Peter Suderman Reviews The Judge

Could have been worse:

You can tell what kind of movie "The Judge" is just by listening to the score.

From scene to scene and even moment to moment, it veers wildly between emotions: It's all weepy treacle one second, sunny optimism the next, bouncy and comic for one encounter, then dark and mournful a beat or two later.

It never quite lands on consistent tone, it's often overbearing, and while the moments themselves sometimes work fine, the shifts are sudden, jarring and forced.

"The Judge" is neither a terrific movie nor a terrible one, though at various times it flirts with being both. Like its score, it is often too obvious and prone to sudden shifts of mood and tone, few of which are earned. But there are a handful of well-written scenes, and the performances from its all-star cast make the most of even the mediocre material.

Also could have been better.

Read the whole review in The Washington Times.