Critic Reviews For: Joker: Folie à Deux

As a cinephile who has witnessed the evolution of cinema since the dawn of the talkies, I must confess that I find myself utterly baffled by the critical reception and box office performance of “Joker: Folie à Deux“. Given the unprecedented success and acclaim that its predecessor garnered in 2019, it is nothing short of perplexing to see such a drastic downturn in quality and public appeal.


In 2019, “Joker” set a record as the first R-rated movie ever to earn more than $1 billion worldwide. Its impressive profitability was partly due to its relatively low production cost of approximately $55-$70 million. Notably, Joaquin Phoenix received the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in Joker that year. Given these accolades, it’s surprising to see the negative reception towards its sequel, “Joker: Folie à Deux,” as per reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

Leonard Maltin: “What a waste”.

Graeme Tuckett’s take: After plundering Scorsese’s works and exhausting his innovative ideas, Phillips and his movie seem lost without a clear direction. The initial encounter between Fleck and Quinzel is skillfully set up, but the film lacks a compelling path following this point.

As a dedicated cinephile, I must admit my disappointment in this sequel. It seems to undo much of the goodwill built by its predecessor, transforming what could’ve been a compelling character study into an overblown reprise that fades out with a weak ending.

Michael Cook: This movie is a disjointed mess and a waste of time. It’s just tired, not particularly interesting, but it does look good from a production design standpoint.

This poorly received movie garnered a dismal 33% rating, which is quite disappointing given its potential, especially since the first film in 2019 was such a massive success. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely we’ll see a third installment in this series due to these poor earnings, despite the idea having great promise. The choice to transform this film into a musical also appears to have been a misstep, even with Lady Gaga sharing the screen with Joaquin Phoenix.

To celebrate the 10-year milestone of my movie review blog, I’m writing about a string of disappointing films I’ve watched lately, particularly those musicals that I dislike intensely. This post will focus on the unfavorable critiques these movies received, leading to poor box office performances due to negative reviews and word-of-mouth. Frankly, enduring another two hours of a terrible film is something I find hard to stomach.

I’m inclined to watch this movie when it airs on HBO, skipping over much of it, particularly the musical scenes.

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2024-10-07 06:49