In The Judge, Robert Downey, Jr. 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.
Special features include commentary by Director David Dobkin, the featurettes Inside The Judge (HD 22:16) and Getting Deep With Dax Shepard (HD 09:21), deleted scenes with optional commentary by Dobkin (HD 18:28), upfront previews, and an UltraViolet digital copy.
The 2.39:1 1080p picture appears gritty, with strong saturated hues. Blacks are often crushed and shadow delineation poor. The Imagery is densely rendered due to the color saturation. Fleshtone fidelity is inconsistent and at times unnaturally cast. Resolution is satisfactory but generally soft, except in close-ups. Slight grain is apparent. While not reference quality, the picture stylistically gritty, perhaps to mimic the rough, stubborn character of the Judge. Overall, the picture is pleasantly engaging.
The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is dialogue focused with an enchanting, softly orchestrated music score. While the music is frontal focused in the soundstage, surround envelopment is subtle. Atmospherics and sound effects also are frontal focused but provide a feeling of realism. Still, dialogue is dominant and generally integrated spatially. This is a pleasing sonic experience that nicely supports the storytelling.