FILM REVIEW: Joker: The Most Unsettling of All Comic-Book Movies

National Review ^ | 10/03/2019 | Kyle Smith

[a fool in paradise]

Joker is a sadistic rapist killer if you read the comics and watch the modern cartoons.

Dirty Harry is an “antihero” who operates outside the law. For that matter the vigilante justice of Batman nudges him into antihero status.

[a fool in paradise]

Eraserhead was a romantic comedy, at least according to this trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk8Pb8p4qNM

[a fool in paradise]

American Psycho is a bigger piece of anti-human crap than the mockumentary that is Man Bites Dog.

[Flaming Conservative]

Why on earth would ANYONE want to see this movie?

[ssaftler]

Sounds like a light-hearted comedy to me.

/sarc

[AnonymousConservative]

Since when is Bernie Goetz a loser?

As I recall, wasn’t he just a crime victim who mistakenly exercised his second amendment right to defend himself in a city which frowned on it?

[Chickensoup]

I don’t understand, do not people carry with the objective to defend oneself against assault?

[The Toll]

I went to see it last night. Totally over-hyped. It was lame.

Joaquin did a great job but it’s not enough to drag the boring story across the line. It’s been hyped as gritty, disturbing, and violent. It is not as gritty, disturbing, or violent as your basic Walking Dead episode. Unfortunate let down with a great performance from the main actor.

[ctdonath2]

Some choose to carry with peace & clarity of mind.
Some choose to carry with angst, fear, & malice.

[LibertarianLiz]

Didn’t know that. Thanks.

[BradyLS]

I couldn’t finish American Psycho. I hear the ending is cute: did he really kill those people or did he just imagine it???

[BillyBoy]

>> It's hard to imagine anyone equaling Heath Leger's “Joker” <<

My brother is one of the fanboys who bought all the hype for Ledger's "Joker" (who I think was Joker-In-Name-Only, he didn't have green hair or an evil toothy grin, and I don't recall the character even laughing much or making silly macabre puns while committing horrible crimes).

Like all the buzz on the internet, he immediately declared Ledger was the greatest Joker of all time, it was an Oscar worthy performance, and nobody will ever top it, and that Ledger's Joker is the definitive version because The Dark Knight was soooo much more "darker" and "serious" and "grounded in reality" than the "cartoonish" Jack Nicholson version.

Now, a decade later, he saw Joaquin Phoenix's "Joker" opening night. I talked to him the other day and his reaction was... Phoenix is now the greatest Joker of all time, it was an Oscar worthy performance, and nobody will ever top it, and that Phoenix Joker is the definitive version because THIS Joker movie was soooo much more "darker" and "scary" and "dealt with real world issues about mental illness" than the "summer action movie" Heath Ledger version.

Fickle bunch, aren't they?

Give the fan boys another decade, they will find a new favorite when a shiny new flashy movie with the Joker character is released.

As for me, I like my comic book movies being, well, like a comic book. The character IS supposed to be "silly", he's not Hannibal Lecter, he's a COMIC BOOK VILLAIN named THE JOKER. Besides, I'm all Jokered out, have little interest after seeing a dozen Jokers-on-screen in recent decades. DC Comics can call me when they decide to do a Batman villain we HAVEN'T seen on the big screen before, like Clayface. And yes, Nichalson remains my favorite live action Joker and its unlikely my opinion will change. Have you ever danced with the devil by the pale moonlight?

[fieldmarshaldj]

Maybe they can have a woman play Joker next time. Cameron Diaz wouldn’t even need special makeup.

[BillyBoy]

>> Maybe they can have a woman play Joker next time <<

Hmmm. Never considered that, but now that you mentioned it, that will probably actually be their next step.

Rather than try something risky by having to tell an original comic book story on the big screen, or be bold and adapt one of the dozens of other Batman villains we HAVEN'T seen in a live action movie (Clayface, Firefly, Hush, Hugo Strange, Mad Hatter, Man-Bat, Ventriloquist, Solomon Grundy, Calendar Man, etc.), I can see some Hollywood studio execs trying to mine the whole "Joker" character again in a decade because he has "name ID" with audiences, but casting a woman to play the role so they claim they're doing some "new and different" and being edgy, then calling everyone sexist if we have zero interest in seeing it. Plus, any film critic who dislikes the actresses' portrayal can also be accused of being a misogynist pig who just dislikes seeing woman in leading roles.

And whoever they cast, some kooky FReepers will applaud it and claim that having a woman as the Joker is somehow "closer to the comics" and fits with Bob Kane's original vision for the character. Better than Joaquin Phoenix's iconic 2019 version? YUP! You heard it here first.

[Clemenza]

I think Liberace would have been a better Joker than Cesar Romero.

[Impy]

Mark Hamil was the best Joker, period.

I saw “Joker” over the weekend. I liked it, good performance, my favorite “Bruce Wayne’s parents get shot” scene (obligitoray in ALL Batman works) easily. I was freaked out by Phoenix’s bony chest, method acting.

I thought Ledger was good, but not “oh my god I’m creaming my pants he’s so great”. It’s cause he died, it’s like with frigging JFK.

Never saw Leto’s version.

As far as the movie versions go, acting performances aside, Nicholson is easily the one that came closest to what I think the character should be. Ledger and Phoenix were both compelling but deviated from the traditional joker considerably. It’s hard for me to imagine Phoenix’s Joker going to toe with Batman.

[Impy]

Blaming movies (or video games) for real violence is just as silly as blaming gun owners.

The vast majority of people who watch a violent movie or tv show don’t go out and hurt people. The rest of us shouldn’t have to watch nothing but “Leave it to Beaver” or give up our firearms because of a few psychotics.

[GOPsterinMA]

“I thought Ledger was good, but not “oh my god I’m creaming my pants he’s so great”. It’s cause he died, it’s like with frigging JFK.”

B I N G O ! ! ! ! ! !

“As far as the movie versions go, acting performances aside, Nicholson is easily the one that came closest to what I think the character should be.”

Amen...

[fieldmarshaldj]

Lee had to butch it up when he played one of the Batman villains.

[BillyBoy]

>> Blaming video games for real violence is just as silly as blaming gun owners. The vast majority don’t go out and hurt people. <<

Someone needs to give NRA-Vice-President-For-Life Wayne LaPierre the memo on that. "Violent video games caused it" has become his go to scapegoat whenever he has to discuss a school shooting with the press. He "makes a living" doing that far more than Neil Degrasse Tyson does offering his opinion about global warming when asked.