- yesterday
Not everyone is laughing this time around.
Welcome to WatchMojo.world, where we’re counting down the Top 10 worst things about Joker: Folie à Deux, from controversial creative choices to divisive fan reactions and disappointing elements that left audiences talking.
Do you think Joker 2 lived up to the hype? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Welcome to WatchMojo.world, where we’re counting down the Top 10 worst things about Joker: Folie à Deux, from controversial creative choices to divisive fan reactions and disappointing elements that left audiences talking.
Do you think Joker 2 lived up to the hype? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Let's give the people what they want.
00:02Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're examining why critics and audiences aren't exactly singing Joker folie à deux praises.
00:09Hey Fleck, you got a joke for us today?
00:11We can't dissect everything wrong without going into some spoilers.
00:16Number 10. Joker worked better as a standalone story.
00:19With most comic book adaptations setting up cinematic universes, the first Joker felt refreshingly self-contained.
00:25You wouldn't get it.
00:27At the same time, many were interested in seeing Joaquin Phoenix reprise his role as Arthur Fleck.
00:32WatchMojo even made a video entitled Why We Need a Joker Sequel.
00:36Careful what you wish for, huh?
00:38While we still think there was potential for a Joker follow-up, folie à deux does little to advance Arthur's story.
00:44He spends most of the film in cells and courtrooms, recounting what happened in the previous movie.
00:51Phoenix and director Todd Phillips went into Joker with a one-movie mindset.
00:55The successful outcome opened them up to doing a sequel.
00:58But folie à deux plays more like a 138-minute epilogue that we didn't really need.
01:04Let's get out of here.
01:05Number 9. The most memorable shot scene isn't in the movie.
01:09Tell us if this sounds familiar.
01:11A high-profile trailer drops, one moment goes viral, and then it isn't even in the finished product.
01:17Joker folie à deux is the latest movie guilty of mis-marketing.
01:20Lady Gaga fans in particular were disappointed that some of her most heavily advertised scenes were omitted.
01:26Namely, the clip where Arthur and Lee stormed down a flight of stairs, recreating the first film's iconic moment, is nowhere to be found.
01:34What's changed, Arthur?
01:36It sounds like a nitpick, but this scene's absence highlights a larger problem.
01:41The shot epitomized the trailer's promise of Gotham's most chaotic couple raising hell together.
01:45Yet for a title that translates to Madness for Two, Lee feels underutilized, with moments like this left on the cutting room floor.
01:56Number 8. Removing the first film's ambiguity.
02:00Part of what made Joker such a fascinating character study is that it didn't spell everything out for us.
02:05That's very funny, Marie.
02:07You know, I'm also a comedian.
02:10Would you like to hear a joke?
02:11It inspired numerous think pieces, with some wondering if the whole movie was Arthur's delusion.
02:17There's arguably still merit to that theory, but folie à deux seems more conclusive in what's real and what isn't.
02:22Not enough about Arthur's psyche is left open to interpretation.
02:26The fates of several characters are also revealed.
02:29Although it's interesting seeing things from Sophie's point of view,
02:32knowing that she survived makes the previous film a little less chilling.
02:35Can I call someone? Is your mother home?
02:37Folie à deux isn't completely devoid of ambiguity, with a few plot points going unresolved.
02:43Unlike the first film, though, these unanswered questions won't be leaving us up at night.
02:47That's what we should be talking about.
02:50Number 7. Not taking advantage of being a musical.
02:53We were confused yet intrigued when it was announced that this sequel would be a musical.
02:57We were even more confused when Gaga said, quote,
03:00I wouldn't necessarily say that this is actually a musical.
03:04Herein lies the issue.
03:05For folie à deux to work, it needed to go all in on the musical angle.
03:10Think Chicago or La La Land, which embraced fantasy while staying grounded in reality.
03:15I dance like in somebody's eyes to light up the skies.
03:21The fantasy element is largely missing here,
03:24restricting most numbers to gritty locales with limited spacing that aren't visually interesting.
03:28Occasionally, there's a colorful set piece like the Hotel Arkham Rooftop dance,
03:33but not enough time spent in Arthur's dream days.
03:35Musicals have the power to transport characters,
03:38yet Arthur rarely leaves the confines of his prison.
03:41Come on, get happy.
03:44Get ready for the judgment day.
03:47Number 6. Underdeveloped Supporting Characters.
03:50With Arthur Fleck standing out from past versions of the Joker,
03:53we were curious what other prominent Gotham residents might be like in this universe.
03:57Folie à deux introduces a couple of recognizable names,
04:00only to do nothing with them.
04:02Arthur Fleck is a monster.
04:04Harvey Dent leads the prosecution,
04:06but the character receives no development.
04:08The most we get is a hint that he'll become Two-Face following an explosion.
04:17Even then, the damage doesn't look bad enough to constitute a villain origin story.
04:21While Gaga is given more material as Harleen Lee Quinzel,
04:25she also gets sidelined.
04:27Turning Lee into an obsessed fan who idolizes the Joker had promise.
04:31Since we rarely see things from Lee's perspective, though,
04:34she never becomes much more than the object of Arthur's affection.
04:37For once in my life, I didn't feel so alone anymore.
04:41Number 5. Arthur Denouncing His Joker Persona.
04:44I want to see the real you.
04:46Delivering his closing argument, Arthur claims the Joker was never real,
04:51in turn alienating his followers.
04:53We also started to lose interest in Arthur around this point.
04:57This is primarily because Arthur's sudden turn doesn't feel earned.
05:00Ricky's death in the previous scene prompted this decision,
05:03but the film didn't spend much time developing his friendship with Arthur.
05:06When Ricky dies, it doesn't leave much of an impression on the audience,
05:09and we don't believe it would profoundly influence Arthur either.
05:12It might have made more sense if Arthur's turning point was his revelation
05:16that Lee is in love with Joker, not the man behind the makeup.
05:20This would put Arthur at odds with his alter ego,
05:22making his ultimate choice in court more impactful.
05:25You can do anything you want.
05:28The sun comes.
05:30You're Joker.
05:31Number 4. Misguided Commentary on Fan Culture.
05:35Arthur Fleck represents what happens to a person when society pushes them too far,
05:39and their mental health goes unchecked.
05:41At least, that was the intent.
05:43Some audiences walked away from Joker idolizing Arthur,
05:46dressing up as him at protests.
05:55Commenting on the audience's response to the first film is a compelling idea,
05:59but Fully Adieu doesn't add much to the conversation.
06:02Part of that is because we don't get to know Arthur's supporters other than Lee.
06:06Rather than analyze why people related to Arthur,
06:09Todd Phillips seems more interested in shaming fans who viewed Joker as a symbol.
06:13They believe Arthur Fleck to be some kind of martyr.
06:18Well, he's not.
06:20If this sequel isn't for the first film's admirers,
06:23and isn't likely to win over newcomers,
06:25who is it for?
06:26Todd Phillips, we guess.
06:28I got the secret suspicion that we're not giving the people what they want.
06:32Number 3. Singing Off Key.
06:34We could forgive the dull settings and lack of choreography if the musical numbers delivered in the vocal department.
06:40Since Joaquin Phoenix previously played Johnny Cash and Lady Gaga is, well, Lady Gaga,
06:45this is one area where the film should spring to life.
06:49Phillips went out of his way to make actors sing off-key, however.
06:52Wait a second.
06:53This is not, this is not who Arthur is.
06:56It might be who Joker wants to be.
06:58The film aims for a, quote,
07:00rawr, more unstable sound.
07:02This might be faithful to the characters,
07:04but there's only so much bad karaoke the audience can endure.
07:07It would have said more about Arthur's mental state if he sounded phenomenal in his head.
07:12Even in his wildest fantasies, though,
07:14he makes Gerard Butler sound like Michael Crawford.
07:16From the garish light of day.
07:21If characters are gonna burst into song,
07:23fully commit to being a musical.
07:26Number 2. An Empty Ending.
07:28Phoenix is unlikely to return for a third film,
07:31as Folia 2 ends with another inmate stabbing Arthur,
07:34presumably to death.
07:36As Arthur puts on a happy face,
07:38the inmate gives himself a pair of scars,
07:40suggesting he'll take up the Joker mantle.
07:42You wanna know how I got these scars?
07:45On the one hand,
07:46this cleverly conveys how Arthur created something beyond his control,
07:49with madness transmitting to another person.
07:52At the same time,
07:53this ending left us feeling nothing.
07:55Maybe that was the intent,
07:56but the ending plays like the Mandarin twist in Iron Man 3 on a grander scale.
08:00I never thought people had been hurt.
08:03They lied to me.
08:05This is the Mandarin?
08:06I know, it's embarrassing.
08:08We don't care about this new Joker.
08:10We spent two movies getting invested in Arthur Fleck,
08:12and this ending seems anticlimactically hostile towards anyone who saw something in the character.
08:17How about you, Arthur?
08:20Do you still think you're a star?
08:22Before we continue,
08:23be sure to subscribe to our channel
08:25and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
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08:33make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
08:38Number 1.
08:39Hollywood will likely learn the wrong lessons.
08:41Say what you will about the Joker movies,
08:43but nobody can deny they took big swings.
08:47The first film's risks paid off,
08:48resulting in the studio granting Phillips unchecked creative control with the sequel.
08:53When you bring me out,
08:54can you introduce me as Joker?
08:56Although this backfired,
08:57we appreciate that Warner Brothers and DC took a chance.
09:01It'll probably be their last for a while.
09:03With Folie a Deux being a disappointment,
09:05the studios are inclined to lean on what's worked in the past,
09:08guaranteeing more input from executives and superfan focus groups.
09:12I'll tell you what's changed.
09:14I gotta learn it anymore.
09:15Even if Folie a Deux didn't entirely work,
09:18we want to see movies experiment and push boundaries.
09:21For the foreseeable future,
09:23we can expect Hollywood to play it safe,
09:25with movies that seek to please everyone,
09:27yet don't leave a lasting legacy.
09:29Well, guess what?
09:30That's life!
09:31Do you think Joker Folie a Deux
09:33is actually an unsung, misunderstood masterpiece?
09:36Or are you in the hate-it camp?
09:38Let us know in the comments.
09:40Did you enjoy this video?
09:44Check out these other clips from WatchMojo.
09:46And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell
09:48to be notified about our latest videos.
09:50We'll see you next time.
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