Joker was released in 2019 to plenty of manufactured controversy. Many thought it would inspire violence and hate, but in truth it inspired whelming reactions of surprise that it was a better movie than expected. The movie made over a billion dollars and even walked away with a few Academy Awards. It was a dramatic film that was outside of the typical glut of comic book adaptations we were getting at the time. It was a great stand alone experience.
With all that money on the table, Hollywood could not refuse the chance to try it all over again.
Joker: Folie à Deux follows a defeated Arthur Fleck as he rots in Arkham prison and awaits his trial for the murders he committed in the first movie. His lawyer wants to prove that he’s insane and that the Joker is a split personality with a mind of his own, compared to the insecure Arthur.
Meanwhile a minimum security inmate, Lee (Lady Gaga) is a huge Joker fangirl and makes a scene at every court appearance trying to get Arthur to reach to his potential as the infamous Joker.
Let’s go over what works in Joker Part Deux. It’s evident that Joaquin Phoenix earned that Best Actor trophy for this role the first time around. Truly, he hasn’t missed a beat. He still gives this performance everything and is always believable as an insane, unpredictable man at the end of his rope.
The visuals are strangely gorgeous. That’s bizarre to say, because half of this movie takes place in a murky green prison. But the way each frame is captured is masterful. There’s some real magic to how this movie is shot.
Composer Hildur Guðnadóttir won the Oscar for Score for the first movie with her haunting tracks that underscored the brittle mind of Arthur. That holds true here in the sequel. She delivers a somber descent into chaos that punctuates the important scenes.
But wow, everything else is so bad. Everything is so poorly conceived and handled.
Let’s talk about the fact that this is a musical for much of the time. With Joker’s first song, I was curious to see how well-known songs like What the World Needs Now & To Love Somebody would progress the plot. Let me tell you, they get tired quickly. The second act of the movie is full of fantasy musical numbers. They are performed well by Phoenix and, of course, Gaga. However, they don’t serve the plot at all beyond allowing Phoenix to finally show his joker side.
Gaga shows so much potential early in the movie. Her fangirl approach to character could have gone to some interesting places, but ultimately doesn’t. It’s incredibly disappointing as the movies title refers to “madness for two.” But really the plot just tells us that she’s starstruck and he’s lethargic.
Speaking of lethargy, the script is clearly an afterthought. I feel like writer/director Todd Phillips didn’t want to make this movie, but did anyways. There’s nothing here. Instead of progressing the maniacal journey of a chaotic man, we get a court case movie that tells us the story of the first movie.
Not only do we get redundancy, but the movie makes it a point to want people who enjoyed the movie to feel bad. Arthur’s journey in the first movie is one of a damaged and disturbed person that escalates himself into full chaotic psychosis. We, as viewers, don’t get see this behavior as an example, but rather as a gradual boiling pot with an unforgettable climax. Joker 2 takes that intense pinnacle and makes Arthur the same person he was at the beginning of the first movie. Quite honestly, it wastes the audience’s time and breath with once-interesting discussions about what was reality and what was taking place in Arthur’s head.
Much has been said about the ending of this movie being controversial, but I was just happy that something actually happened in the movie. I grew more disinterested in Arthur as the movie progressed and was happy the movie went as unpredictable as the first movie felt.
Joker: Folie à Deux isn’t a comedian, it’s a troll. It might possibly join the ranks of sequels that are never mentioned again. Deconstruct a mad man all you want, but don’t give the audience 18 scenes of Arthur resting his head on the cop car window or doing another perp walk. I felt like the meme of the ninja using a stick to poke Joker 2 begging, “C’mon, do something.” I am giving it a plus because Phoenix is fantastic, the score stands out, and the visuals are impeccable. Yet, those positives do not make a whole movie when the script is legitimately boring. D+
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