It was a legend in the world of entertainment that Heath Ledger’s performance in The Dark Knight was the best portrayal of the Joker ever. But then came Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker in 2019 who became a strong competitor for the position of ‘the best’. However, the franchise couldn’t maintain its legacy as Joker 2 failed miserably.
Much like the case of Joker, The Dark Knight trilogy set the benchmark of Batman movies, which was difficult to match for years. But The Batman didn’t let the fans down even after that level of expectation. Moreover, it somehow realized something beforehand that prevented it from facing a fate similar to Joker 2.
Matt Reeves’ Vision Saved The Batman
The Batman came at a time when DCEU was living its last days. Director Matt Reeves took the liberty to keep his film separate from the DCEU and followed his own vision to bring a younger, less experienced Batman played by Robert Pattinson.
The film didn’t show the origin of Batman to avoid character fatigue. Moreover, the entire story and backdrop of the movie have been consciously kept grounded and gritty to make it feel more relatable and less futuristic and flashy.
In a recent conversation with Andy Serkis (via Interview magazine), Matt Reeves mentions how he visualized Gotham as an “American gothic city.” Reeves mentioned,
It’s grounded in its corruption and desperation, and Gotham never gets better. It’s a good thing for the comics, because otherwise, Batman would be done with his mission.
Speaking of Batman, Reeves shared that he wanted the character to feel “like this slow brooding suspense thing.” Reeves was very particular about when, where, and how to show Batman on screen and where he wouldn’t fit. Talking about this, the director revealed,
Batman is in the tower, but Oz is a grungy, street-level gangster who is just in the muck. It’s very hard to make Batman not look silly in the wrong lighting conditions. Batman can’t walk into a 7-Eleven, he’s going to look like an idiot. He’s choosing where he can unveil himself. But Oz is not bound by what Batman is. Batman comes out at night, but Oz is noir during the day.
This fine understanding of the demands of the character and his story is what made The Batman feel authentic. Reeves also took inspiration from comics like Year One, The Long Halloween, and Ego which heavily focused on the detective side of Batman, something that he wanted in his film.
Why Did Joker: Folie á Deux‘s Fail While The Batman Succeeded?
One of the major reasons for the failure of Joker: Folie á Deux is its sudden jump from a grounded, dark story to a musical-thriller. Although musicals come with their own qualities, it was something that didn’t fit well with the narrative and backdrop of Joker 2.
The first movie showed Arthur Fleck suffering from childhood trauma, which eventually led to his mental disorder. Whenever he tried to change his life for something positive, his harsh surroundings and society broke his spirit, which eventually broke his patience, and he decided to show the reality of a corrupt society to the world in his own way.
All these feel quite relatable to the struggles of the real world, which led to the huge success of Joker. But Joker 2 mostly deals with musical sequences, which were mostly conversations between Joaquin Phoenix‘s Fleck and Lady Gaga‘s Harley Quinn.
The film has sudden transitions into songs from serious sequences, and oftentimes the songs don’t carry the story forward, which makes the film feel absurd at times. This made Joker transition from the Clown Prince of Chaos to a mentally ill lover who mostly lives in his dreams.
The true personality of the Joker, which is dark yet grounded, has been lost, which resulted in its massive backlash. The movie is currently rated 32% on Rotten Tomatoes by both audiences and critics.
Unlike Todd Phillips‘ massive creative shift that took away the true nature of Joker and the essence of its origins, Reeves’ The Batman stayed true to its vision and demands of the character and its surroundings.
The Batman is available to stream on Max.
Joker: Folie á Deux is now streaming on Prime Video and Apple TV+.
Frequently asked questions
Who directs and stars in The Batman?
The Batman is directed by Matt Reeves and stars Robert Pattinson in the title role, with Jeffrey Wright as Lt. James Gordon. Reeves built the film around a grounded, detective-focused take on the character, drawing on comic inspirations such as Year One, The Long Halloween, and Ego.
What does the article say saved The Batman from the fate of Joker: Folie a Deux?
It credits Matt Reeves’ awareness of the character’s limits. Reeves noted that Batman only works in the right conditions and would look ridiculous in an everyday setting (his point about Batman not being able to walk into a convenience store), so he kept the film’s tone consistent. By contrast, the article says Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie a Deux undercut its grounded realism by shifting into a musical format with abrupt song transitions.
How was Joker: Folie a Deux received compared with the first Joker?
The article frames Joker: Folie a Deux, which again features Joaquin Phoenix alongside Lady Gaga, as a widely seen disappointment, citing a Rotten Tomatoes score of around 32 percent. That marks a sharp drop from the acclaim of the original 2019 Joker, and the piece blames the abrupt shift into a musical-thriller format.
