Coringa: Delírio a Dois

It was a complete waste of time. As a massive fan of Joker, I expected a strong comeback five years later. The movie was a complete drag. Whenever I thought the movie was taking a turn for the better, it got worse. Save yourself the time and money. Joaquin Phoenix's performance was excellent, but the script was terrible. Through no fault of his own, Joker Folie A Deux is in line as one of the worst sequels ever. The movie seemed more like a display of Lady Gaga's singing and acting ability, which isn't great. I believe this may be the biggest box office flop of 2024. This movie should have been released on Tubi for free.

• Rating is 6.5/10
• Watched on Sept. 30 2024 @ Fan First Premiere (First Watch)
• Format: (Digital) IMAX

Todd Phillips repeats exactly what he did to The Hangover trilogy with Joker 2. The director goes on to make a sequel that is unfortunately empty and has no character development.

Phillips outdone himself in directing a film that has an outstanding cinematography/visuals that portrays every feeling and emotion that it wants to tell and express. BUT, he failed in creating an engaging storyline. From a part one to a part two, usually the characters of the film change. Their arc either declines or inclines. Their personalities change. Events/obstacles come along their way to shift their lives. OR new character/s enter their life which opens the door for more interesting events to come along their way resulting in a "Folie à Deux". In this film, Joker's/Arthur Fleck's life doesn't seem to change much as Gaga's character, Lee, is added. Instead, the film keeps repeating its events by REvisiting the past (the first Joker film) or reacting some of its scenes. It also keeps coming back and forth to the same locations and events within this film itself. Resulting in an overall dull film that is ONLY visually entertaining.

This film introduces two major characters within the Gotham world, Harvey Dent, who is played terribly by Harry Lawtey and written even worse. By the end of the film, I felt like he was useless and is taken advantage of because of his 'name' within the comic books fandom. Same goes to Lady Gaga's Lee that simply felt like it wasn't even in this film.

I enjoyed how this film uses music/songs to showcase that it's an ESCAPE for our inner selves. But, the song choices weren't on point. On the other hand, their performance was well done by Gaga or Joaquin Phoenix and Lawrence Sher's cinematography skills.

The sequel to "Joker" promised a lot, but the final result fell short of expectations, also a bad movie. The ambitious choice to transform the film into a musical, although bold, was not interesting.

The story does not add anything truly new or original. The relationship between Joker and Harley Quinn, although central to the plot, fails to convince, lacking that emotional depth that could have made it memorable.

Joaquin Phoenix confirms his talent, but his interpretation is also a bit repetitive compared to the first film. Lady Gaga, in the role of Harley Quinn, offers a solid performance, but the character seems crushed by the dominant figure of the Joker.

Ultimately, "Joker: Folie à Deux" is a film that leaves a sense of incompleteness, I did not like it. A bad film overall.

The story falls flat due to weak writing. While a few scenes are dramatically well-executed, they fail to captivate the audience, making the movie feel tedious from the start. The progression in both writing and direction is lacking, raising the question of whether a sequel was necessary in the first place.

Joaquin Phoenix once again delivers a remarkable performance, but it is difficult to fully appreciate or enjoy it given the film's flaws.

Lady Gaga's portrayal of Harley Quinn is underwhelming.

Even Todd Phillips' competent direction does little to elevate the movie.

I don't recommend watching this film. Instead, revisit the original "Joker."

This feels more like a spin-off than a true sequel, spending most of its runtime rehashing the original through court scenes and interviews, rather than pushing the story forward. The writing is serviceable at best, often relying on thin threads to loosely tie one musical dream sequence to the next. Joaquin Phoenix's performance is fine, but it lacks the raw intensity that defined his portrayal in the original. Lady Gaga, on the other hand, seemed to intentionally tone down her usual flamboyance, likely to avoid overshadowing him, which, while understandable, feels like a missed opportunity for a more dynamic performance.

The musical numbers, full of energy and spectacle, are easily the highlight of the film, with the singing and dancing offering moments of reprieve from the otherwise sluggish narrative. Unfortunately, these sequences can't sustain the film's momentum. The lack of a substantial plot causes the movie to feel overlong, dragging on for more than two hours, making it feel unnecessarily stretched. Without the gripping psychological tension of its predecessor, the film struggles to find its footing, leaving it more of an indulgent showcase for musical theatrics than a coherent, engaging continuation of the story.