Really, there’s no going wrong in sitting back and taking in The Judge via Blu-ray.

Well … there is, actually. You could watch it without wearing your glasses, vainly bucking the sad fact your sight is waning. But then you’d be doing yourself a disservice. If you wear glasses to, you know, see? Make sure you wear them. Don’t give in to the laziness of “I can see just fine. I don’t need my glasses.” Because viewing this picture is a treat in Blu-ray — you will cut off your nose to spite your face if you do otherwise. The transfer is crystal clear. The colors jump out at you and the razor sharp images draw the viewer into each scene. And that’s a good thing … and definitely during the first 30 or so minutes of the film’s rather formulaic set-up.

Because I wasn’t the least bit on board with the first part of the film. Thankfully, there were those visuals to keep me focused. Before acquiring the Blu-ray, I hadn’t yet seen The Judge; I missed it during its original theatrical release. Receiving a copy via Warner Bros. Home Entertainment was a much-looked-forward-to treat. (Thanks, Warner Bros.!) But at the start, I began to wonder if my anticipation was set a little too high. An ensemble cast that includes Downey Jr., Duvall, D’Onofrio, Shepard, Thornton, et al has the potential to do that, you know. I wondered if I was being led down a path to an inevitable crash and burn by story’s end. For me, it took some doing to get me comfortable with what I was watching because it dragged with the necessary groundwork that needed to be laid in order to get to the meat and potatoes of the film.

In the end, the drudgery lifted and I was rewarded with some terrific characterizations (Duvall, Shepard), some empathetic interactions (Duvall/Downey Jr., Downey Jr./D’Onofrio), a great soundtrack, some smiles and obligatory tears. (Note: Robert Duvall garnered a well-deserved supporting actor nomination for his role as the titular, crotchety patriarch.)

Oh … and that formulaic set-up I was worried about, where it was going to lead and how it would play out? It was wasted effort. And it was additionally waylaid with a minor surprise by one of the characters, completely erasing the consternation and dread. (If you’ve seen the film, guess what that surprise moment was and post it in the comment section.) Plus, the final few musical tracks did wonders for my attitude about the film and gelled everything together for me nicely. (And especially so with Willie Nelson’s take on Coldplay’s “The Scientist” which worked near perfectly during the credits.)

See? What I stated at the start was true: In the end there’s no going wrong with The Judge. The next stop? For me it’s the film’s score and soundtrack …

The special features on the disc include commentary by director David Dobkin, deleted scenes, a look into the background of the characters with the main cast (“Inside The Judge“) and a refreshing departure from the usual blooper reels, “Getting Deep With Dax Shepard” which contains some nifty moments of Shepard “interviewing” several of his fellow actors to comedic effect.

Technical features for the Blu-ray include 1080p High Definition 16×9 2.4:1 visuals, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital sound and languages and subtitles in French and Spanish plus Brazilian Portuguese on the Blu-ray only). The combo pack also includes a standard DVD plus a digital version of the film in Digital HD with UltraViolet on specially marked Blu-ray discs.

The Judge Blu-ray disc combo pack was generously provided by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment for this review.

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THIS OFFER HAS EXPIRED.

CliqueClack has partnered with Warner Bros. Pictures to offer readers in Los Angeles an opportunity to attend an advance screening of the new drama The Judge starring Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shephard, Billy Bob Thornton, Melissa Leo, Leighton Meester, Ken Howard, Emma Tremblay, Balthazar Getty, David Krumholtz, Sarah Lancaster, Grace Zabriskie and Denis O’Hare.

Downey stars as big city lawyer Hank Palmer, who returns to his childhood home where his estranged father, the town’s judge (Duvall), is suspected of murder. He sets out to discover the truth and along the way reconnects with the family he walked away from years before.

The screening will take place Tuesday, October 7 at 7:30 PM at the AMC Century City 15, 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA.

A limited number of passes are available on a first come, first served basis. To be eligible, please read and follow the directions CAREFULLY. There will be no exceptions.

• Comment on this post ONLY with LOS ANGELES. Do not add anything else to your comment or it will not register. If you make a mistake, do not edit your comment because it will not register. You must submit a new comment.
• Include your FULL NAME (First and Last) and email address on the entry form (NOT in the comment box!). Double check your email address before submitting. If your email address is misspelled, you will not receive passes.
• ONE entry per person or couple will be accepted. CliqueClack has the right to discard any duplicates or comments that appear to be duplicates. Multiple comments from a single person will result in complete disqualification. As this is not a random drawing, only one person per couple needs to comment. Keep these offers fair for everyone!
• Check your calendar before commenting. If you have no intention of using the passes, please don’t leave a comment. If the studios see that passes we are given to award to our readers are not being used, they will not want to offer us passes for future screenings. Please be considerate!

Please note that passes do not guarantee seats at the screening. Seating is first come, first served so plan to arrive early. CliqueClack has no control over the total number of passes distributed, and is not responsible for seating arrangements at the theater. Please note: The Judge is rated R for language including some sexual references . No one under 17 will be admitted without parent or guardian.

Have a look at the trailer below and then tell us where you want to see the film! The Judge opens in theaters October 10.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TA5Y86yAo4

THIS OFFER HAS EXPIRED.

CliqueClack has partnered with Warner Bros. Pictures to offer readers in Boston and Hartford an opportunity to attend an advance screening of the new drama The Judge starring Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shephard, Billy Bob Thornton, Melissa Leo, Leighton Meester, Ken Howard, Emma Tremblay, Balthazar Getty, David Krumholtz, Sarah Lancaster, Grace Zabriskie and Denis O’Hare.

Downey stars as big city lawyer Hank Palmer, who returns to his childhood home where his estranged father, the town’s judge (Duvall), is suspected of murder. He sets out to discover the truth and along the way reconnects with the family he walked away from years before.

The screening will take place Monday, October 6 at 7:00 PM at the following locations:

• AMC Boston Common
• AMC Plainville

A limited number of passes are available on a first come, first served basis. To be eligible, please read and follow the directions CAREFULLY. There will be no exceptions.

• Comment on this post ONLY with either BOSTON or PLAINVILLE. Do not add anything else to your comment or it will not register. If you make a mistake, do not edit your comment because it will not register. You must submit a new comment.
• Include your FULL NAME (First and Last) and email address on the entry form (NOT in the comment box!). Double check your email address before submitting. If your email address is misspelled, you will not receive passes.
• ONE entry per person or couple will be accepted. CliqueClack has the right to discard any duplicates or comments that appear to be duplicates. Multiple comments from a single person will result in complete disqualification. As this is not a random drawing, only one person per couple needs to comment. Keep these offers fair for everyone!
• Check your calendar before commenting. If you have no intention of using the passes, please don’t leave a comment. If the studios see that passes we are given to award to our readers are not being used, they will not want to offer us passes for future screenings. Please be considerate!

Please note that passes do not guarantee seats at the screening. Seating is first come, first served so plan to arrive early. CliqueClack has no control over the total number of passes distributed, and is not responsible for seating arrangements at the theater. Please note: The Judge is rated R for language including some sexual references . No one under 17 will be admitted without parent or guardian.

Have a look at the trailer below and then tell us where you want to see the film! The Judge opens in theaters October 10.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TA5Y86yAo4