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[Draugoth]

SATURDAY AM: “This isn’t a box office marketplace problem, this is a creative development problem,” declared one movie marketing vet this weekend over Warner Bros‘ bold swing with a foul Joker: Folie à Deux, which at a production cost of $190M+ net is coming in way below projections at $47M…or less.

Todd Phillips‘ sequel Joker: Folie à Deux has made history by becoming the the first Hollywood comic book movie to earn a D CinemaScore from audiences. Exit polls are equally as grim as audiences express their unhappiness with the sequel.


That unhappiness is translating into a troubled opening at the box office, where the Warner Bros. movie is coming in well behind expectations. The divisive sequel earned a soft $20 million on Friday, including $7 million in previews, for a projected launch south of $50 million. Rival studios show the Joaquin Phoenix–Lady Gaga film opening anywhere from $42 million to $47 million (one studio even thinks $40 million or less).

Source

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Someone overdid it on the artsy part?

 

[Kenneth Haight]

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

I've seen pretty brutal reviews of it. Sounds like nobody involved wanted to make the movie. The Critical Drinker has an interesting take on it.

 

[Madflavor]

Good. It was a sequel that didn’t need to happen, and Todd deserves the honor of the lowest Cinemascore comic book movie after the shit he pulled with this film.

 

[Doczu]

Good. It was a sequel that didn’t need to happen, and Todd deserves the honor of the lowest Cinemascore comic book movie after the shit he pulled with this film.

It's more of a case of a sequel subverting expectations and ending up horrible by alienating existing fans and being reje ted by everyone else.
WB really wanted a piece of the Sequel Trilogy pie.

 

[DKehoe]

 

[SJRB]

Still planning on seeing it next weekend, out of morbid curiosity more than anything really.

 

[Grildon Tundy]

Roger Ebert reviewed films based on 1) what the intended vision was, and 2) how closely the film came to delivering on that intended vision.

Under that criteria, both Joker films appear to be successful:

Joker: Left me feeling depressed because of how nihilistic and cynical it was.
Joker: Folie a Deux: Leaves me feeling depressed because of how nihilistic and cynical the creators made it as a reaction to the fan reaction to the first movie--and I haven't even seen it yet.

 

[Elfstar]

Todd Philips: "Ok, I want to make the worst movie possible, we'll call Milady Caca and turn into a musical, we'll brutalize the protagonist and make it an huge financial bomb so we'll finally stick it to those stinky Internet nerds that dared connecting with the first movie"

WB: "Yessir!"

 

[Madflavor]

It's more of a case of a sequel subverting expectations and ending up horrible by alienating existing fans and being reje ted by everyone else.
WB really wanted a piece of the Sequel Trilogy pie.

It feels like Todd was pissed that people liked and sympathized with Arthur in the first film, and this was his edgy way to try and overcorrect that. But it felt like a "What did it cost you?" situation now that it's out.

 

[HL3.exe]

I thought the first one was ok at best, (that it was an ok 70's Scorsese/Lumet ripoff, lacking unique ideas or something interesting to say) so i'm not missing out apparently.

 

[Bloobs]

Megaflopolis

 

[Burning Blade]

I thought the first one sucked

 

[winjer]

Now let's wait for the studio to blame movie audiences for being toxic, for not going to see this turd.

 

[digoutyoursoul]

What a fucking waste, tired of this “incel” “misogyny “ gas lighting shit as well. Just want to see good movies.

 

[INC]

Are white single men to blame again????

 

[Spyxos]

As so often with movies and games lately, I just think to myself, who was the target audience here? Certainly not me.

 

[Punished Miku]

I still would like to see it, and I'm glad they tried something weird. I just have no intention of paying theater prices to see it.

 

[intbal]

At least with Megalopolis, you know that Coppola honestly tried to make something he thought would have cinematic value.
With Joker 2, who the hell knows what the various motivations were that led to its unwelcomed state?

 

[8bitpill]

I haven't seen it and don't intend too. The direction seemed off from the first trailer.

This is a wild guess, but I feel like the director and writers didn't want to go in the direction the first one did due to its controversy that came with it after. Didn't want to insight violence and seed things to a younger generation.

I'm giving them too much credit with that since Hollywood and the film industry has a long history of degenerate behavior and money comes over any rational thought.

The director, and writers of to the audience that enjoyed 2019 Joker...

 

[Uhtred]

It's more of a case of a sequel subverting expectations and ending up horrible by alienating existing fans and being reje ted by everyone else.
WB really wanted a piece of the Sequel Trilogy pie.

It’s like the last matrix film all over again

 

[RAÏSanÏa]

I've seen pretty brutal reviews of it. Sounds like nobody involved wanted to make the movie. The Critical Drinker has an interesting take on it.

and... what was the interesting take on nobody wanting to make it? Any takeaways?

His schtick voice is too immature silly for me.

 

[near]

I'm going to see it next week. I doubt it is as bad as they say.

 

[Doom85]

I'm going to see it next week. I doubt it is as bad as they say.

Even as a massive DC and Marvel fan who thinks a lot of their recent films are over criticized, the spoilers made me pass on this one and I’ll just rent it later. Maybe it will work better when I see it, but I’ll wait on this one. For what it’s worth, Cinema Snob, one of the most unbiased reviewers there is IMHO, gave it a C-, saying it doesn’t work as a whole but does appreciate Phoenix and Gaga’s performances (and particularly praises the courtroom scene that brings back a supporting character from the first film), and some of the production details, but says unfortunately the film just has that feeling of a director only making it because he’s pressured to since the first one was a massive box office success.

Hopefully you get some level of enjoyment out of it, even if it’s unlikely the film as a whole will work for you, but who’s to say?

 

[Mr Hyde]

Guinness World Records must have a helluva difficult time keeping tabs on all the box office bombs that's occurred these recent years.

 

[IntentionalPun]

Who could have predicted a musical court room drama comic book film wouldn’t do well?

 

[Fake]

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Imagine if someone had an idea to make a Marvels movie (there's 30-40 past movies) into a musical. Wouldn't make sense one bit.

But somehow Todd Phillips (who is writer/director for both Joker movies) thought it was a good idea to change the successful formula of the first movie into half musical. And the execs greenlit this direction.

It's sounds impossible, but it happened. Maybe there's something nefarious baked into this debacle we dont know about as to why this happened.

 

[Toons]

and... what was the interesting take on nobody wanting to make it? Any takeaways?

His schtick voice is too immature silly for me.

Critical drinker has nothing interesting to say about anything. Hes either regurgitating banal right leaning soundbytes from far more intelligent people than him, or outright lying to his audience to rile them up, or both

Hes makes similar content to what Joker 2 appears to be actually

 

[ForAcademicPurposes]

Even my barber said it was shit.

 

[ahtlas7]

 

[Doom85]

or outright lying to his audience to rile them up

Yeah, can’t remember if it was The Boys Season 4, or another show, but apparently he got exposed for lying about even watching the season he was reviewing.

He even in a review will admit certain politics have nothing to do with the film…..and then proceed to bring up those same politics later on while reviewing the exact same movie (and also either get details of the story and characters objectively wrong, like he flat out forgets one character’s existence that contradicts one of his points, or lie about those details just to claim it’s political in any way). It’s very clear his primary goal is less about reviewing movies and shows but rather pushing a political narrative. If that’s what his audience wants, whatever, but he should be upfront about it rather than using these dishonest tactics to manipulate his audience. It’s highly likely he knows if he’s more upfront about it, he will lose at least some viewers, so he’ll continue doing so, though thankfully some Youtubers are recently calling him out on all this with video proof of his inconsistencies and dishonesty so he may have to change his tune soon regardless if he wants to or not.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Todd Philips: "Ok, I want to make the worst movie possible, we'll call Milady Caca and turn into a musical, we'll brutalize the protagonist and make it an huge financial bomb so we'll finally stick it to those stinky Internet nerds that dared connecting with the first movie"

WB: "Yessir!"

I didnt follow this movie at all. Didnt even watch the first one. The second I saw Lady Gaga was in it, first thing I thought was there's going to be mandatory singing in it. Yup, Joker 2 turned into a musical.

Anytime a singer is cast into a movie, always a solid chance there will be singing. It could be Schindler's List. Add a well known singer to the cast and you'll get a showtune while a city is getting bombed.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

Injured? Good.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

The loser here is Warner Bros and Hollywood... Let them continue releasing garbage and Woke inclusions...

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Still planning on seeing it next weekend, out of morbid curiosity more than anything really.

No friend no!!! I couldn't stand another torture.... I already had one with Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom. What a terrible movie.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

Critical drinker has nothing interesting to say about anything. Hes either regurgitating banal right leaning soundbytes from far more intelligent people than him, or outright lying to his audience to rile them up, or both

Hes makes similar content to what Joker 2 appears to be actually

I mean... you would say that. Coming from someone with your leanings I'm not surprised at all.

 

[llien]

I enjoyed the first movie.
Then learned the second is... a musical.
WTFBBQ???

And,, although I consider JF to be a god level actor: no, thank you.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

This is another case of creative suicide, the same as in videogames. A very extreme case, so happy to see this shit burn.

It's really a pity that the "ending" could have been good if foreshadowed and well written from the first movie but this is just a massive troll at the fans because the director believes himself better than them.

Fuck him and fuck WB/DC, and I don't even like the first movie that much (Taxi Driver + Fight Club copycat)

 

[Putonahappyface]

 

[Ownage]

Purposefully sunk to make sure Q and anon don't take Joey Joker seriously. Made Arthur fabulous.

lmao

 

[ReBurn]

I didn't even know it released

 

[belmarduk]

Did anybody want a musical? I actually liked the first one but have no desire to see this and wasn't the least bit surprised to hear that it sucked.

 

[SirTerry-T]

What the fuck does metatextual mean. For fuck's sake stop making up pointless new words.

 

[chromhound]

I wouldn't have mind a sequel but who's idea was it to make a musical film?

 

[DaleinCalgary]

I wouldn't have mind a sequel but who's idea was it to make a musical film?

the people that designed the Paris olympic opening ceremony

 

[Musashipan]

I really liked the first one
Too bad

 

[Werewolf Jones]

That clip where Joker starts tap dancing I was like "Yo this isn't even bad wtf." Then Lady Gaga started singing and I was like "Okay, NOW I get it."

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

Just came from watching this.

First time at a movie theater where people left sometimes in groups.

Every time a new musical number started at one point people would just laugh.

I left without knowing exactly who they made this movie for and how i wasted my sunday eveneing on something this bad. They didn't even have a story for such a long film. It dragged and dragged and barely nothing happened.

Warner Bros didn't need such a flop right now but they also deserve it anyway.