One time back in the day, I was at my local cinema; and as I was entering, a large crowd exited from another theater. As the closing credits of “Fifty Shades of Grey” played on, I witnessed a 70-year-old woman quivering out of the theater, completely flushed in the face, puffing a Parliament Light. Now that I have seen “Joker: Folie à Deux” that stands as the second weirdest movie theater experience of my life.
Honestly, what the hell was that? The Gaga, the singing, the bleakness, the lack of said title character. Christ almighty, what the hell is going on!? If you know me, you know I love all things, Batman. The comics, the movies, the toys… all of it! And if you really know me, you also know I will make countless excuses for things I love until I’m as blue in the face as Mr. Freeze. But again, what—and maybe more importantly why—is “Joker 2?” I’m taking a page out of this film and I’m just going to throw whatever at the wall and see what sticks. Follow along if you dare. Here are five head-scratchers about this wild ride of a film. Note: spoilers to follow.
1. This Film Deserved a Better Class of Criminal…
And this film really dropped the ball here. Think about Arthur’s ending in the first film. He ascended to fully become The Clown Prince of Crime. I mean Murr-ay got what he deserved, Gotham was in ashes, and everyone proclaimed him to be their true hero. He created a movement for Christ’s sake. He was Joker!
All that seems almost for nothing. There’s no elaborate crime heist. Nothing that Christopher Nolan fans would’ve dreamt of for the film. Really no action. The only true crime is the super meta and layered barbaric beating this film gives to fans of the original and all Batman IP. Everything that made us root for Arthur—despite his psychopathy—it’s a faint memory this time around. With “Joker 2,” the joke’s on you! It’s kind of like asking for a guitar for Christmas and coming downstairs Christmas morning to find a frying pan with a bow on it.
2. Riddle Me This…
Riddle me this… what is the plot of this film? What is the film trying to say? And why the hell is Arthur speaking like Foghorn Leghorn? That one was the most puzzling of a number of puzzling choices made by the creative team. Like, I know I should be laughing and saying, “what brave character work,” but instead I thought it was one of the safest ways to show another descent into madness. And speaking of madness: was this film kind of take on a celebrity trial? Speaking of: remember the Johnny Depp trial? I still cant believe what Amber Herd did to their bed. Shocking. As a true crime junkie, I expected to like this portion of the film more, but it was unrelentingly bland. For every effort to be edgy in the courtroom, “Joker 2″ felt like a lame episode of “SVU”… one after Stabler left.
3. Sing Me a Song, You’re the Joker Man
With the inclusion of pop’s greatest force, Lady Gaga, I would’ve expected more bombastic songs. Hell, I expected to see Harley Quinn signing a tune about disco sticks. But what we got here was a “jukebox” film, whatever the hell that means. Joaquin Phoenix is no stranger to belting out some killer songs. Remember “Walk The Line?” He was fantastic in the starring role as the man in black. I honestly expected some real bangers and what we got was mostly undercooked Sonny & Cher type set pieces that really rang as hollow.
The musical aspect could have really, really made for a wildly insane time, which is the direction they should’ve went. The crazy musical breaks could have really cemented Arthur’s state. But no. This was no “La La Land.” It wasn’t even “Ha Ha Land.” Guess the joke is on us.
4. Let’s Put a Smile On That Face
You ruined a good thing! So following “Joker”—I would not have agreed—but would have respected your opinion if you told me that Joaquin Phoenix was the definitive big screen Joker. His performance in that film, after all, is absolutely killer. I mean he takes some absolutely massive swings and about 90% of them work. After “Joker 2: The Bleakness Rises,” no way, Jack!
Speaking of Jack, Mr. Nicholson’s portrayal now leapfrogs that of Arthur Fleck. Mis manic and colorful and bombastic Joker from “Batman ‘89” forever sits near the top. And you know what: it never should’ve been a question. Heath Ledger will forever be the best. “The Dark Knight” still kicks major ass 16 years later. The best film to feature Batman but not the best “Batman” film, Heath’s performance is god damn electric. And while Phoenix crept close to that hallow ground following his first outing, he’s fallen to the bottom of the pack. Well… we live in a society with a hundred Jokers nowadays, so the Wal-Mart brand of the Clown Prince of Crime, Jared Leto, he is in last place. Even if that scene at the end of the Snyder Cut is ridiculously awesome and underrated, our damaged friend sits in last.
5. Todd Phillips—Master of the Sequel
Todd Phillips has made some truly hilarious movies: “Road Trip,” “Old School,” “Starsky & Hutch,” “Due Date,” and, of course, “The Hangover.”Notice I only call out the first one. Even if you are like me and you like “The Hangover: Part II,” you have to admit it’s just a meaner, darker copy of the original.
Todd kinda followed suit on this one here with “Joker: Part II.” Really lacking here is the element of dark comedy, which was peppered nicely throughout the original. I never laughed or gasped. I sighed… a lot. Part of me thinks this is all a wonderfully crafted “Eff you” to the movie studio and brand by a couple of renegades. And maybe it is.
Tarnishing a Legacy
But I want to stress something here towards the end. We are overwhelmed with comic book films and most stand-alonea—like Wal-Mart brand Joker’s “Morbius” and “Madame Web”—they are so bad they’re good. They’re laughable in their poor execution, but you cant help but have a good time by taking the piss out of them. That isn’t the case here. I am equal parts frustrated and worried concerning future standalone projects based on the truly abysmal reaction to this.
I’m not trying to be over-dramatic, but you get what I’m saying. We love these characters and a place exists between full blown fan service and fun, interesting takes on characters. “Joker” (2019) was clearly the later; and if I’m being honest, it should have been left there. Ultimately, “Joker 2” tarnished that legacy… and I’m tired of pretending it didn’t.
