Joker (2019 Movie) (1 Viewer)

[Winston T. Boogie]

I think I may be the only person on the planet that thinks Louie Anderson would make the ultimate (past his prime obviously) Batman. I mean that would be a great movie.

 

[Jake Lipson]

It’ll also depend on what’s playing around it.

Fox had dated their literary adaptation The Woman in the Window starring Amy Adams for the same weekend as Joker. However, Disney just pushed that back to May 15, 2020 because it needs reshoots. So Joker is the only wide release on its weekend now, which should be a benefit to it.

That being said, I'm with @Keith Cobby and @Malcolm R on this one. Absolutely nothing in the new trailer makes me remotely interested in seeing it so I, personally, will pass.

However, I did just notice that it has been booked at my arthouse of all places in an exclusive 70mm run concurrent with the wide release date.

 

[Wayne_j]

It is playing on the festival circuit this fall. They are pushing for a best picture nomination.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Here's a start for an excellent cast for a "super heroes" past their prime picture:

Louie Anderson - Batman
Micheal Ironside - Robin
Oliver Platt - Superman
Nick Nolte - Aqua Man
Gary Busey - Thor
Eddie Izzard - Iron Man
Kathy Bates - Wonder Woman
Laurence Fishburne - Black Panther

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

What I find sort of odd when I look up this film on the interwebs is that people seem to think this is not a movie about "The Joker" because Batman is in this film but he's only about 9 years old. So, the prevailing theory seems to be this is about the guy that "inspired" the guy that would eventually become the Joker.

Being totally out of the loop on this sort of superhero backstory stuff...well...this all just seems Greek/geek to me.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Yes! I'm not the only one that can hear Louie Anderson as Batman saying "I'm not saving you people anymore. I'm tired of it. I'm tired period."

Doug is feeling it!

 

[Jeffrey D]

The trailer for this was shown before QT’s film. I think Phoenix does a good job with the part.

 

[Wayne_j]

The reviews are out and Joker is currently at 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. with 29 reviews. Here is the link to the reviews since it took me a while to find them.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/joker_2019

 

[DaveF]

I just don’t understand what Joker is supposed to be from the teaser and trailer I’ve seen.

The initial teaser suggested a mentally disabled man who inexplicably became Batman’s greatest nemesis (in a world without batman). It made no sense to me.

The new trailer I saw...if I banish from my mind the idea of superheroes and Batman and The Joker, and take this as retro, period piece taking on a psycho-drama, it looks potentially intriguing ... if I’m up for a bleak experience. But as soon as I allow for this to be about The Joker as I understand him from 30 years of superhero movies, I’m totally lost at sea and lose interest in this ... whatever it is.

I don’t know. I like the idea of having no real solid idea of a movie before I see it. That’s increasingly rare. But, the experience being sold in the trailers look inexplicable and unappealing to me right now.

My meager brain can’t puzzle out what I’m supposed to think and why I should want to see this thing.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I just don’t understand what Joker is supposed to be from the teaser and trailer I’ve seen.

From what I can tell, this is basically a Joker origin story mapped onto the framework of Taxi Driver. It's set in 1981, and it features the Wayne family (Thomas, Martha, young Bruce) in a supporting capacity, so it could be seen as a Batman prequel. But like Logan, it's very explicitly NOT a prequel to any version of Batman we've seen on the screen so far. It was designed to be its own standalone experience.

 

[Wayne_j]

I'm hearing about more King of Comedy similarities than Taxi Driver.

 

[DaveF]

From what I can tell, this is basically a Joker origin story mapped onto the framework of Taxi Driver. It's set in 1981, and it features the Wayne family (Thomas, Martha, young Bruce) in a supporting capacity, so it could be seen as a Batman prequel. But like Logan, it's very explicitly NOT a prequel to any version of Batman we've seen on the screen so far. It was designed to be its own standalone experience.

I don’t understand comparison to Logan. Logan was clearly an epilogue about existing cinematic superheroes, that reasonably concluded 20 years of movie constructions.

Joker seems, from trailers, to be *unlike* Logan. No?

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I don’t understand comparison to Logan. Logan was clearly an epilogue about existing cinematic superheroes, that reasonably concluded 20 years of movie constructions.

Joker seems, from trailers, to be *unlike* Logan. No?

Joker is the beginning of a story, while Logan is the end of a story. The comparison was meant in terms of not being locked into an existing continuity and not being locked into an existing tone. Both are hard R pictures in a primarily PG-13 genre.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Joker is the beginning of a story,

One interesting aspect to the above comment is apparently Joaquin has said he is not doing any sequels to this, it's a one and done for him. So, in that regard seems like the beginning and end of a story. It would seem since Batman is 9 years old in this, there will be no face-off between Batman and the Joaquin version of "Joker."

 

[MattBradley]

In The Dark Knight, Joker wanted to prove that given the right circumstances the everyday Joe could make the same decisions that an insane person would make. He believed that people were much more like him than the fake personalities that hold them back. This new movie will show how the Joker went from an everyday guy just wanting to fit in to an insane clown. It's going to be hard to watch because the guy is going to get beat down by life until he snaps.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I just don’t understand what Joker is supposed to be from the teaser and trailer I’ve seen.

I don't think you are alone. I have read comments from people that watch the trailer that seem incredibly puzzled by the age gap between Batman and "the Joker" in this. They say things like by the time Batman is 30 the Joker would be an old man in his 60s and feel this makes no sense. Hence the theory that this character is NOT the Joker but some type of character that inspired whomever it is that becomes the Joker.

My meager brain can’t puzzle out what I’m supposed to think and why I should want to see this thing.

So, the trailer really is emphasizing two things and both of these are performances really. What they seem to be trying to sell in the trailer is that Phoenix is giving a rather intense performance you are going to want to see and that De Niro is also in this doing some sort of odd spin on Rupert Pupkin...and his performance also looks a bit odd and interesting.

The selling point seems to be that this is an intimate performance based picture, not a let's blow lots of stuff up and have giant CGI action sequences picture. They seem to be saying "Look we've got two of today's best actors in this and they are delivering the weird!"

Phoenix is as close as we get to a sort of Jack Nicholson type actor today. He is tremendously charismatic, not traditionally handsome but very interesting looking, the camera loves him, and it's hard to take your eyes off him when he is doing his thing.

De Niro is...well...Robert De Niro, and this picture seems to be giving him the opportunity to do something odd and different. He's not doing Pupkin obviously but what he is doing is not right down the center of the alley.

What they seem to think is going to make you want to see it is it features good performances. I am guessing these are good because the film got a crazed 8 minute standing ovation at the Venice film festival.

Granted probably few people are attracted to going to see a movie anymore based upon the performances of the actors and this is certainly not what people expect in comic book films...but maybe they thought people would want something different.

I am actually going to go see this in a cinema but for me the trailer was the best trailer I've ever seen for some sort of "Batman universe" film. So, maybe this is the comic book film for people that don't like comic book films...who knows?

I am stunned at my interest in it but Phoenix and De Niro worked to sell me on it. I just want to see it because it looks so odd and I love that idea.

 

[Thomas Newton]

This new movie will show how the Joker went from an everyday guy just wanting to fit in to an insane clown. It's going to be hard to watch because the guy is going to get beat down by life until he snaps.

In Joker's typical origin stories, he's not an "everyday guy just wanting to fit in". He's a thug who has an accident involving a vat of chemicals. The chemicals may have contributed to his going from "violent criminal" to "violent, insane criminal"; but he made his own bed before he fell into them.

 

[DaveF]

It feels like small-budget, indie, character drama. But those don’t sell tickets in 2019. So they titled it Joker and gave it a patina of connection to movies that do sell tickets, in hopes that will keep it alive at the box office.

It may be great. I have no idea. But it’s the most perplexing trailer and marketing I’ve seen in a while.

 

[Bryan^H]

Review
https://www.thewrap.com/joker-film-review-joaquin-phoenix-robert-de-niro-dc-2019/

I cringed, but let it slide in the Nolan, and Snyder renditions of the Batman but this is out of hand now, and I am officially pissed:

Spoiler

"And if Phillips is borrowing from countless movies here, he also lifts an entire section of Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns” for good measure. "
Quit cannibalizing one of the greatest comic book series in the history of comic books. How terrible, and it continues time, after time after time. Yes, we know The Dark Knight Returns is a masterpiece, but that is not your movie. Leave it alone or make a dedicated adaptation of the book!!!!

 

[TravisR]

I don't think you are alone. I have read comments from people that watch the trailer that seem incredibly puzzled by the age gap between Batman and "the Joker" in this. They say things like by the time Batman is 30 the Joker would be an old man in his 60s and feel this makes no sense. Hence the theory that this character is NOT the Joker but some type of character that inspired whomever it is that becomes the Joker.

Maybe I'm just used to seeing old horror movie series where continuity is not given a second thought but I'd recommend that people just go with it and hope the movie is good.