JOKER Folie à Deux

[AlexanderMBush]

Todd Phillips has officially come out publicly alongside the lead actor of JOKER; Joaquin Phoenix, to show that the script has moved forward for the upcoming sequel: JOKER, with the subtitle being Folie à Deux. The film has been in development since 2019 immediately after the theatrical success, and has been silent for some time since.

 

[chris.g]

lmao.

 

[Brian G.]

 

[Nico]

I think the names funny.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

So I'll say it: I'm fully interested....if this is taking a page from Three Jokers--the short lived comic run from 2020. Let it be of what has happened in the course of nearly a decade following Gotham's totally burst into anarchy, jumping forwards through time to see how the legend, the stigma, of The JOKER, has affected the city and it's people. Don't even bring Harley into it, let it be on Joaquin's coming to terms of the impact he made, while also combating the "Copycat" Jokers. Could allow for some fun self-commentary too.

Otherwise?

 

[Nick]

For those that don’t know…

Folie à deux is defined as an identical or similar mental disorder affecting two or more individuals, usually the members of a close family.

 

[Freak]

Some movies just don't need a sequel.

 

[Nick]

Some movies just don't need a sequel.

Agreed, but any movie that makes $1B is getting a sequel these days. I’ll wait until I see a trailer to give any real opinion. I loved the first and Joaquin Phoenix is still on board along with Todd Phillips, so I’m gonna give them the benefit of the doubt until I see evidence that this is gonna suck.

 

[pumpkinbot343]

I’m well aware of the Joker’s highly contentious status in Batman stories- but honestly I don’t get why people are so revilent towards the Joaquin Phoenix version.

 

[Brian G.]

I’m well aware of the Joker’s highly contentious status in Batman stories- but honestly I don’t get why people are so revilent towards the Joaquin Phoenix version.

Personally, I think it's a great performance in a pretty terrible movie and people are mixing the two up. We've seen the film before, with King of Comedy or Taxi Driver - they just slapped Joker paint over it to make it appeal to people.

 

[Nick]

Personally, I think it's a great performance in a pretty terrible movie and people are mixing the two up. We've seen the film before, with King of Comedy or Taxi Driver - they just slapped Joker paint over it to make it appeal to people.

If Joker is a terrible movie then pretty much all other comic book related movies are unwatchable.

While it isn’t necessarily a “comic book movie”, my point is that it’s pretty much in my top few favorite movies to use a comic book character and depending on the genre of film I feel like watching that day, it may be my favorite.

I thought it was a perfect stand alone film though. The idea of a sequel has always only seemed like a cash grab because this was not a movie that was made with the intention of a sequel possibly happening, so I feel like it may just seem forced.

 

[Brian G.]

If Joker is a terrible movie then pretty much all other comic book related movies are unwatchable.

While it isn’t necessarily a “comic book movie”, my point is that it’s pretty much in my top few favorite movies to use a comic book character and depending on the genre of film I feel like watching that day, it may be my favorite.

I thought it was a perfect stand alone film though. The idea of a sequel has always only seemed like a cash grab because this was not a movie that was made with the intention of a sequel possibly happening, so I feel like it may just seem forced.

Again, I wouldn't classify it as a comic book movie despite the Joker tie-in because of what I previously stated- but if we wanna take a look at it as a Joker comic book movie, then he was a pretty awful Joker (descent into madness notwithstanding).

I know what I'm getting with other comic book movies though. I don't go into F9 expecting Citizen Kane. There's only a handful of movies I've ever contemplated walking out of, and Joker is on that list.

And this is coming from a pretty big Batman fan.

 

[OrlandoGuy]

If Joker is a terrible movie then pretty much all other comic book related movies are unwatchable.

Good comic book movies excel at what they want to be…usually fun popcorn action movies.

Joker wanted to be a compelling character study and statement on mental health. It was different than the “good” comic book movies, but not better than movies it wanted to compare itself to.

Apples and oranges IMO.

 

[pumpkinbot343]

Again, I wouldn't classify it as a comic book movie despite the Joker tie-in because of what I previously stated- but if we wanna take a look at it as a Joker comic book movie, then he was a pretty awful Joker (descent into madness notwithstanding).

I know what I'm getting with other comic book movies though. I don't go into F9 expecting Citizen Kane. There's only a handful of movies I've ever contemplated walking out of, and Joker is on that list.

And this is coming from a pretty big Batman fan.

The best Joker for me is the Mark Hamill version from the DCAU. Perfectly sidesteps between camp and threat. To give props to the Joaquin Phoenix Joker; this is probably one of the few times in the modern age where Joker feels like an actual character; most of the times nowadays writers go with the “he’s just crazy” reasoning, which is an lazy excuse to just write him whatever they heck style they want, like the whole face ripping mask schtick he had in the New 52 for a while.

Then of course there’s the “Why doesn’t Batman kill him” problem.

 

[Brian G.]

To give props to the Joaquin Phoenix Joker; this is probably one of the few times in the modern age where Joker feels like an actual character; most of the times nowadays writers go with the “he’s just crazy” reasoning, which is an lazy excuse to just write him whatever they heck style they want, like the whole face ripping mask schtick he had in the New 52 for a while.

Then of course there’s the “Why doesn’t Batman kill him” problem.

I think every Joker outside of Leto's was fleshed out beyond "crazy". In the case of Phoenix's Joker, there's nothing that really makes him Joker outside of the clown paint, IMO. I didn't look at the guy and say "So this is supposed to be Batman's #1 adversary?"

 

[Nick]

I think every Joker outside of Leto's was fleshed out beyond "crazy". In the case of Phoenix's Joker, there's nothing that really makes him Joker outside of the clown paint, IMO. I didn't look at the guy and say "So this is supposed to be Batman's #1 adversary?"

I made it clear I don’t look at it as a typical comic book movie, but a movie that uses a comic book character. The type of movie it is or is trying to be doesn’t matter in what my equation was.

My point was out of movies that have superhero characters in them, Joker is among my favorite. The Batman is up there too and that’s not your typical comic book movie either.

 

[chris.g]

So interesting hearing these opinions from everyone who loves Batman (myself included). One hates Joker, loves The Batman, one loves both, and I hate both haha.

 

[Grabnar]

Joker is very much supposed to be seen in the context of class consciousness, same as the new Batman film. Joker should be read more as a cautionary tale on how the neglect of the vulnerable in society inherently leads to the development of an anti-State sentiment that bad actors can, and will, tap into. It's a pretty sympathetic take on the character in my opinion and treats the source material with a lot more respect and introspection than the Nolan films do.

 

[SeventyOne]

most of the times nowadays writers go with the “he’s just crazy” reasoning

He's not "crazy" so much as an agent of chaos--to contrast with Batman, who represents order. In that sense, Joker works best without much of a backstory at all, which is why I agree Hamil embodies the role better than anyone. (Mask of the Phantasm was post-series, and implied the '89 origin but still left a lot of mystery.) When you give the character real world mental illnesses, it lessens his dangerous nature. He is at his heart the unknown.

 

[Nick]

Joker is very much supposed to be seen in the context of class consciousness, same as the new Batman film. Joker should be read more as a cautionary tale on how the neglect of the vulnerable in society inherently leads to the development of an anti-State sentiment that bad actors can, and will, tap into. It's a pretty sympathetic take on the character in my opinion and treats the source material with a lot more respect and introspection than the Nolan films do.

I agree. That's not to take anything away from Heath Ledger's iconic performance in The Dark Knight, it's just that The Joker is so much more than a Batman villain. He's human. Joker was an origin story for all intents and purposes showing how he got to the point where most of the other Jokers start at in Batman films when we see him as a villain.