As a film critic with over two decades of experience under my belt, I’ve seen countless movies that were either critically acclaimed or box office bombs. The key to creating a successful movie isn’t just about catering to fan service or pleasing hardcore devotees. It’s about striking the right balance between staying true to the source material and telling an engaging story that resonates with a wider audience.
Swiftly, it appears that Hollywood has shown remarkable speed in drawing incorrect conclusions from the underperformance of Joker: Folie a Deux – a pace usually seen over several months. In this case, the misguided interpretations were formed within merely 48 hours!
At first, it seemed as if the poor performance of Todd Phillips’ movie could be blamed on Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros.’ President of Domestic Distribution. After the release of ‘Folie a Deux,’ he suggested to The Wall Street Journal that one reason for its failure was lack of male audience engagement due to Lady Gaga’s casting – quite conveniently placing blame on a female actor. However, publications like Variety are now reporting insights from studio insiders and other key voices, suggesting that the real cause of ‘Joker: Folie a Deux’ flopping was its disconnection from DC Comics and failure to cater to fans’ expectations – not Lady Gaga’s casting.
Hey there fellow gamers! As someone who’s played through countless titles, I can’t help but feel a little frustrated when I see the disappointment surrounding Joker: Folie à Deux. But let’s not bow down to internet trolls just because they didn’t like it. It wasn’t about catering or ignoring fans – that wasn’t the issue here. Instead, let’s focus on what truly made a game great, and keep striving for quality experiences in our gaming world!
Catering to “the fans” or “the mainstream” has always been a recipe for creative disaster. Try too hard to please people and it just comes off as sterile. That’s the thought process of studio executives, not folks producing satisfying art. It’s not a 1:1 to modern superhero movie fan service. However, think of all the listless English-language dubs/cuts of foreign films that have been unleashed over the years. These properties hail from Western producers looking to make properties “more accessible” to moviegoers. In the process, they erase all the idiosyncratic creative identities from the original movies. You’re left with something desperate to appeal to everybody that can please nobody.
Regarding “Joker: Folie a Deux”, the movie’s poor performance at the box office wasn’t primarily due to its social critique of hardcore fans of the original “Joker” film. Instead, it was because many viewers found the movie slow and tedious, as well as being misled by marketing that suggested it would be a different kind of film. Interestingly, there were elements in “Folie a Deux” designed to appease DC Comics fans, such as the appearance of Harvey Dent with his half-burned face and Lady Gaga’s courtroom attire reminiscent of her comic book costume. These aren’t the same as the Robin reference in “The Dark Knight Rises”, but they are nods to the dedicated fanbase.
Instead of interpreting the poor reception of “Joker: Folie a Deux” as a call for lavish treatment of fans, it could be seen as the culmination of Todd Phillips’ career choices coming back to haunt him. Over his two decades in Hollywood, Phillips has frequently relied on recycled content in his projects. For instance, he directed a 2005 film adaptation of “Starsky & Hutch.” His 2006 comedy “School for Scoundrels” was one of several Billy Bob Thornton comedies that capitalized on the success of “Bad Santa” post-2005. “Joker” borrowed heavily from “Taxi Driver.” “The Hangover: Part II” simply retold the narrative of the original “Hangover.” The lack of creative boldness evident in much of his work led to a disappointingly flat musical sequel to “Joker,” which failed to fully explore its heavy themes or more extravagant musical elements.
It’s challenging to truly understand Phillips as a person, given his works often draw from familiar themes with a surface-level edge of controversy. Sometimes, this approach struck a chord with viewers, as seen in the success of films like the first two “Hangovers,” the original “Joker,” and “Road Trip.” In many cases, his directorial projects have been profitable and well-received by the public. However, at other times, films such as “Folie a Deux” and 2016’s “War Dogs” were perceived as rehashed ideas to general audiences, leading to box office disappointments. Adding excessive DC Comics fan service likely wouldn’t have rescued the film financially.
If merely having the right elements were enough to guarantee success, The Flash from 2023 would have earned billions. However, it only managed to bring in $266.5 million globally, falling just short of what Batman Returns made decades earlier, without taking inflation into account. Boasting a marketing strategy centered around its Flashpoint Paradox storyline and the return of Michael Keaton as Batman, The Flash was tailor-made for DC Comics enthusiasts. Despite this, the movie, like Joker: Folie a Deux, was poorly received. While an affectionate homage to the past (similar to the brief reprise of the Rocky theme in the final match of Creed) can add a delightful touch to a film, overdoing it and attempting to forcefully elicit cheers from the audience will only leave people wanting their money back.
In today’s context, it’s increasingly crucial to weigh in on the current state of affairs. According to Variety, studios are reportedly reaching out to dedicated fans of popular franchises beforehand, seeking insights on how to produce less contentious movies or TV shows. This is to prevent potential backlash, as major changes could be swiftly squashed if these focus groups indicate that die-hard enthusiasts might take offense. Such a strategy has arisen following persistent online bullying and trolling of new cultural spinoffs related to franchises like Star Wars, Star Trek, and Lord of the Rings. A substantial part of this abuse has centered on excessive anger towards productions highlighting underrepresented voices, particularly those featuring women of color.
Jodie Turner-Smith, an actor on the show “The Acolyte,” has wisely argued that corporations like Disney should be more assertive in combating racist speech directed at actors of color. Merely casting performers like Halle Bailey, Rachel Zegler, Amandla Sternberg, and others isn’t enough; it’s also crucial to address the online backlash they often face. For instance, Disney has only spoken up once in defense of Moses Ingram when she was targeted for her role in “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Generally, big corporations tend to appease rather than confront such hateful groups, as suggested by a recent Variety article. It seems that major studios and franchises are more interested in pacifying these people instead of challenging them.
Disregarding the input of fans in the creation of “Joker: Folie a Deux” was an absurd mistake, akin to madness. Regrettably, this seems to be another example of our current pop culture climate overvaluing individuals who view brands as personal identities. Production companies and media figures often treat passionate fans on online forums as potential lifesavers of major franchises. Instead, they should view them simply as potential future audience members for a work of art.
Great works of art, whether they’re artsy underground films or the best superhero movies, are not made out of recreating Reddit fan theories. Nor are they here to placate the status quo in terms of devotee desires. They shake things up. Star Wars: The Last Jedi became the best Star Wars movie ever because it dared to challenge expectations. The greatest Breaking Bad episodes refused to bend to what people wanted. Many of my favorite movies (Ikiru, Desert Hearts, Daisies, Moonlight, Lady Bird, etc.) are personal works guided by conviction and creativity. They are not constantly wondering what the audience will “want” next. There are many reasons Joker: Folie a Deux failed to land the punchline at the box office. Presuming it was because it wasn’t nice enough to Joker fanboys would just reinforce already toxic problems in the larger pop culture landscape.
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2024-10-10 19:15