Joker became a worldwide sensation in 2019. It was the first live-action film solely based on the DC villain and was thought to be a standalone film for most of its time. However, after its huge success, the studio decided to bring back the clown prince of crime, but this time, he is not laughing.
As they say, lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice. Joker 2 couldn’t live up to the expectations set by the original film. The movie has managed to beat some of the worst comic book adaptation flops in reviews and looks like it’s not going to revert back at all.
Joker 2 Beats Madame Web and Catwoman
Joker: Folie à Deux brings back Academy Award winner Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck and gives a new take to Harley Quinn with Lady Gaga for the role. With such talented performers in the cast, it looked like a recipe for success. However, all hopes were crushed when the movie hit theaters on October 2 internationally and on October 4, 2024, in the US.
Joker 2 became the lowest-rated comic book movie ever on CinemaScore. According to Variety, the movie scored a D, which is a significant drop from the B+, scored by Joker. Joker fans will be hurt more when this is compared to movies like Madame Web and Catwoman.
Madame Web is considered one of the worst superhero movies from Sony, and in general too. The movie has been criticized for its lack of action, slow and inconsistent plot, and irrelevant story with very little character development. But it still scored C+ on CinemaScore.
Moreover, Halle Berry’s Catwoman, which has been treated as a punchline for years now, has a score of B. Even Morbius and the infamous Fantastic Four reboot released in 2015 have a better score than Joker: Folie à Deux.
Apart from Cinemascore ratings, the movie has also taken a huge blow to its box office collections. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it was initially expected to have $70 million in its opening. Then it came down to $50 to $60 million. But now, the movie has an opening of about $40 million.
Joker: Folie à Deux Gets Huge Backlash From Critics
The critics are not pulling any punches for Joker 2. One of the major concerns for the movie was its musical take. After the gritty and grounded original, the abrupt shift to a musical was not welcomed by many. According to Toronto Star, the makers “had no idea what kind of movie they were trying to make.”
Most of the movie takes place in Arkham Asylum and in court. Although courtroom dramas can be interesting, Joker 2 fails to win over the challenge it took upon itself. Eric Marchen from Rogers TV criticized the pace of the movie, saying, “There’s barely any plot progression until the cobbled-together third act.”
Chauncey K. Robinson from People’s World said, “The movie is overly aimless, self-indulgent,” and the actors’ performances “can’t save the film from itself.” Manohia Dargis from New York Times says the movie is a “half-baked, half-hearted musical.”
According to Forbes, Joker 2 initially had a critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes of 61%. However, as of now, it has dropped down to 33% from critics and 30% from the audience. It looks like Joker 2 might be having the last laugh, but not in the way it thought.
Joker: Folie à Deux is now running in theaters.
Frequently asked questions
What CinemaScore did Joker: Folie a Deux receive?
Per Variety, the article reports that Joker: Folie a Deux scored a D on CinemaScore, becoming the lowest-rated comic book movie on the platform. That is a sharp drop from the B+ earned by the original 2019 Joker. By comparison, Madame Web scored C+ and Halle Berry’s Catwoman scored B, meaning both widely panned films rated higher than Joker 2.
Why did critics give Joker 2 such negative reviews?
Critics objected to the film’s abrupt shift into a musical after the grounded original, with Toronto Star quoted saying the makers “had no idea what kind of movie they were trying to make.” Reviewers also faulted the pacing, noting much of the story unfolds in Arkham Asylum and court, with one critic saying there is “barely any plot progression until the cobbled-together third act.”
How did Joker 2 perform at the box office and on Rotten Tomatoes?
According to The Hollywood Reporter cited in the article, opening projections fell from an initial $70 million to $50-60 million and finally to roughly $40 million. The article reports that per Forbes, the film’s Rotten Tomatoes critic score started at 61% but dropped to 33% from critics and 30% from audiences. The movie stars Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga.
