The Star Chamber

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The Star Chamber

R,

1983,

1h 49m,

Drama

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Watchlist

77%

13 Reviews

Tomatometer

42%

1,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

13 Reviews

42%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Judge Steven Hardin (Michael Douglas) is discouraged by the failures of the legal system after seeing hardened criminals go free on technicalities. Acknowledging Hardin's perspective, his peer, Benjamin Caulfield (Hal Holbrook), introduces him to the Star Chamber, a secret organization that condones vigilante action in cases where justice has not been served. However, when the cabal sentences two criminals to death, and Hardin finds them falsely accused, he clashes with the powerful group.

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Oct 23, 2004

2/4

The Star Chamber works brilliantly until it locks into a plot. Then it stops dancing and starts marching.

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Caffeinated Clint

Moviehole

Jul 23, 2008

3/5

A tour-de-force thriller from Hyams and Douglas... its final moments are as gripping as Superglue!

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David Kaplan

Kaplan vs. Kaplan

Mar 1, 2008

4/5

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Apr 9, 2007

B+

Outstanding performances across the board.

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Steve Crum

Dispatch-Tribune Newspapers

Feb 20, 2007

3/5

Conspiracy abounds in this early Michael Douglas far fetcher.

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Rob Thomas

Capital Times (Madison, WI)

Mar 9, 2006

3/5

A couple of great chases, but it doesn't quite live up to its intriguing premise.

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Albus R

Sep 18, 2018

Peter Hyams is a somewhat middling director though whose profile has always been consistent and Michael Douglas, despite being a young producer was also coming into his own as an actor. He is guided here, in an almost father figure role by Hal Holbrook. I should see this film again but I remember liking it.

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Ron S

Nov 13, 2017

The performers do their jobs but the script comes up way short.

Harry R

Nov 5, 2017

I'm not a fan of Peter Hyams as a director because his directing is pretty poor. I actually found this movie forgettable even though this is a declining film I found myself enjoying the chase scenes and that is the highlight of the entire movie itself. Michael Douglas plays a judge who decides who's guilty or not guilty and decides that all cases of people who commited crimes will be dismissed or not. The only case in this is the child who got murdered and Dr. Lewin is the father of the child wants him to put two men Monk and Cooms guilty. I never really got into this and I think it's kinda dry and I'm sure if people heard of it or not, I guess the director of this is really bland.

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Finn S

Apr 14, 2017

What makes The French Connections better than this perfectly shot, smart, and superb thriller? Nothing, I tell you.

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Peter Hyams

Director

Michael Douglas

Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin

Hal Holbrook

Judge Benjamin Caulfield

Yaphet Kotto

Det. Harry Lowes

Sharon Gless

Emily Hardin

James B. Sikking

Dr. Harold Lewin

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Synopsis

Judge Steven Hardin (Michael Douglas) is discouraged by the failures of the legal system after seeing hardened criminals go free on technicalities. Acknowledging Hardin's perspective, his peer, Benjamin Caulfield (Hal Holbrook), introduces him to the Star Chamber, a secret organization that condones vigilante action in cases where justice has not been served. However, when the cabal sentences two criminals to death, and Hardin finds them falsely accused, he clashes with the powerful group.

Director: Peter Hyams
Producer: Frank Yablans
Screenwriter: Roderick Taylor, Peter Hyams
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 5, 1983, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 20, 2015
Runtime: 1h 49m
Sound Mix: Surround

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