Jaws: The Revenge is said to be one of the most disappointing and most pointless sequels of all time. It was made to ride the coattails (or rather, fishtails) of a beloved previous entry, only to release to little fanfare and severely underperform at the box office. All of the above can also be said about Joker: Folie a Deux, or as most people just refer to it, Joker 2.
Universal Pictures didn’t need to make a fourth Jaws just as director Todd Phillips didn’t need to make a second Joker, but alas, here we are. Whereas the first movie made commentary on mental illness, society, violence, city life, and abuse, the second film doesn’t elect to say anything new at all, choosing instead to reiterate what has already been said in a weaker, less impactful way. This, coupled with some strange directing choices, results in a movie that just doesn’t hit its mark.
I will say, however, that it isn’t all doom and gloom. While I was at first skeptical about the choice to make the film a musical, I will say that some of the musical sequences were exceptionally well done, with excellent lighting and set pieces that were a treat to look at. The singing, however, while far from terrible, left some things to be desired.
While Joaquin Phoenix can indeed sing, Arthur Fleck on the other hand, cannot. This was obviously done intentionally in order to keep the character of Arthur consistent, as it would be a shock if this murderer had the voice of an angel. But when paired with the obviously fantastic voice of Lady Gaga, it can be quite jarring.
Especially considering she’s supposed to be playing a mental patient/ psychiatrist. (Who just so happens to have the singing talent of a professional pop singer?) While the fact that it is a musical is clear, you’d think that the musical segments would be few and far between considering the movie’s serious tone. This, however, couldn’t be further from the truth. While you might think there might be around five or six musical segments, I regret to inform you that there are around ten or eleven.
By the seventh segment I began to think to myself “Surely this is the last one?” only for there to be another, and another, and so on. By the beginning of the final act, I could no longer concentrate or enjoy what was happening on screen as I was too busy dreading the next song, worried that each time Arthur or Harley opened their mouths, they’d break into song yet again. This wouldn’t be so bad if these segments didn’t completely take you out of the seriousness of the previous scene, forcing you away from the actual plot and shoving you into a completely disconnected series of events that serve no purpose other than padding out what would otherwise be a dry, mediocre courtroom drama.
As for the performances, Phoenix once again knocks it out of the park with his portrayal of the titular Arthur Fleck. His ability to flip from quiet loner in the prison to loud, dangerous sociopath in the courtroom is the highlight of the entire film, while Gaga’s Harley offers some much needed vigour into the otherwise bleak world of Gotham, her energetic yet subtly domineering presence providing a contrast to Arthur’s meek persona, while simultaneously complimenting the intensity and bombastic nature of the Joker. As for the supporting cast, it’s rather hit or miss.
The prison guards are the stand-outs here, while other characters, such as prosecution lawyer Harvey Dent, feel incidental at best and can easily be forgotten about the second they aren’t on screen. As for some of the other positive things I can say about this film, if nothing else, it should at least be studied by future film students for its excellent camera work, by drama students for its fantastic performances, and by business students for how to avoid a bad investment. This is not one to see in the cinema; I can assure you that the ticket price left more of a lasting impact on me than this film did.
I can't recommend it to fans of musicals, as the movie doesn’t even fully commit to being one. I wouldn’t even recommend it to fans of the first film, as there is a greater chance that the lacklustre ending would make you feel disappointed rather than satisfied. I would, however, recommend people with a passing interest in the first film or fans of Jaquin Phoenix’s films to check it out once it hits streaming services, as it may offer some level of spectacle, or at least something to watch on a rainy day.