Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) is a cocky self-assured attorney who defends rich criminals and he is good at it, i.e. the Tony Stark character shines through. His father is a hard nosed judge in a small Indiana town. He hasn't been home in 20 years because of him. When his mother dies, Hank goes home and must face his father (Robert Duvall) and two brothers (Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong). Family friction heats up, but when his father needs an attorney, Hank stays.At this point the past begins to unfold in ways neither we nor Hank expected. The film climaxes when his dad takes the witness stand in his own defense against the wishes of Hank. It is a story about family coming together.This was a remarkable drama, that is constantly developing. It has Oscar worthy performances by Duvall and Downey jr. Fans of "August Osage County" should enjoy this feature.Parental Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity.

(Flash Review)First off, the acting was good. Probably the highlight, even though Duvall and Downey Jr. stick within their expected roles. If only the story wasn't so template and didn't telegraph plot-points. Downey Jr. plays the big city, fast-talking lawyer with the quick wit and Duvall, his father, the small-town judge with squeaky clean morals. Son comes back home for mother's funeral and as the story unfolds around father's recent car accident, who big city lawyer son ends up defending him, their relationship and buried emotions begin to surface. Good acting around the overly-dramatic scenes, typically unrealistic courtroom scenes as well as the stereotypical divorced, single and attractive woman to mix it up with Downey Jr. It was a fine movie, something to pass the time and enjoy but certainly nothing to ponder for later.

To summon up its a drama where the prodigal son (Robert Downey) returns to his home town on the occasion that his mother has died. During the visit we very quickly sense, that something is wrong in his family, consisting of two brothers and a father. This setup is a perfect starting point to explore how thing can go wrong in a family and further ad some suspense in a clever way if the depiction of the distorted relations go hand in hand with the discovery of the historical incidents with explanatory power: almost like a detective story.Sadly, the choice has been to tell the story with one big overwhelming theme: our protagonist wants to get his fathers recognition no matter the cost. This need is in a filmic way never challenged but instead blindly accepted as a, sorry "the", way to find closure. If you humiliate yourself in doing so it apparently doesn't matter. When Robert Downey as last gets this recognition it felt so Hollywood that it left the movie in ruins. Regards Simon

"Hank Palmer" (Robert Downey Jr.) is a highly competent defense attorney who suffers from having grown up in a dysfunctional family. The primary cause of the family turmoil was his father's inability to connect with any of his three sons and his constant criticisms of them. As it so happens, the father "Joseph Palmer" (Robert Duvall) is a well-respected judge who is completely devoted to the law. However, when he is involved in a deadly hit-and-run he rejects the assistance of his son even though he knows that he is the key to his acquittal. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this film had more than its share of deep-seated family dynamics resulting in some rather heavy drama. And it was the acting that brought everything together as both of the aforementioned actors delivered stellar performances. Having said that, this movie probably won't appeal to everybody but I recommend it to those who might want to watch a film of this type. I have rated it accordingly. Above average.