Joker (SPOILER thread!)

Who saw it? Who loved it? Or hated it? Or thought it was an absolutely gorgeous piece of cinema that totally went above and beyond expectations??? (I might be in that last group).

I’m still trying to process on an adrenaline rush and hope to have a more thought out discussion with anyone who’s interested. It was INTENSE. Joaquin’s performance was phenomenal. I will forever love what Heath brought to the table with his take on Joker, but Joaquin’s was an entirely different beast, and I think both performances are to be praised.

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Definitely agree with you

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I just saw it. I thought it was a powerful take on mental health, violence, and society. The music score was awesome, the performances were top notch, and the writing was creative. But I just didn’t want John Wayne Gacey in Gotham and thats exactly what I got. I didn’t like how he basically caused batman. I didn’t like how it basically just uses the Joker’s name. I don’t see it as a DC Universe movie and it probably isn’t. So I guess as a movie goer, it’s a great powerful film, as a big DC fan I am a bit frustrated. Anyone agree or disagree?

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I can definitely see where you’re coming from, Duke. I wasn’t troubled by any of those things because I went in expecting a very elseworlds-style take on the character and the Gotham he inhabited, but if, as a DC fan, you wanted a movie that touched more on the traditional Joker, it makes sense it would frustrate you as a fan. I will say I liked this means of him creating Batman more than the one from the first Keaton movie, though.

For me, the most jarring aspect of the story was that Thomas was such an a**hole. Granted, they left the ending slightly ambiguous, so I suppose we don’t know 100% whether or not he impregnated Penny, but regardless. Considering how often comics-Bruce has quoted his father’s morals as a guiding light in his own ways, it makes me wonder what kind of Batman this world will get.

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Joker is an amazing film! It’s a great origin movie (unless it was all a delusion, haha) too! Yes, it has moments that are unsettling n creepy but it’s a raw drama. So, I def agree that Phoenix killed it. I also enjoyed De Niro and Zazies performance. Well, I didn’t like this version of Thomas Wayne, he was just so smug. It was cool how the movie added the Wayne’s (after watching ‘Zorro, The Gay Blade’!) alley death. At times it felt like this world would fit in Frank Miller’s TDKR universe. From the dark n grimy Gotham to the political tones. Also, the scene where Joker appears on the Murray show reminded me of Miller’s Joker, when he goes to the Dave show. On the technical side of the film, it was just outstanding! The cinematography, the score, and obviously Todd’s vision was so dope! Def watch it in IMAX! :bat:

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Cynical, I agree with you on Thomas being an @**hole was just totally out of place. The film did have a definite vibe of what I imagine NYC in the late ‘70’s was like and spawned Bernie Getz and Curtis Sliwa’s Guardian Angels.

Too dark for me. Also, it felt like a Taxi Driver / King of Comedy mashup with a little Occupy Wall Street thrown in. Oh, and comic book movies are big these days, so graft on some IP we own. Yeah, Joker, that’s the ticket, and don’t forget to show the Waynes get killed again with the pearls. The kids love that.

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Also, it felt like a Taxi Driver / King of Comedy mashup

Off topic comment: I need to see these. I keep hearing people talk about all the nods given to past greats in this movie and wind up blankly shrugging in response.