Joker: Folie à Deux"s Controversy Fully Explained

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This article contains spoilers for Joker: Folie a Deux
The new DC Universe film Joker: Folie à Deux is embroiled in a controversy that may make it one of the biggest comic book movie failures in recent memory. Joker 2"s box office numbers are terrible and suggest the film may be a disaster, although it is only on its first weekend. Still, there is much to be said for the response to the film, which is extremely negative. Featuring the return of Joaquin Phoenix and the addition of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, the studio obviously expected the film to be a bigger hit.
DC is in a difficult place with its films, and Joker 2 seems to be the next in a long line of box office failures. After The Flash and Blue Beetle failed to connect with audiences, Warner Bros. clearly hoped that a return to a popular film and character with a Joker sequel would be the best path forward. This involved investing a great deal of money, and a lot of time and effort from the involved parties. Unfortunately, the film they decided to make does not appear to be something anybody wanted.
Joker: Folie a Deux Was Never Meant To Exist Joker Was Never Intended To Have A Sequel Close Joker was intended as a standalone movie from the very beginning. Director Todd Phillips had an original idea for an origin story of Arthur Fleck that would be distinctly set apart from the events of any Batman universe. However, when the film became an enormous success, the studio decided it would be worth exploring the world further. This led to slow development on a sequel, that culminated in a film many seem to find pointless and meandering.
Following the film"s disappointing opening weekend, there has been much discussion over who is to blame for Joker 2. At the end of the day, the film appeared to be a solid business decision, following the enormous success of the first film. The film did not grow out of any exciting or original creative idea but was instead commissioned by the box office receipts of its predecessor. There remains no creative reason for the film to exist.
Joker: Folie a Deux Debuted To Terrible Reviews & Poor Box Office Results The New Film Has Not Resonated With Critics Or Audiences Close While there were reasons to be excited about the new film, and while the first teaser certainly generated some interest, Joker 2"s box office fell drastically short of expectations after its first weekend. With a $190 million price tag, the film"s worldwide opening of $121.1 million is a massive disappointment for the studio. With following weekends likely to fall off due to poor word of mouth, the film seems unlikely to reach profitability throughout the rest of its theatrical run.
Despite debuting with a score just below 60% after its premiere, the Rotten Tomatoes score of Joker 2 has cratered with the film"s wide release. The film now carries a dismal 33% approval rating with critics after 292 reviews. Worse, the film"s audience reception is even lower, only scoring 31% on the Popcornmeter. It seems that audiences and critics alike have not enjoyed the new movie, and any hopes to recoup their losses on the film have likely been dashed already.
The Biggest Complaints About Joker: Folie à Deux Explained The Music Did Not Add Anything To The Film

The new sequel attempted to do something interesting by incorporating music throughout the film. Integrating songs into the story was a bold choice that could have been effective. However, one of the biggest criticisms of these sequences is that they didn"t add anything to the story. Instead, everything in the movie came to a screeching halt whenever a musical sequence began, and the film wouldn"t resume its story until it came to an unremarkable end.
Adding a skilled vocalist and pop star like Lady Gaga into the cast could have highlighted the songs and transformed them into something special. However, none of the style of these sequences, or the performances in the songs themselves, added anything to the film. Rather than being a feature within the story, the songs brought the movie to a screeching halt that would not resume until they were over. None of these sequences were memorable, and they have each left a poor taste in the mouths of viewers.
The Story's Ending Was Weak

The ending of Joker 2 feels like it is trying to be too clever for its own good. Rather than engaging with the story of the film or this character, the film"s conclusion decided to use its ending as a meta-commentary on the Joker and his place in the world of Batman. With this, it is established that Arthur Fleck is no longer the Joker. This creates an opportunity for another Clown Prince of Crime to take his place.
Joker 2 seems to misunderstand its lead character from the first film, and this ending makes that abundantly clear. Following this, Arthur Fleck is unceremoniously killed by an unnamed character, bringing his sad life to a dismal end. This ending does not address the themes of the first movie, but instead decides to wallow in its own misery. The ending did not resonate with audiences and brought the story of Arthur Fleck to a disappointing close.
Arthur Fleck Receives Nothing But Abuse

The sequel leans into its idea from the first film that you get what you deserve. This line is spoken when Arthur is killed, although this scene almost feels like a mercy after all of the abuse that the character has experienced in both this film and its predecessor. Arthur is beaten, ridiculed, and treated poorly by virtually everyone in his life, including the guards who are supposed to protect him. Seeing him suffer continuously in the film is difficult to watch.
Arthur Fleck is a complex character, and he certainly deserves punishment for the acts that he has committed. However, looking at this from such an individually punitive perspective also seems to undo the work of the first film, which took a much more nuanced look at crime. Joker attempted to examine the enormous social issues that could turn a person into someone like the Joker. The sequel, instead, focuses on punishing the individual and not the society that created him.
Damning Report Explains The Joker 2’s Failure Many Factors Contributed To The Failure Of The DC Film Close Finding exactly who to blame for Joker 2 is a difficult proposition. The film was greenlit by the old regime at Warner Bros. and DC, including Toby Emmerich, who put together the initial deals with Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix. These led to enormous paydays for the director and star, neither of whom had envisioned the first film as anything more than a standalone story. Following this corporate decision, the sequel began to be made, whether or not anyone had a good idea for it.
On paper, Joker 2 promised to make a great deal of money for the studio. Unfortunately, it appears that a project like this, if commissioned by budgetary rather than creative decisions, can go very poorly.
With turmoil at Warner Bros. during a merger that saw David Zazlav stepping in as CEO, the film became a priority for the studio from a financial perspective. After the disastrous decision that saw Warner Bros. releasing their entire film slate in 2021 directly to HBO Max, the studio was in dire financial straits and needed a big box office win. On paper, Joker 2 promised to make a great deal of money for the studio. Unfortunately, it appears that a project like this, if commissioned by budgetary rather than creative decisions, can go very poorly.
Why Joker Was So Important To So Many People The First Film Resonated Strongly With Audiences Close The first Joker is a much smarter film than its sequel. Rather than expanding the world of the Batman mythos, the film instead took on the style of a Martin Scorsese drama and used Batman comics as entry point to discuss issues of mental health in contemporary society. Many audiences saw themselves reflected in the character of Arthur Fleck, who worked hard and struggled to find help and acceptance in his society. While this culminated in violence for Arthur, much of it is a relevant and relatable experience.
Most who enjoyed the first Joker did not wish to go out and inflict violence upon others, but there was still inspiration to be gleaned from Arthur"s experience. Resistance in any social order is important, and this will be more likely to happen when folks like Arthur and the viewers are pushed to the fringes of society due to who they are. Seeing those struggles validated was an important experience, so seeing them instead pushed aside in the sequel feels insulting to many fans of the film.

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