Push Admin

'Joker: Folie à Deux' review: A bad joke

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<div style="margin:0cm"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/172792685641720241003 joker.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in &#x27;Joker: Folie à Deux.&#x27; <em>Warner Bros.</em></span><em> </em></span></span></span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span> </span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span>I’ve always been drawn to films and shows where the villain is the main character. There’s something fascinating about figuring out what drives their hunger for power and greed — usually, it’s a lack of love and respect, which, let’s be honest, many of us can relate to.</span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span> </span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span>Right now, I’m hooked on &quot;<em></em>The Penguin<em></em>,&quot; HBO&#x27;s latest crime drama and a spin-off from the 2022 film &quot;<em></em>The Batman<em></em>.&quot; Colin Farrell delivers a jaw-dropping transformation, disappearing beneath layers of prosthetics to embody the role of a ruthless, scarred capo with a limp.</span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span> </span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span>That same love for villain-centered stories is what made me fall hard for Todd Phillips&#x27; &quot;<em></em>Joker<em></em>.&quot; The movie was so well done that I had to check myself for actually rooting for someone who’s, well… a murderer. It even became the highest-grossing R-rated film until &quot;<em></em>Deadpool &amp; Wolverine&quot;<em> </em>came along and took over.</span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span> </span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span>It made sense to move forward with &quot;<em></em>Joker: Folie à Deux<em></em>,&quot; even though Phillips originally said they had always pitched &quot;<em></em>Joker&quot;<em></em> as a standalone film. I was excited to see what would come next for a character we watched transform into a fully realized villain. I was especially looking forward to a film that would dive into the sensationalism of the media and its impact on blind followers, who often end up deciding who gets to be in charge.</span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span> </span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span>Unfortunately, the second &quot;<em></em>Joker&quot;<em></em> film feels like a bad joke that just didn’t land.</span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span> </span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span>The biggest mistake of &quot;<em></em>Joker: Folie à Deux&quot;<em></em> is that it tries to be both a musical romance and a courtroom drama without fully committing to either. Almost all the musical numbers feel like filler and don’t advance the narrative. The courtroom scenes seem promising at first but quickly become bogged down by questions that unnecessarily reiterate several events from the first film.</span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span> </span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span>The film had all the makings of a hit with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in the mix, but it wasted that potential by confining them to a musical that fell flat. While Phoenix, who snagged the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Arthur Fleck in the first film, struggles to hold a tune, I can’t help but think of Russell Crowe in &quot;<em></em>Les Misérables<em></em>.&quot; At least Crowe seemed more invested in the role and brought a certain confidence that Phoenix lacks here.</span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span> </span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span>As a Little Monster, it infuriates me to see Lady Gaga in a film that feels like it’s glued to the idea that she must sing at every opportunity. She’s one of the most talented actors of our time and doesn’t need to be reduced to just her musical talent. It’s frustrating to watch her get sidelined in this sequel when she has so much more to offer.</span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span> </span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span>Furthermore, the film completely misses the mark by undoing the Joker’s character growth, dragging him back to the vulnerable Arthur Fleck we pitied at the beginning of the first film. It’s perplexing and undermines everything we’ve witnessed up to this point! As a fan, I wanted to see what’s next for a fully realized villain who meets someone who truly matches his freak.</span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span> </span></div><div><em><span></span></em><span></span><span>&quot;Joker&quot;</span><span></span><em><span> </span></em><span>was designed as a one-off masterpiece with no sequels. It should have stayed that way.</span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span> </span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><em><span>Ralph Revelar Sarza is a freelance TV and film critic and a metadata development specialist at The Big Dipper Digital Content and Design, Incorporated, an ABS-CBN company. This review was originally published on the author&#x27;s blog, “</span></em><a href="https://www.walphs.com/2024/10/joker-folie-a-deux-movie-review.html"><em><span>WALPHS.com</span></em></a><em><span>.” </span></em></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span> </span></div><div style="margin:0cm"><span> </span></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>The biggest mistake of '<i>Joker: Folie à Deux'</i> is that it tries to be both a musical romance and a courtroom drama without fully committing to either.</p>

The biggest mistake of ' Joker: Folie à Deux' is that it tries to be both a musical romance and a courtroom drama without fully committing to either.

'Joker: Folie à Deux' review: A bad joke

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Showbiz

'Joker: Folie à Deux' review: A bad joke

ABS-CBN News,

Ralph Revelar Sarza

Published Oct 03, 2024 11:41 AM PHT

Read More:

movie review

Joker Folie à Deux

Joaquin Phoenix

Lady Gaga

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.