I'm a filmmaker, writer, director and dad who loves going to the movies. I hope that my reviews can help you decide if you want to see a film or wait till it hits streaming. Check out my rating system video to get off on the right foot and understand how I score my reviews.
dang i didn't even know this movie was being made but those are two impact-leads for sure. the cinematography looks fantastic. gotta see this. good stuff, thank you!
It definitely snuck up on me! I think they didn’t do a ton of marketing because the Trumps were apparently threatening to sue, but that’s just my opinion. Both guys seriously give Oscar worthy performances
I am! Started at Marvel back in 2009. Writer/director/producer since then doing mostly non profit narrative work. Also been working on an animated feature the past 2 years 🙂
“This film is incredibly directed”. That’ll be the big point you and I differ. I feel everyone else did their job. Actors fantastic, cinematography great…but Phillips dropped the ball imo. He was the weak link in this production. Love hearing your thoughts though, man!
Directing is so hard to quantify because each scene is so packed with vision and creativity. I can admit that as a whole package the film struggled towards the finish line and that also reflects direction. I just appreciate the journey he took Arthur on. Thanks for stopping by!
Interesting discussion about the film, I've mostly seen negative takes. I will check it out eventually but I have no rush to go see it due to the ratings.
Yeah I think it’s one of those films that will gain a solid fandom with time. The musical aspect really stumbles along throughout the film and that’s what’s really influencing the low scores. This film is almost worth a screening simply because of the gorgeous cinematography
I loved the performances and the direction that Todd Phillips and Joaquin Pheonix decided to go with the character of Arthur with having him face the consequences of his actions and battle with his identity through them. The challenges placed on Arthur both felt subversive and yet cohesive with where we last saw him in 2019’s Joker. However, the lame musical sequences, thin story, and off-putting ending bog this movie down tremendously! Still, I have not stopped thinking about since I left the theatre, and that is worth something in my opinion. Great review, man!
Thanks for commenting Zach! Always appreciate when you stop by 😄. I don’t know if the story felt thin to me, it felt more clunky. I really like the exploration of the theory of two identities. I think if they had leaned a bit more into that while incorporating Harley a bit more I think this would’ve hit exactly what it needed to for audiences.
I didn’t like how it was a big f u to the fans of the first Joker movie. I don’t care for musicals too much but like you and many others said.. the songs that were in the movie didn’t do anything to move the plot or explore anything. I did say that years later people will see this as a masterpiece of a film. Just give it time.
@@TheMovieMinute-wMichaelAllen He pretty much undid everything that was done in the first movie. It was like a slap in the face to the amazing work he had done in the first film. Having Arthur feel bad for what he did and not want to be the ‘Joker’ anymore after gaining a following. Making this movie a musical with nothing adding to the plot made it boring to watch tbh. It had some good dramatic scenes that was cherished in the first film but the unnecessary singing that didn’t elaborate or expand the plot was annoying. We wanted to see more of Arthur being the ‘Joker’ not him feeling bad for his crimes in court. To be honest, the first half of court of Arthur portraying as ‘The Joker’ was actually entertaining because he really didn’t care. I was expecting him and Lee to cause alot of chaos in this film. I did not expect it to be the film we have seen. Now if it showed Arthur portraying as ‘The Joker’ representing himself in court and wins and show how corrupt Gotham really is (and it could’ve shown the turn of Harvey Dent by losing to a criminal like Joker) then boy that would’ve been an interesting film. The Joker is a fictional character set in a fictional world everything doesn’t have to be so serious you know BUT i did like Todd Phillips take on Arthur. I thought his take on the origin of the ‘Joker’ comparing it to mental illness and the dangers of it to society was unique and never done before with the character. I really didn’t mind that ending either. It’s just a shame that you could tell that Todd gave zero f’s about the sequel like he did with The Hangover 3 when he didn’t want to do another sequel. I hope i answered your question 😅
Very thorough take! I agree that the potential of a much better film feels like a loss. I don’t know if he really felt sorry for what he did, rather, he felt sorry that this is what his life had become. It’s almost like the film represented the stages of grief in his own journey through mental illness. He basically lost everything because no one ever truly cared. Then along comes Harley, but she doesn’t want all of Arthur, she just wants Joker. This existential identity crisis is what I think Todd wanted the core of the film to be. It just got muddled up in the clunky middle musical.
This was defiantly a let down for me, I wish we got more of the joker side of him insted we got all of this Prison/Courtroom drama with Arthur and it felt warned out. There is a lot that i do like but there is also a lot that i hate. Great review!
That is a completely valid feeling. We spent a ton of time with Arthur and not Joker. That balance was also very similar to the first one though as well.
This is a great fair breakdown. I agree with the negatives about the musical aspects bogging down the story. There's so much to like with those things holding from being great
This film shit in the face of the first one and the first one was even that good. Current movie goers and audiences wouldn’t know a fucking good film if it took a shit on their face quit saying things are good when they’re bad. You are qualified to say film is good or bad because you don’t understand films and filmmaking. The story is king it doesn’t matter what it looks like when it’s shot that’s only a tiny fraction the acting performances in the story needs to be on point as well as the soundtrack in this movie has no original music at all whatsoever that pushes the narrative forward and tells the story this is just a cash grab a piece of shit film that even phoenix doesn’t even like. Just cus you like movies does it make you qualified to review them or judge them with any kind of credibility and I say this for 20+ years in the entertainment industry quit being a soy boy and start telling the fucking truth.
Honestly, I believe most reactions are parroting each other and just jumping on the bandwagon. It was a beautiful movie, and not a musical in any meaningful sense
I thought this movie was an appropriate sequal. I feel the director was attempting to correct misinterpretations of the 1st Joker; people thought he was cool. He wasnt, hes a tragic figure. He's not THE Joker. Thats why he called himself 'Joker', not THE Joker.
MICHAEL This movie was amazing and I totally agree - it’s going to be one of the special ones for a long time. Many tears. I also agree that it had such relatable themes that could’ve been easily felt without dialogue because the score just wraps you up and transports you!
Truly an incredibly memorable experience! It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a movie theater with that many people crying, including myself. Hits even harder to all the parents out there
I agree movie was ok. I think it's getting a bunch of notoriety because a lot of females are glazing the main character. Movie was good but super overhyped
@@TheMovieMinute-wMichaelAllen yeah that is kind of interesting to think about🤔. All in all dude did a good job and had that calm but menacing screen presence. Boyega would have done his thing but ultimately he wouldn't have that same presence imo.
Right!? It was so baffling to me that they left him out completely. Gary Oldman won for Darkest Hour which was a good performance but not nearly as dynamic and impactful as McAvoy’s
Yeah me and my friend watched this on saturday evening and we were impressed! A unique film and McAvoy really carried the film with the performance. We had not seen the danish version but we felt like he could do the role well due to his performance in split and he truly did. A lot of ppl in the audience laughed at some of the absurd scenes in this film so I feel like it has comedy, thriller and horror elements baked into it.
Absolutely some comedic moments. This film is a great example of amazing pacing and timing. Lots of moments were very well executed and led to a great theater experience. Thanks for your perspective!
Great question. I think that remakes in film can be unique because a director always brings something new to the table creatively even if it is the same story.
I hesitated on watching Asphalt City because i watched Bringing Out The Dead with Nicolas Cage and i thought it wasn't going to be good but im happy i watched it both have their own vibe
Totally agree with your review/ terrible writing , poorly and confusing pacing - Theroux was just awful and why they kept referring to the Jeffrey jones character also made no sense - huge letdown
I very much enjoyed the film. It wasn’t overly politicized, and even though it follows the same general plot of the first one it’s still different enough that it’s fresh and fun
Yea I didn't like it. William defoe's character could have been completely cut out of the movie and it wouldn't have changed anything. The soul sucker woman also did very little and was taken out so quickly. There was a lot of cringe. It seemed like they had a lot of different writers working on it. Probably because they need to have 20 writers in a room based on the contracts that they fought for in their unions. I don't know. This should have been a slam dunk though. Do they even storyboard out movies anymore? So disturbing that they spend millions or even hundreds of millions of dollars on these projects, and can't get the foundation right. 🤦♂️ Great review.
The multiple writers thing is very likely, I think there were at least three listed on the film. I really do wonder sometimes who is in charge of the story on these films. There was definitely evidence of a strong story present in the mess. I think if they have leaned further into Jenna’s arc and how it impacted her family and Beetlejuice the film would have been so much more compelling. I think the studios come in and make demands and it often forces the head creatives to make bad decisions. Really appreciate your input here!
How it going today and how was your weekend? Just here to hear your thoughts on the movie. The movie was alright for it not to be made in 35 years. I think they under used Delores in the movie. If an ex wife is after you, she will do anything to get to you. When she finally got to him, there was no fight between them. Was sideswipe by a worm. It was like that other movie Ghostbuster Frozen Empire where the villain barely did anything.
Totally agree here. There were moments that made me laugh but ultimately they tried to do too many narratives. If they had cut Delores and Wolf Jackson’s storylines the movie would have been much stronger imo
@@TheMovieMinute-wMichaelAllen Well when you have too many people implemented in the movie, someone gonna get less of a role and it sucks for them. Wolf Jackson storyline. I dont know why he was there. Basically, he was just posing and self motivation.
Yep, also getting some buzz for having Dafoe in your movie. He gave a believable performance it just didn’t matter to the story. It almost felt like they had written two different films and then the studio was like “smash these together and make it work” 🤦♂️
Love the Chunk reference!! Totally right - I couldn’t help but audibly express disgust multiple times but at least they didn’t go as hard as the surgery scene in Prometheus… 🤢
I loved this movie, I think it's a horror/sci-fi masterpiece!!! as a film-maker myself I belive CGI is needed if something is TRULY is impossible and it is for enhancing something that is practical. That's why Fede is such an inspiration for me. I don't really like CGI that much.... The suspenseful moments had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Great review!
I had so much fun watching this movie. My theater clapped and reacted the entire time. I'm a big fan of this movie and I'd love to see a sequel from Fede. The practical effects were super impressive as you mentioned. Practical effects just stand the test of time.
I kinda wished I had seen this in a bigger theater! Love the big crowd feels in a movie like this. VFX used simply to enhance practical fx will always be the best way to bring movies to life!
I just came back from a packed theater and it was a fun watch. I'm not a big fan of the franchise or anything but this was well made and creepy movie. A solid 7.5/10 for me.
