The sequel divided viewers’ opinions.
Todd Phillips finally premiered Joker: Madness for Two at the Venice Film Festival, and critics were shocked by what they saw. Film pundits expected shocking scenes and incredible acting from Joaquin Phoenix from the biggest movie of the year, but got something very different.
The film stars Phoenix and Lady Gaga. The pop star played Harley Quinn, Arthur Fleck’s lover, whom he met in Arkham Asylum. A pair of lovers decide to escape from the hospital for particularly dangerous criminals and punish all the inhabitants of Gotham for what they did to the Joker.
The wait for the sequel to the craziest Hollywood film in history was five years, but most critics were disappointed with what they saw.
One of them noted that Joker 2 seems deliberately bad. It’s as if Todd Phillips didn’t even try to make the sequel to his best film at least interesting.
Critics particularly disliked the director’s intentional change of Fleck’s character, transforming him from an icon of the Sigma subculture into an uninteresting and degraded character.
“Boring, flat and a criminal waste of Lady Gaga’s talent, Phillips’ film is bold enough to subvert fans’ expectations, but not thoughtful enough to offer anything interesting in return.” said IndieWire critic David Ehrlich.
It did not go unnoticed by critics that Phillips attempted to abandon his own fan base by turning the sequel to the controversial film into a safe, almost mainstream musical.
“This is a staggeringly dull, pointless film that seems to despise its audience” – noted Vanity Fair critic Richard Lawson.
Even the most positive reviews note that Joker 2 is unlikely to appeal to comic book fans. Phillips betrayed his loyal audience and tried to “sell” his film to fans of auteur films.
“Phillips’ strange approach won’t suit all comics fans, but it has its own strange, tragic hope.” – says John Nugent of Empire.
As of this writing, Joker: Madness for Two has only received mediocre reviews from critics. 60% “fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes.
Source: Popcorn News
Kenneth Weaver is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He focuses on writing about celebrity-related news, keeping his readers up to date with the latest happenings in the entertainment industry. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for writing, Kenneth brings his unique perspective to every article he writes, making him a trusted source for all things celebrity.
