
In a world overpopulated with comic book adaptations such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the DC Extended Universe, Joker (2019) proposed something different. A beautifully written character analysis which was grounded, had phenomenal acting and was wonderfully directed. The movie broke box office records and it was the first R-rated movie to make 1 billion dollars while also being nominated for 11 Academy Awards where Joaquin Phoenix won an Oscar for Best Actor. That is why to the surprise of no one, a sequel was quickly approved. I, for one, was intrigued but also confused. The first movie was phenomenal but I strongly believe that it didn’t need a sequel. The themes of the film stood perfectly fine on its own and at no moment did I feel that I had to see more of Arthur Fleck’s descent into madness. However I gave it the benefit of the doubt and was looking forward to Todd Phillips’ sequel. All of this changed when it was announced that the sequel to the highest grossing R-rated film of all time would be a musical. This was a very shocking decision as comic-book movies don’t tend to be musicals and this genre isn’t as successful in the box office. Nonetheless, I still kept my faith, as the trailers looked incredible and I was ready to be pleasantly surprised. I was unable to watch it opening weekend but I was shocked to see the negative reviews from both audiences and critics alike calling it the worst movie of the year and one of the worst movies of all time. I started to get worried but I told myself that the movie couldn’t be all that terrible. I was in for a shock.

This movie is very complex to analyze as it has a lot of things going for it. The story is set two years after the events of the first movie and follows Arthur Fleck/Joker as he is on trial for murdering six people. One day in prison he meets Harleen “Lee” Quinzel and they quickly fall in love. Lee begins to manipulate Arthur and convinces him that his “Joker” persona is the most important part of him.
There are some good things in this movie and I don’t think it’s a terrible disaster as most people put it out to be.
Joaquin Phoenix's acting is still excellent and while below the level that he put on for the first movie, he still delivers the craziness and madness of the Clown Prince of Crime. Lady Gaga is a good choice to play Harley Quinn but I do think a better actress could have been picked instead of just choosing one based on singing ability. Todd Phillp’s direction is still on par with the first one and the elevated budget makes the cinematography stand out on a whole new level.
The score is still phenomenal and Hildur Guðnadóttir makes a soundtrack that is a worthy successor to the original movie. One of the things I liked more about the movie was the breakthrough performance of Harry Lawtey as Harvey Dent. I had never seen a performance of his before but I was greatly impressed with the depth and level of acting that he brought to the table. Sadly, this is all the positive things I have to say about the movie.

Talking about the elephant in the room, the movie does not need to be a musical. It is a creative decision that completely baffles me as it has no plot relevance and it is boring to see on screen. While the songs themselves have some creative charm and visual flair, they mostly act as a way to see inside Joker’s insanity instead of moving the plot forward. None of the songs are memorable or have an impact on the movie. Besides this, Joaquin Phoenix cannot sing and it is embarrassing to see him sing alongside Lady Gaga who has a powerhouse voice. A horrible decision on all fronts.
Secondly, the script is all over the place and it is tedious and boring at times. For the first hour nothing happens and then for the last 30 minutes the movie kicks into high gear and goes through the entire plot. This is very jarring and makes the movie lose a lot of points. Finally, there is a narrative decision that the movie takes toward the very end which just makes the entire movie crumble down for me. It offended me very strongly and I can see why a lot of people were as well. It doesn’t only ruin this movie, it ruins the masterpiece that was the original. It feels like a decision specifically made to troll or anger fans and I don’t understand why Todd Phillips decided to take that route. I just don't understand who could ever think that was a good idea.
Joker: Folie a Deux is not the worst movie of all time, it’s not even close to being that. It has a strong visual proposal and with solid acting that makes the majority of the movie watchable and in some points enjoyable. Joaquin Phoenix is having the time of his life and in some parts, he recaptures the magic of the first movie. However, the movie has a lot of flaws that make it fail as both a movie, and even more as a sequel. When I went into Joker 2, I wasn’t expecting a movie on the quality of the first one, but I was hoping for a worthy successor to such a great movie. I left the theater feeling defeated, offended and baffled. Joker 2’s main goal is to make the audience feel confused instead of satisfied and that ends up making the movie feel worse than what it actually is.
Could the movie have been better? Absolutely. However I do think it is getting a lot more hate than it deserves and while it is not that good, it doesn’t deserve to be called a cinematic disaster.
Movie rating: 5/10
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