Thousands of fans flocked to their local theaters to see the sequel to the smash hit Joker (2019) that at release raked in over a billion dollars at the box office. In Joker, Joaquin Phoenix brings Arthur Fleck to life in a film that quickly became a classic amongst Batman fanatics and film lovers alike. It rejected the format of the average comic book adaptation, instead taking inspiration from previous crime films such as King of Comedy (1982) and Taxi Driver (1976). Todd Phillips set out to create another classic with this follow-up, but did he succeed?
Joker: Folie à Deux brings audiences back into the city of Gotham, visiting Arthur Fleck as he rots away in Arkham State Hospital where he awaits trial for the five murders (six, including his mother) he had committed in the first film. In this, we are introduced to this universe’s Harley Quinn, and Lady Gaga proves herself more than qualified to play the jester’s counterpart. With the genre shift from psychological thriller to jukebox musical, weary fans of the franchise found themselves excited to see where this journey was going.
I will confess that I personally was not a fan of the original Joker. The film felt very long to me and a bit gray, and failed to hold my attention upon first viewing. I like movies that move a bit quicker and have more visually striking color palettes. I found the sequel more intriguing as a pop music and musical theatre fan. To me, this did not disappoint. It’s not a perfect movie by any means, but I thoroughly enjoyed this film.
The artistic direction of the film endeared and surprised me. The songs included were all covers of songs previously written and revamped throughout time, such as jazz standards fitting Gaga’s vocal type. The soundtrack featured a vintage feel with songs from previous jazz eras in time. Songs included such as “That’s Entertainment” from a ‘50s musical sung by Gaga. I found it unexpected yet very exciting – Gaga gave it her all and brought the music to life in the film. The ‘60s hit “The Joker” was sung by Phoenix himself. Phoenix may not be known as a singer, but honestly, he blew me away. He does not have the prettiest voice in the world, but his raspy voice fits the character perfectly, especially in the song “For Once in My Life” at the beginning of the film.
The scenes with music elevated to this film. Though an odd choice, it worked well with the story by conveying how Joker sees himself as a performer. Fleck took the more boring settings like the courtroom and transformed them into a stage for himself in this disgusting yet captivating way. While the film does glorify the crimes of this killer, it does provide very interesting commentary on the killing-for-fame phenomenon that has been seen with previous real-life killers. There were also scenes where Joker (Phoenix) and Lee (Gaga) would be in their own variety show–esque setting and these scenes played well into the delusion of Joker throughout the trial. I mean who doesn’t want to see Joaquin Phoenix tap dancing to a Lady Gaga gospel-type number? These scenes installed a sense of amusement the first film lacked.
My favorite part of the whole film, though, was the first 10 minutes. It opens like an old Looney Tunes cartoon starring the Joker animated in the vintage art style having a comical fight with his shadow. As I stated previously, colors are a big deal for me when it comes to film. This bright, playful imagery pleasantly surprised me. I wished there were more little scenes like this throughout. As I left the film, I found myself still thinking about this small sequence. It felt out of left-field, and yet perfect.
I do have my qualms about the film though, as everyone else does. I was most excited to see Lady Gaga in the infamous role of Harley Quinn. This movie maligns Quinn, a dynamic and fascinating villainess. Her one-note character hardly develops as the film progresses. The character seems calm and collected, even when committing her wild, sudden acts of violence. She glues herself to the side of Mr. J but does not have that clownish, kitschy, spunk of the Harleys that have come before. This is no fault of Gaga, who gave a great performance with what she had, but they could have given her so much more.
Any scene that did not have Gaga or music bored me. Again, I’m not the biggest fan of movies with a greyer palette or little happening. Half of the film struck me as bland, but the musical numbers throughout made up for it. Without spoilers, the ending left something to be desired. The pacing of this movie felt rushed and had some loose ends that never got tied up, leaving a lot of questions leaving the theatre.
Though I know I may be in the minority with this opinion, I did not find this movie to be as dreadful as a lot of other filmgoers. I found it a fun watch with some really interesting scenes and colors the first one neglected. As someone who likes a genrebend here and there I found this to be enjoyable, but not one I’d be rushing back to. In the end, I gave it 3.5 stars out of 5.
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