The Joker has become one of the most iconic characters in comics, television and film. The character has attracted some great actors to bring him to life.

In 2019, Joaquin Phoenix gave us perhaps the darkest interpretation of the Clown Prince of Crime in Todd Phillips’ “Joker.” The film made an absolute fortune at the box office and earned Phoenix an Academy Award for his portrayal. Five years later, a sequel to the dark and depressing origin story is now in theaters, and it’s not working.

The film is a mess and even manages to take away the disturbing brilliance of the first film.

Here are a few things that worked in “Joker: Folie à Deux” and why it’s an unsatisfactory sequel.

The good

The acting

It shouldn’t be a huge surprise, but Phoenix is ​​once again excellent as Arthur Fleck. He brings the same energy and discomfort to the role as he did in the first. The execution doesn’t feel as impactful because we were introduced to this madness in the first film and it’s not quite the same surprise in the sequel.

Lady Gaga is also solid in her role as Harley Quinzel. It’s not necessarily stunning, but she does a good job working with Phoenix. Other solid performances include Brendan Gleeson and Jacob Lofland.

The score

I thought Hildur Guonadóttir’s music in the first film was stunning. It was minimalist and moody, but it fit the film perfectly, and the haunting melodies resonated in your bones. Fortunately, Guonadóttir returned for the sequel and continued with those melodic cello solos and slow-building crescendos.

You may have heard that “Joker: Folie à Deux” is a musical, and that’s true, but when I say the score is a highlight, I’m not talking about the musical numbers, but Guonadóttir’s contributions.

The bad

The story is a mess

The first “Joker” was a well-executed, slow burn into mental illness and an eventual, violent breakup. The sequel seems more concerned with being strange and quirky and inserting random musical numbers than with providing an intriguing story that continues Arthur’s story.

It feels like nothing happens and we are introduced to characters, storylines and major plot devices that are ultimately abandoned and never come close to resolution. Characters we were meant to care about in the first half are all but abandoned in the second half. Storylines and relationships we are connected to are forgotten or ignored as the film continues to an unsatisfying conclusion.

Considering the attention to detail in the character development and storylines of the first film, the lack thereof in the sequel is a genuine disappointment.

The ending is annoying

I’m not going to give any specific spoilers here, but if you’re hoping to avoid anything that could point to the film’s conclusion, skip to the next section.

The filmmakers wanted to surprise us at the end – and I admit it was a surprise. What I also have to admit, however, is that it was the wrong surprise. I couldn’t get out of my head how the first movie went. It was a depressing film and not everyone’s cup of tea, but it brought up mental health issues and forced me to see this iconic villain in a completely different light.

When “Joker: Folie à Deux” ended, I couldn’t stop thinking about it either, but for the wrong reasons. The so-called twist not only weakened the entire film up to that point, but also took a bite out of the first film for me. Honestly, I can’t look at the first film and its characters the same way I used to, with the way they chose to end the sequel, and that’s frustrating for me.

What parents need to know

This shouldn’t be a surprise, but “Joker: Folie à Deux” earned its R rating, and it’s not for younger audiences. There are dozens of F-words and other language, lots of graphic violence, dark themes, and an overall depressing tone. There is a sex scene without nudity, but it is still very graphic. There is also blacked out nudity in a few scenes.

If you take away all the violence, sex, and language, this movie still deserves an R rating given its overall tone and themes. Just like with the first film, you have to be prepared to walk out of the theater a little lower than when you entered.

Conclusion

It probably sounds like I liked “Joker” and not “Joker: Folie à Deux.” I appreciated “Joker” and how well made it was, but I didn’t really like it. I saw it once, and as I walked out of the theater with one of my brothers, I said, “I never need to see that again,” and I didn’t. The film was brilliantly constructed and executed, but it wasn’t for me.

Not only was the sequel not for me, but it was also poorly constructed and executed. As I said before, I now see the original in a different light, and this film may hurt the legacy of the franchise as a whole.

“Joker: Folie à Deux” is officially rated R for strong violence, language, some sexuality and brief full nudity.

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