight Dickham.
Played by Billy Bob Thornton of Armageddon (1998) and Love Actually (2003) fame, Dickham is going all out against the Palmers. He’s got some dirt on the duo, and we’re eager to find out what it is.
Whichever side wins – though we’re partial towards the Robert and Robert duo – it’s going to be a heated courtroom battle not to be missed.
The Jury
Compared to his hyper-masculine, chiselled and glamorous image in Iron Man, Downey Jr’s role in The Judge is unvarnished and down-
to-earth.
It’s a refreshing change to see the famous actor cast in a new light, and it’ll renew our perception of him as a truly charismatic and talented actor.
Look out for the squabbles between him and Duvall, which are later reflected in the more intense sparring at the judge’s table.
The Verdict
With Downey Jr as the face of this movie, it should take little more to convince us to flock to theatres for it.
And from the movie’s slogan alone – “Defend Your Honour” is splashed across the poster – we’re looking forward to a movie filled with wise cracks and witty banter. After all, that’s what Downey Jr does best.
THE JUDGE [TBA]
Director: David Dobkin
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Robert Duvall & Billy Bob Thornton
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Run Length: 141 min
Release: 9 Oct
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