‘Joker: Folie á Deux’ Review Roundup: Critics Say Lady Gaga ‘Shines’ Even if the Film Is a ‘Waste of Her Presence’

Reviews of Todd Phillips’ “Joker: Folie á Deux” have officially been filed, and critics say the “Joker” sequel was a waste of Lady Gaga’s talent. Some even added that the flick simply wasn’t needed or doesn’t measure up to its predecessor.

The film, which stars Gaga, Joaquin Phoenix, Zazie Beetz, Harry Lawtey and more, diversifies itself from the film as it features at least 15 reimagined versions of well-known songs. While some may not have been fans of the musical additions, The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw noted it “gives it structure and flavor” the first film didn’t have.

Before “Joker: Folie á Deux” hits theaters on Oct. 4, take a peek at what film critics have to say about it, below:

The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw said “Joker: Folie á Deux” was as “tedious” as the first film, but said its opening was “sensational.”

“It ends up as strident, laborious and often flat-out tedious as the first film, there’s an improvement. It’s a musical, of sorts, with Phoenix and others warbling show tune standards, often in fantasy set pieces, a little in the way of Dennis Potter’s ‘Pennies From Heaven.’ This gives it structure and flavour that the first film didn’t have … No doubt about it – the opening is sensational. A spoof Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon reprises the story so far, raising the curtain for a barnstorming first section showing Arthur’s prison existence.”

He concluded: “This crazy self-possession propels the film up its laborious narrative gradient. And Lady Gaga delivers a diva charge.”

The Times’ Kevin Maher called the flick a “messy, lifeless sequel.”

“The emergency axe thus came out, and despite everything, Phillips & Co. smashed back into the self-contained world, shook all the contents out on to the carpet and, against their own advice, had another go. The result? Messy, lifeless, derivative and exactly what you’d expect from a film that simply doesn’t want, or need, to exist.”

NME’s Matthew Turner labeled the film a “provocative prison musical” that Lady Gaga “shines” in.

“Rather than do the obvious and give audiences ‘The Further Adventures of the Clown Prince of Crime,’ doubling down on Bat-references, Phillips and co-writer Scott Silver have instead delivered a surprisingly moving, psychologically complex tale that is part prison movie, part courtroom drama and all musical.”

He continued: “Perhaps surprisingly, given the sheer quantity of musical numbers, the film chooses to downplay the choreography, instead focusing on the songs themselves (mostly standards from the 1940s and ’50s), and their comments on the emotional and mental states of the characters. For example, Arthur’s first track is Motown hit ‘For Once in My Life’, which sets up his search for connection and a kindred spirit.”

Vulture’s Alison Willmore said “Joker 2” was a waste of Lady Gaga’s talent.

“In its relentless gloom, ‘Folie à Deux’ plunks Gaga in a visitation booth where she tries to pretend she couldn’t blow the plexiglass walls off the place with her rendition of “(They Long to Be) Close to You.” It’s a waste of her presence, even if the courtroom-suit version of a Harley Quinn outfit that she dons as the film approaches its climax is destined to inspire thousands of imitators come Halloween. Her Lee isn’t an equal partner to Arthur but another accessory in his grand tragedy — a supercharged, scary-eyed take on a serial-killer groupie.”

The Telegraph’s Robbie Collin said the second film doesn’t measure up to the first.

“As a repeat performance – even a cunningly subversive one – ‘Folie à Deux’ can’t quite match its predecessor for dizzying impact. But it matches it for horrible tinderbox tension: it’s a film you feel might burst into flames at any given moment.”

The Independent’s Geoffrey Macnab said “Joker 2” was just as bleak and daring as its predecessor.

“Certain plot elements remain jarring. The lines between fantasy and reality aren’t always made clear, for instance. But overall ‘Folie à Deux’ is just as edgy and disturbing as its forerunner, replicating the idea of modern American cities as terrifying powder kegs perpetually on the cusp of explosion,” he wrote.

Macnab continued: “The darkness at the core of the film is underlined by its very brutal ending, which rejects comic book conventions in favour of psychological depth. Phoenix’s performance remains powerful and stirring, too. The genius of it is that we can’t help but care for Arthur despite his neediness and derangement. Even during the film’s most apocalyptic and violent moments, we’re always aware that, underneath Joker’s gaudy warpaint, lurks little, feeble Arthur. Against the odds, this ingenious and deeply unsettling film even turns into a bit of a weepie by the final reel.”

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