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- Joker: Folie à Deux Is an Anti-Audience Sequel That Doesn’t Appeal to Anyone
- Joker: Folie à Deux Is the Worst-Rated Comic Book Movie of All time
- Joker: Folie à Deux Arrived Too Late After Joker
As someone who has been following the evolution of comic book movies for over two decades, I must say that the release of Joker: Folie à Deux feels like watching a beloved classic band trying to recapture their past glory with a new album that just doesn’t resonate with fans.
In September 4, 2024, during its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, the anticipated musical sequel to the 2019 blockbuster “Joker”, titled “Joker: Folie à Deux“, was unveiled. Interestingly, it hit the big screens one month later. Analysts predicted that its domestic opening weekend could earn over $100 million, with some speculating as high as $140 million. If these projections had been accurate, “Joker: Folie à Deux” would have shattered October’s box-office record, which was previously held by the original film with a $96.2 million domestic opening. This sequel also had potential to become the first R-rated movie to surpass the $1 billion mark globally and secure 11 Academy Award nominations.
Yet, when Joker 2 hit theaters, predictions for its domestic box office were dramatically lower than anticipated, dropping to around $60 million. The film’s debut at Venice was underwhelming, leading to unfavorable critic reviews and an unusually low audience rating. Consequently, the sequel earned roughly $37.7 million in its opening weekend of domestic release.
Despite earning $77 million at international box offices during its premiere weekend, placing Joker 2 as the leading film domestically, this opening was disappointing, particularly considering the sequel’s massive $200 million budget for production.
It’s unlikely that Joker 2 will amass the $96.2 million opening weekend earnings of its predecessor across its entire domestic release, given its rapidly falling trajectory. Furthermore, considering that Joker holds the title as the most profitable comic-book film ever made due to its economical production budget of $70 million, the costly sequel seems destined to become one of the most financially disastrous movies in recent Hollywood history.
Joker: Folie à Deux Is an Anti-Audience Sequel That Doesn’t Appeal to Anyone
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Just as the poor performance at the box office of “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” showed Warner Bros., the studio producing “Joker 2”, that viewers were not interested in a “Mad Max” spin-off film, so too does the underperformance of the sequel clearly demonstrate to the studio that fans of “The Joker” do not want a musical follow-up.
Due to a misleading promotional strategy that downplayed the musical aspect of Joker 2, many viewers felt disconnected and frustrated, as the sequel’s marketing campaign—which showcased scenes not present in the actual film—led audiences to expect a movie-going experience that the sequel ultimately failed to deliver.
In a departure from their initial statements, it appears that the sequel, titled Joker: Folie à Deux, may not have been specifically tailored for any particular audience, particularly fans of the original film. Instead, the sequel seems to exhibit a lack of regard for viewers who had deeply connected with Joaquin Phoenix’s character, Arthur Fleck, and his transformation into the Joker. This is evident in the slow-paced courtroom scenes that seem to put Arthur, and by extension, fans of the first film, on trial, potentially draining the sequel of its energy.
The outcome is a seldom-seen follow-up that appears to criticize its core viewers just as harshly as it does itself. Instead of celebrating the madness from the prequel, spectators are forced to endure a confined and lethargic sequel, where Arthur, much like the audience, finds himself in a position of passive observation with no power to act.
Joker: Folie à Deux Is the Worst-Rated Comic Book Movie of All time
Despite initially receiving mixed reactions upon its release and sparking intense debates among viewers, the passionate discussions fueled by both critics and fans helped drive Joker to box office success and etch itself deeply into public awareness, largely due to Joaquin Phoenix’s remarkable portrayal of the title character, earning him a well-deserved Best Actor Oscar.
Contrary to this, the widespread unfavorable response towards Joker 2 is evident in its dismal ratings. Currently, it has a 33% critical rating and 31% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which also translates into an abysmal D Cinemascore – the lowest rating ever given to a major studio comic book movie. This exceptionally poor grade suggests that the audience has flat-out rejected the sequel, with many viewers warning their families and friends against watching Joker 2, as if it were somehow cursed.
Joker: Folie à Deux Arrived Too Late After Joker
In the year 2019, the Joker movie hit the screens, and it was a time when comic book movies were particularly trendy. During that phase, films like Aquaman (released in 2018) and Captain Marvel (also from 2019) surpassed the $1 billion mark at the global box office. Interestingly, even the first Venom film, which came out in 2018, managed to earn over $850 million worldwide despite receiving unfavorable reviews.
As a die-hard movie enthusiast, I must confess that “Joker: Folie à Deux” was never destined to replicate the triumph of its predecessor, given the sequel’s unfavorable critical reception. However, if “Joker: Folie à Deux” had been unleashed a few years back, around 2022 perhaps, it would have undoubtedly resonated more strongly. Back then, “Joker” was still basking in the glow of being a cultural phenomenon that captivated audiences worldwide.
Over the past five years, there’s been a significant shift in how comic book movies are viewed. Unlike the golden age between 2018 and 2019, recent years have seen several flops in the genre, with the 2023 Marvel movie, The Marvels (sequel to Captain Marvel), being a notable example – it was the lowest-earning film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Regardless of how well Joker 2 might have pleased fans, its prospects for commercial success were likely dim due to its high production costs, which didn’t translate into visually impressive CGI effects or action-packed stunts on screen. Given these challenges, it’s possible that Joker 2 was doomed to be a flop at the box office, even if it had matched the quality of the original. Joker: Folie à Deux is currently playing in theaters.
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2024-10-12 03:15