'Joker: Folie à Deux' Might Be the Worst Comic Book Adaptation of All Time

Fans, it seems, are not dancing retired of Joker: Folie à Deux.

Director Todd Phillips’ film, which features the instrumentality of Joaquin Phoenix arsenic Arthur Fleck and the summation of Lady Gaga arsenic Harley Quinn, was highly anticipated, particularly aft the occurrence of the archetypal chapter, released successful 2019. Following its satellite premiere astatine the Venice Film Festival, however, determination was nary shortage of disapproval from movie reviewers and the audiences who saw it successful Italy. Since its US merchandise this past weekend, during which the movie brought successful a lower-than-expected $40 million astatine the container office, that chorus of discontent has grown louder.

Take, for example, Joker 2's CinemaScore, which is presently a resounding D, the lowest ever for a comic publication movie. Before Folie à Deux, the worst comic adaptation CinemaScore—a measurement of the opinions of American theatergoers—belonged to 2015's much-derided Fantastic Four, which got a C– upon release.

Joker: Folie à Deux's existent people connected the reappraisal aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, meanwhile, sits astatine a meager 33 percent.

Many person pointed retired that this 2nd installment is acold excessively ambitious but besides not precise cohesive successful its tendency to bring unneurotic the intelligence exploration of these celebrated villains. On societal media, particularly on X and on TikTok, galore radical are simply annoyed that the movie is simply a musical.

While Folie à Deux's container bureau missed projections by astir $10 cardinal successful the US, it inactive deed the apical spot. It besides came successful No. 1 worldwide, bringing successful a small much than $81 cardinal successful planetary container bureau for a expansive full of $121 million. Still, the archetypal Joker made much than $96 cardinal successful its home opening play and went connected to become 1 of the highest-grossing R-rated movies of each time.

There is different beforehand connected which Joker: Folie à Deux could prevention face, astatine slightest successful presumption of representation and prestige: movie awards. There is speculation that Lady Gaga could gain an Oscar information successful the Best Supporting Actress category, peculiarly due to the fact that the popular star's relation successful the movie is constricted successful presumption of her surface time. Gaga could besides person a warring accidental successful the euphony categories. She conscionable released an album, Harlequin, which contains her songs from the movie arsenic good arsenic unreleased pieces inspired by her Harley Quinn character. Phoenix could besides get into the Academy Awards race, though contention is astatine an all-time precocious this year.

Joker, which tapped into a overmuch antithetic taste infinitesimal erstwhile it deed theaters successful 2019, earned 11 nominations, including for Best Picture and Best Director. (Phoenix won a Best Actor trophy, and Hildur Guðnadóttir besides took location a prize for his archetypal score.) It is improbable that this sequel could execute arsenic well, but hope—like the Joker's laugh—is the past to die.