Folie a Deux’s reviews (including the brutal ones)

Joker: Folie à Deux Premiere at the Venice Film Festival, and the reviews for the new DC Universe film are not all good, although some features stand out as positive from the consensus. While it is still early, the Joker Sequel debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a lower score than its predecessor. After the first film’s huge success and pop culture penetration, there are hopes that the sequel can follow in its footsteps. Although the reviews haven’t been glowing, there have been some consistent features that reviewers have agreed on about the film.

DC hasn’t been doing well in theaters lately, with some of DC’s biggest box-office bombs coming in recent years. Shazam! Wrath of the Gods And The bottle Both failed to make an impact, and the studio has since pivoted to a new DC Universe that will formally launch by 2025. Superman Movie, directed by James Gunn. Joker: Folie à Deux is less tied to the DCU than an Elseworlds story, but is still very important to the perception of the overall brand. Fortunately, reviewers have tended to agree that the film gets a few things right.

10

Lady Gaga is an excellent Harley Quinn

Harley Quinn was previously played by Margot Robbie in the DCEU

Harley Quinn has become one of the most popular characters in the DC Universe, and bringing in a star like Lady Gaga to take on the role is an inspired choice. With the musical elements, having Gaga fill the cast is an excellent choice. Despite their negative review, ScreenDaily Confirmed that “Unsurprisingly, Gaga shines during the set pieces, whether sweetly crooning ‘(They Long to Be) Close to You’ or belting out ‘Gonna Build a Mountain’ in amped-up R&B/Gospel mode.”

FirstShowing.net Agreed with the name, said that “Gaga is phenomenal as Harley Quinn, one of her finest performances yet.” Considering the character’s place in the pop culture canon, this is a promising element. Harley Quinn is an excellent character and Gaga is a great performer, so it’s comforting to hear that the casting is effective.

9

Joker 2 interacts effectively with its predecessor’s fanbase

Arthur Fleck was appreciated by many viewers of the first film

Interestingly, it appears that the new sequel interacts uniquely with its predecessor. FirstShowing.net Notice that “The strongest lesson of Joker: Folie à Deux is that fans and followers can be the most dangerous,” What is a turn some viewers could not expect after the idolatry of the main figure in the first movie. While some came away from the original release looking up to the Joker more than ever before, it seems that the new film is doing what it can to turn away from that.

SlashFilm Also reflected on this, noting about villains like the Joker that “None of these characters should be revered, but they are” Before he explains how this is approached in the new film. It means that Folie à Deux Makes interesting and effective choices to reframe the legacy of the first film and to create something new. This is a comforting detail.

8

The movie takes risks and makes big swings

Folie A Deux features musical and animated sequences

The new one Joker Film promises to be an unusual experience. IONCINEMA Gave the film a negative review, but still had to admit that there were “Out-of-pocket risks occur during the trial when, dressed as the Joker, he attempts to question witnesses using varying degrees of Southern and British accents.” While this is an odd choice for the film, it plays into the iconoclastic nature of the titular character.

Time OutHis four-star review was more positive, stating that “The film itself has multiple personalities: it’s a musical, a lot of drama, a prison movie and even a Looney Tunes-style cartoon.” They noticed that the swings worked for them. Although not every reviewer agrees with this conclusion, they all certainly note that the film does original and unconventional things, even if it won’t work for all viewers.

7

Joker: Folie a Deux is proficiently made with a great score

The cinematography and music are strong

Fortunately, reviews suggest that Folie à Deux is a well-made film with great components. SlashFilm Commented on how special “The way composer Hildur Guðnadóttir weaves her original score in between and in conjunction with the handful of songbook standards performed in the film.” With its unusual makeup and style, it’s comforting to see that most reviewers agree on many of the film’s technical aspects.

Vulture Also commented on some of the production, including “One lovely visual – an overhead shot of Arthur being escorted through the rain by four guards carrying brightly colored umbrellas, though when we cut to their backs, the umbrellas are revealed to all be actually black.“ Although the review shows that the style does not show through the whole movie, there is some beauty to be found in the production of the movie.

6

The tone is dark and unique

The 1980s Gotham setting feels real and unusual

The feeling of the new film matches the first, with some unconventional growth. Screen dailys negative review urges audiences to “Give Foley credit for being as bold as the 2019 film, with returning director and co-writer Todd Phillips plunging us back into the darkness of early 1980s Gotham City.” The tone that was so unique and effective in the first film is built on top with new ideas and themes.

IGN Notes beyond that the film “Start with the promise of a novel approach to the Joker and Harley Quinn, placing them in a world where the opposite of cruelty is musical romance.” Although the reviewer does not believe that this is the most effective, it clearly takes steps to clean up the established tone with new flair. This works for some, though not all.

5

The approach to the Joker and Harley dynamics is fresh

The Joker and Harley’s relationship has been reframed several times in DC history

IGN said in their review that “The careful line that Gaga walks between adoration and mania is entirely worthwhile, and temporarily allows a commentary on fandom obsession to sneak its way into the picture.” This unique outlook follows the last path for the character, including in the newest Batman show. Harley Quinn was created as a girlfriend for the Joker, but her character has since evolved in interesting ways.

It’s good to hear that the contrast between the two as performers in the film is effective and interesting, as is the fact that their dynamic is reframed. Harley and Joker’s relationship in Suicide Squad was criticized for what was perceived as glamorizing some of the toxic elements of their romance, underlining the need for future adaptations of the characters to take a different approach. Fortunately, this seems to be the case here, allowing the film to create a unique relationship between its stars.

4

The supporting cast is effective, if underused

Catherine Keener, Zazie Beetz and Brendan Gleeson contribute to The Castle

IONCINEMA Finds some value in the supporting cast of the new film. Their review notes that the film features “Catherine Kenner as a sympathetic lawyer, and Zazie Beetz, reprising her lovable neighbor character from the first film for one scene, seem to be on hand to establish a sense of legitimacy.” Including these excellent performers in an already stacked cast helps to elevate the film.

FirstShowing Also seems to find some value in the supporting characters and how they are used. Their review talks about how “All the supporting characters, from Lady Gaga as Harley to Brendan Gleeson as a prison guard to Catherine Keener as his lawyer to his fellow inmates who admire him, all express their own deep, dark truths by looking up to Arthur.” It appears that the film’s supporting cast are effective in the small roles they play.

3

Joker 2 is not a retread of the first film

The new sequel is its own movie for better and for worse

It’s clear from recent reviews that the new sequel isn’t just retreading ground that the first film covered. IGN Comments that “Joker, though scattered in its politics and committed to imitating other, better filmmakers, at least had unifying visual and thematic motifs. It felt complete, albeit cobbled together. Joker: Folie à Deux departs from that approach—initially for the better, though eventually for worse.” While this isn’t an entirely positive response to the changes, it’s clear that the film is taking some unique steps.

In another negative review, the BBC Notes that the film “Bravely subverts audience expectations, but results in a film that’s an awkward, underwhelming, unnecessary slog.” Although this path may not work for all viewers, it is notable after the director’s past sequels. Todd Phillips found great success with The hangoverThen practically made the same film again for the sequel. It is reassuring to note that this is not the case here.

2

Joaquin Phoenix gives another Oscar-worthy performance

Phoenix previously won an Academy Award for his performance as Arthur Fleck

Joaquin Phoenix won an Academy Award for his performance in the first film, and it appears that Oscar buzz may follow for his second turn as the character. Vulture Noticed in a negative review that “Joker: Folie à Deux is Arthur’s movie, and Arthur isn’t that interesting, despite how much effort Phoenix puts into rendering the character in exquisitely anguished mental and sunken-chested physical detail.” Although they don’t love the final product, they clearly show appreciation for Phoenix’s work.

In a more positive review, Time Out said that Phoenix’s “Fragility suits the character and his loneliness from Zac Brel’s ‘Ne Me Quitte Pas’ is truly a thing of beauty.” To see Joaquin Phoenix play in the role, and rise to the new, interesting challenges that the film requires, has clearly made the release an interesting contribution to the actor’s career. Phoenix will likely be discussed in Academy Awards conversations in the coming months, along with Gaga.

1

Joker: Folie A Deux reframes the Joker’s legacy once again

The DC film does original things with Arthur Fleck’s character

While the first film created a cult hero, Joker’s legacy changes in the new movie, providing an evolution of the original plot. In a negative review, Felix Notice that the film seems to think that “The most meaningful thing to do is dig deeper in the hopes that it will reveal something sharp that wasn’t there in the first place.” Although the reviewer does not believe that the movie does this in an appealing or successful way, they see the notable changes and evolution addressed in the film.

Joker: Folie à Deux is clearly a challenging and original film that takes an unexpected look at the development of Arthur Fleck’s character. Although this may not work for many critics, it seems that even those who dislike the movie are aware of the swings and changes it makes to the myth established in Joker. It remains to be seen how the general audience will respond to Joker: Folie à Deux – However, it has already proven to be divisive and, if nothing else, an interesting follow-up to the original release.

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