Whether lauded for its gritty, superbly crafted reinvention of the comic book film or ridiculed for its shallow glamorization of incel culture, 2019’s “Joker” became a viral staple of discourse. Director Todd Phillips’ divisive interpretation of “The Clown Prince of Crime” scored a night-topping 11 Oscar nominations, earning Joaquin Phoenix a well-deserved trophy for Best Actor.
While I found “Joker” neither a masterpiece nor a disaster, its exhausting, inescapable online discussion dampened my excitement for a sequel.
When I caught word that “Joker 2” would feature musical elements, with Lady Gaga added to the mix as Harley Quinn, I was reinvigorated for a new installment. At the very least, such an ambitious curveball would produce something novel.
Unfortunately, “Joker: Folie à Deux” is nearly unwatchable and a pointless slow burn. Despite maintaining its predecessor’s impressive visual personality, an awkward bridging of depressing crime thrills and theatrical musical performances culminates in a massive misfire. Catering to neither the original’s fanatics nor its critics, this one won’t be so divisive.
The story picks up within the confines of Arkham State Hospital, where Arthur Fleck/Joker is struggling with his dual identity. When he stumbles upon Lee Quinzel — a fellow psychopath — the two sprout a budding love. Meanwhile, Fleck grapples with his fate while defending his innocence in a monumental murder trial.
Don’t get me wrong: I love a good musical. The existence of song and dance within the movie isn’t what deters it from success. The issues lie in the presentation.
Half the songs are conducted as delusions, staged as fantastical glimpses into Arthur’s mind. These productions fare better because they pull the characters out of their blatantly non-theatrical environment. Gaga sounds fantastic, and Phoenix pulls his weight. It’s the other batch of songs, those that remain in reality, that sound dreadful. From the sound mixing to the vocals, each number feels distractingly out of place — and there are many of them.
Even worse, the film only works slightly better when there’s no singing involved. Lawrence Sher’s cinematography is well-executed and sometimes gorgeous. Hildur Guðnadóttir’s musical score, which earned her an Oscar last time, is still beautiful and haunting. But the film’s snail-like pace propels the story along with little attention to thrill. There simply isn’t much that happens in this movie; outside of its bizarre choices, it’s a tedious watch. To top it all off, the ending renders the entire film utterly pointless.
I can’t complain about Phoenix’s non-musical performance. He remains unwaveringly committed to this role, providing Joker with his trademark sociopathic demeanor. Gaga’s performance didn’t work as well, mainly due to her character’s lack of depth.
But enough of my thoughts. What does the general audience think about this musical sequel?
When Broadway Metro patron Ava Coleman heard the “Joker” sequel would be a musical, she was intrigued.
“Let’s hear it — slay girl. Let’s see how it goes,” Coleman said. Her out-of-theater thoughts: The first one was better, and the music was unnecessary and out of place. “It didn’t make a lot of sense,” Coleman said.
Her partner, Brian Prior, remarked on the peculiar combination of depressing crime thrills with music. “It was strange through and through,” Prior said. Although noting the musical announcement as a reason to see it, Prior expressed his qualms with the numbers. “It wasn’t super manicured,” Prior said. “[Gaga] did great. [Phoenix] less so.”
Popcorn Rating: 2/5 bags of popcorn
