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Tag Archives: Joker
Joker – A Spoiler-Free Movie Review
Let’s first talk about what Joker is not.
Joker is not for children.
Joker is not a superhero movie.
Joker is not a super villain movie.
Joker is not funny.
Joker is not part of a shared comic book universe.
However, Joker is a psychoanalytical movie exploring a mentally ill man who eventually comes to embrace criminality.
I have not stopped thinking about this movie since seeing it on October 3rd. I honestly can’t remember a movie that left me so disturbed and … unsettled.
It’s not that Joker is particularly violent–it’s not when compared to most R-rated crime films. It’s more that this movie feels so … real. Joker does not have any kind of a fantasy element. It’s absolutely rooted in reality. We watch this man slowly fall apart in a way that is completely plausible. We watch the world keep kicking him and kicking him and kicking him until he fights back, and he strikes back in a manner that is far too familiar.
I think this is what has me so conflicted about Joker. He is a killer–that should come as no surprise. He’s not an anti-hero, he’s not a vigilante, he’s an average man who elects to murder people. However, throughout most of the film, he’s victimized by bullies. He’s beaten up by society. He’s shunned by the world. We feel bad for him … until we don’t. This kind of complexity is rarely executed in mainstream Hollywood.
In regards to the acting, Joaquin Phoenix is mesmerizing. I left the theater believing that this man may actually be insane. I don’t mean for that to sound insensitive or flippant, but his portrayal proved thoroughly convincing. His body language, his movement, his voice, his facial expressions, his laughter, the way he seemed to transform once he became “Joker” … it was unreal.
Also, the film looks to take place forty years ago. I felt like I walked into a time machine. The clothes, the cars, the props–it all looked authentic.
Furthermore, the “feel” of the movie cut to my core. This is a cramped, gritty, almost claustrophobic film. It’s literally uncomfortable to watch. It’s not a horror movie, but it certainly isn’t interested in coddling the audience.
People keep asking me if it’s a good movie. I don’t know the answer to that just yet. I’m still processing it. I can tell you that I can’t stop thinking about it. I can tell you that it left me with questions that I can’t stop trying to answer. I can tell you that it provoked me. In my opinion, those are all signs of a “good” movie, yet I can’t claim that I enjoyed Joker. It definitely wasn’t fun. This is not a movie to go see on a date or if you’re just looking to pass some time. This film takes effort to watch.
On the other hand, though, Joker will certainly change the industry. I’ve never seen anything quite like this, and I believe it will strike a chord with audiences which will result in massive earnings. My hope is that we don’t get cheap knock-offs. I don’t want a Two-Face or Killer Croc movie made in the same style as Joker. I don’t want a sudden deluge of intense, psycho-dramas featuring comic book villains. Joker is a perfect storm created by unique talent. Let’s try not to replicate it.
Believe it or not, Joker is a complicated movie that elicits complex thoughts. I still don’t know if I like it, I’m still not sure if it’s “good,” but it certainly made an impression upon me.
Batman: White Knight by Sean Murphy – A Graphic Novel Review
I’ve read a lot of Batman stories in my day, but I’ve never experienced anything quite like Batman: White Knight.
Published under the DC: Black Label imprint aimed at more mature audiences, Batman: White Knight is a stand-alone collection that exists outside of regular Batman continuity. Because of this, anything can happen. Even so, for a book that is disconnected to the monthly Batman stories, it is oddly beholden to them as well as to the cartoons, video games, and movies. More on that in a moment …
White Knight embraces a simple premise — What if Joker became good and Batman turned evil? Now, the story is not quite that simple, but that’s the central concept. Sean Murphy dives deeply into that idea while also exploring familial bonds, corrupt politics, abusive relationships, and mental health. Like I said, this book distinctively examines content in a way that is unrivaled.
However, even though the story kept me guessing, certain aspects struck me as obviously recognizable. For example, White Knight pays homage to the classic animated series, all of the Batman movies, the old live-action TV show, the comic books, and even the various Batman video games. It’s as though parts of all of that happened in this Batman’s past, but in a way that we can’t fully understand.
Make no mistake, however, Murphy’s depiction of Batman and Joker, as well as their supporting cast, is what makes this book so enticing. This is a Batman even more unhinged than in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. This is a Joker unusually sane. This is a Harley Quinn gloriously empowered. This is a Commissioner Gordon realistically compromised. This is a Gotham City genuinely broken by its atypical combination of criminals and vigilantes. And though the book is gritty, it’s also not afraid to be bombastic. Murphy offers an ending that seems like something out of The Fast and the Furious — and I mean that as a compliment.
Finally, Murphy is the writer and artist on this title, so I wanted to address his line work. His Batman is feral, intimidating, and a force of nature. Murphy tweaked the costume just a bit, but it’s his use of shadows and shading that really makes his panels pop. Speaking of costumes, I love the slight alterations Murphy made to everyone’s look in this book. You’ll know who’s who, don’t worry about that. The changes he made were simultaneously appropriate and dynamic.
If you’re a Batman fan but feel like you’ve seen it all, give White Knight a chance. It will strike you as extraordinary.
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The New Joker Trailer Proved Me Wrong
Did you know they are making a standalone Joker movie?
Truthfully, when I first heard about this film, it sparked not one bit of interest from me for a number of reasons.
Firstly, I believe the Joker is one of those characters that exists best on the fringes. The less we know about him, the better. The Dark Knight nailed his character by telling us virtually nothing about him. To devote an entire movie to his origin, I thought, would weaken his character and provide too little content.
Secondly, I’m one of the few people who really enjoyed Jared Leto’s take on the Joker. I’m not yet ready to cast that Joker aside in favor of this new one. I appreciated Leto’s Joker because it was both classic and unique at the same time. I’ve never encountered a Joker quite like that, yet his look struck me as comfortably familiar as well. The contradictory interpretation suited Joker nicely.
Furthermore, I heard rumors that this Joker would not connect to any of the other DC movies and would, for all intents and purposes, be a standalone in an alternate reality. Now listen, I’m a fan of the DC Multiverse. I’ve often said that Warner Brothers needs to lean into this concept and really play up the Earth 1, Earth 2, etc. concept. Fans would easily be able to grasp it. However, the initial description of the movie didn’t sound like the Joker at all. For example, they gave him a name, Arthur Fleck, and placed him in the 1980s. Worst of all, it was said he would just be a failed comedian who loses his mind and dons the makeup. No mention of Batman. It’s been argued that Batman is the driving motivator of Joker’s mayhem, especially because it was partly Batman’s fault that the Joker fell into the vat of chemicals resulting in his madness.
All of these things deterred me from thinking I would like this movie.
And then, this morning, the first trailer dropped. If you haven’t seen it yet, take a look …
I was wrong.
Totally.
Utterly.
Completely.
Wrong.
They are doing everything it takes to completely win over my interest, and that’s by giving me the totally unexpected. I did not anticipate the unsettling tone regarding Fleck’s descent into madness. And though I knew Joaquin Phoenix could act, I did not think he’d deliver such a disturbed character. I could not predict changing the Joker’s “look,” though ever so subtly, would render him even more terrifying. They have captured something with Joker, something profoundly … creepy.
This trailer validates taking the film into a remote part of the DC Universe. While you could argue the fact that this movie doesn’t even have to be the Joker, it could be any clown-based criminal, the fact that it is an iteration of the classic villain makes it all the more ominous.
After all, we know just how awful the Joker really is. We know that this Fleck character is destined to become one of the most evil fictional villains in pop culture. Watching him get beaten up and kicked by life time after time after time in the trailer’s short time span really strikes a nerve because we know that many of our mass murderers were similarly bullied in life.
Which leads me to my only real concern about Joker. Because it’s so clearly detached from the other DC movies, I don’t mind the thorough exploration of his origin. I actually think it’s totally appropriate to display every single life-altering tragedy that drives a man into criminal insanity in this context. However, I am worried that they are going to make him sympathetic or even an anti-hero. I don’t want to feel bad for the Joker, and I say this because he is so heinous. Mind you, I’m generally not against villains being sympathetic. But Joker? No, we can never feel sad for the Joker. (Of course, Joker has proven me wrong in every other facet, so it will probably do so again in this case as well.)
Joker seems to have tapped into something very special. It’s unafraid, primal treatment of such a visceral character appears to be creating a film full of raw, unflinching emotion. I know it certainly struck a nerve with me. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.
(Did you enjoy this article? Check out Scott William Foley’s Dr. Nekros e-book series HERE)
This Suicide Squad Has Life!
I’m the first to admit that I never really cared for the Suicide Squad. I’ve got the first issue seen below from it’s original publication in 1987, and I can tell you, as a ten-year-old at the time, it wasn’t really my thing.
I’ve been amused by their various incarnations throughout the decades, especially their appearance on the television show Arrow, but when I heard DC and Warner Brothers were committing to a feature film starring the squad, my jaw hit the ground. With so many wonderful properties under the DC tent, they were not on my radar as a possibility. Needless to say, my expectations were not high.
But then I started hearing rumors of actors interested in the film. Will Smith, Tom Hardy, and Jared Leto are the real deals. These are not actors who have to work in an ensemble film. These are actors who can carry films just fine on their own. And when the casting became official (read about it here), my jaw hit the ground again. There must be something to this film. If these guys want to be a part of it, the pitch must be excellent.
I’ll watch a Batman movie no matter what. I’ll watch a Superman movie regardless. You can always count on me for Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Cyborg, and the Justice League. But the Suicide Squad? Until a few days ago, I would have said no thanks. But, with these actors playing Deadshot, Rick Flag, and Joker?
I’m in.
All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder: Volume I – A Graphic Novel Review
This book is absolutely insane, and I loved it!
What we have here is a Batman story free of any previous or current continuity. Writer Frank Miller is taking Batman and starting his story from scratch. (Or is he? More on that later.)
The Batman in this storyline is testosterone fueled, immature, and more than a little nutty. Miller takes him so over the top that I really and truly hope the writer is poking fun at his previous incarnations of the characters and his previous, ultraviolent works such as Sin City and 300. The fact that both Batman and most other characters in the book refer to him as “the g-d-n Batman” can only lead me to believe Miller didn’t want us taking this too seriously.
However, Miller is also proving a point. We’d always heard that Batman needed a Robin to take the edge off the man-to bring him back to humanity. However, as a Batman fan of over twenty-five years, I’d never really seen an incarnation of the character that had him in DIRE need of a humanizing sidekick. That is, until now. Miller’s All-Star Batman is a whack-job, and it’s only through his dealings with Dick Grayson that he slowly begins to realize he’s turned into a monster. Despite all the sex and violence in the book, Miller actually does a wonderful job evolving Batman’s character-there is real character development taking place that is rarely seen in the comic book medium.
And because this is an all-star title, the artist must be as equally as big a star-enter Jim Lee. Jim Lee has always been a mesmerizing artist, but he truly outdoes himself with All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder. His figures look amazing-as always-but the settings are what really blew me away. His attention to detail is nearly genius-level, and I found myself studying every building in the skyline, every poster on the wall, every tread on a tire. He is absolutely astonishing.
So while I’m glad this book isn’t the definitive and mainstream interpretation of the character, I am so glad we have this Batman as well. I couldn’t put the book down. It was ludicrously fun and breathtaking to look at and had me addicted within the first few minutes of reading it.
Now, if you’ll allow me a slight digression: Does anyone else think this is a prequel of sorts to The Dark Knight Returns? As I started reading it, I noticed some thematic links between All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder and The Dark Knight Returns, as well as The Dark Knight Strikes Again. This is nothing unusual with writers, many of them tend to have certain passions that they return to (consciously or not) in their work.
However, as I continued reading, things began to seem like more than just coincidence. For example, in the huge spread from Episode 4, doesn’t that look like the Dark Knight Returns Batmobile being built? Also, we clearly see the cover to The Dark Knight Returns collected edition as a poster on Barbara Gordon’s wall in Episode 6. The Wonder Woman design in Episode 5 is very similar to the Wonder Woman in The Dark Knight Strikes Again, as is her basic personality and attraction to Superman. I would also argue that Superman, Plastic Man, Green Lantern, and Jim Gordon all seem tonally the same as they are in The Dark Knight Returns and The Dark Knight Strikes Again.
But, the real cinchers for me occurred first in Episode 8 where the Joker’s henchwoman was the same lady with the swastikas covering her nipples (wow, there’s a sentence I never thought I’d construct) as from The Dark Knight Returns: Book Three.
And then, the big one-the HUGE one-happened in Episode 9 where Batman tells Green Lantern, “Of course we’re criminals. We’ve always been criminals. We have to be criminals.” Now compare that to Superman’s internal dialogue from The Dark Knight Returns: Book Three, which was written roughly twenty years earlier: “When the noise started from the parents’ groups and the subcommittee called us in for questioning – – you were the one who laughed … that scary laugh of yours … ‘Sure we’re criminals,’ you said. ‘We’ve always been criminals. We have to be criminals.'”
In my estimation, it seems Frank Miller is using All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder to build upon his mythos originated in The Dark Knight Returns, and I think that’s incredibly entertaining.
Of course, if I’m right, knowing what we know about the end of The Dark Knight Strikes Again certainly makes his developing relationship with Dick Grayson seem bittersweet.
The Dark Knight – A Movie Review
(No Spoilers Ahead)
Simply “wow.”
This movie surpassed even my lofty expectations as a Batman fan. Epic in nature with nonstop action and a tight, logical storyline that organically meshed with the characterization of its players, The Dark Knight deserves every bit of the accolades it’s amassing.
Christian Bale’s Batman is truly a force of nature-savage yet noble, fierce yet heroic. He teems with intimidation and generally looks like he could explode at any given moment, which is all part of Batman’s psychological warfare against the criminal world. Other actors have played Batman either too coy or too cool, but Bale depicts Batman as a warrior, someone ready to take back his streets by force. Bale brings an emotional intensity to Batman that is totally necessary to the character and translates brilliantly to the screen.
With the untimely death of Heath Ledger, there was a palpable fear that folks would go overboard in applauding his efforts as the Joker. Christopher Nolan earned my respect with Batman Begins, so when he broke convention and cast Ledger, I trusted his decision. However, when people started talking about an Oscar for Ledger’s Joker, I snickered a bit. Let me tell you, after seeing his performance, it would not surprise me in the least if Ledger was nominated. Ledger was absolutely unrecognizable as the Joker. It didn’t look like Ledger, it didn’t sound like him-it really felt as though what we saw on screen was THE Joker, not just an actor playing a role. Ledger utterly disappeared. I knew Ledger would be good, but he was so incredible brilliant, I was blown away. And his Joker wasn’t the flamboyant “mobster” of 1989’s version or the harmless clown from the 1960s-his was a calculating, homicidal, disturbed, “agent of chaos.” I rarely have nightmares, and just last night Ledger’s Joker entered my dreams and scared the pudding out of me. No joke.
Aaron Eckhart’s role as Harvey Dent was much bigger than I expected, and he also brought a real complexity to the movie that added a thematic layer about “heroism” versus “duty” that really enriched the overall story. His character when compared and contrasted to Commissioner Gordon’s and Batman’s showed you all the various shades of goodness and just how fragile such a notion can be. If you know the comic books, you know Dent’s fate. I won’t spoil anything for you, though.
Finally, all the actors were sublime. Oldman as Gordon, Freeman as Fox, Caine as Alfred, Gyllenhaal as Dawes-all of them worked hard to make their characters well-rounded, emotional people that we could connect with. I think the actors’ dedication to their characters-no mater how small the role-along with Ledger’s performance and the raw emotion of the movie pleased me the most.
Director Christopher Nolan really seems to understand what makes Batman tick. His The Dark Knight felt like all of the best qualities of a comic book blended with the noir of a thriller rooted in realism. I’ve never quite seen anything like The Dark Knight, and judging from the box office, neither has anyone else. Whether you’re a fan of Batman or not, this one is definitely worth the price of admission and I guarantee you’ll enjoy it on several levels.
SCOTT WILLIAM FOLEY 