KManX89 said: Joker is now officially the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time (unadjusted for inflation), topping Deadpool with $849m over the weekend.  It's about to overtake Venom (it already beat it out in terms of profit margin, but it's about to surpass it in box office revenue as well) and the first $1 bil R-rated movie is actually looking more and more like a possibility at this rate. I don't think anyone expected it to do this well, even $500m seemed like a high-end estimate prior to its release. I predicted $420 mil WW during its entire run and was more than happy to be WAY off. See, Blumhouse? If you make a good movie (!), it'll make money regardless (provided you market it enough, which they failed to do with Dredd, hence why it flopped despite being well-received). Now grow a pair and let Todd McFarlane give us R-rated Spawn reboot.

That's without China too. I think it's passed the 1 billion mark now.

deskpro2k3 said: Commodus from Gladiator played by Joaquin Phoenix gives "Joker" a thumbs up of approval. (Joaqun Phoenix also plays Joker)

While it is clear that the thumb was involved, the precise type of gesture described by the phrase pollice verso and its meaning are unclear in the historical and literary record.[2][3][4] According to Anthony Corbeill, a classical studies professor who extensively researched the practice, thumbs up signalled killing the gladiator while "a closed fist with a wraparound thumb" meant sparing him.

I agree.  Kill all comic book movies.

Last edited by sethnintendo - on 06 November 2019

This movie have bored me to death with no redeeming feature.
If they haven't named it Joker, almost no one would have gone watch it and wouldn't be considered a good movie.
Plus although Joachim have done a good job, it isn't stellar as some have said.
I grade it a passable 6.

As many have pointed out, this movie works extensively with references to other movies. Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy are the most mentioned. Another good one is Modern Times. Joker has its main charakter watch a good chunk of it in the cinema, depicting a poor, (at times) jobless outcast of society who struggles to take care for his very few loved ones. Joker can be seen as a grim take of Modern Times.

But the best references were to Nolans Batman. Spoilers for The Dark Knight Trilogy and Joker.

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

I'm in the "much of the movie happend in his head"-Camp. The riots, the city burning, him at the show, all fabricated by his sick mind while being in Arkham.
Now seeing Arthur in the back of the police car made me imediately think about Heath Ledgers Joker, enjoing a drive after escaping Gordon.
Shortly after that we see him rise from the hood of the car, very slowly and carefully. And I imediately thought about Bales Batman exploring the Batcave, being frightened by the bats. I swear, even the music at that point resembled the nolan tune.
We also see Bruces parents shot and him not knowing what to do now, just standing there.

Assuming this is all in Arthurs head, I realy struggle to come up with what the movie is trying to get at.
1) The references suggest that Arthur/The Joker is good and evil and that Batman is not needed (being entirely left out of the movie).
2) Arthur is set up as the hero and Batman would turn out a villan in this universe.
3) You would have to be as sick as poor Arthur to come up with an idea like Batman, which he does - that idea for a super hero story makes him laugh at the end.

I don't know what to think about this. Perhaps I'll stumble over an explanation/theory that clears things better up for me.

Last edited by JuliusHackebeil - on 11 November 2019

I was disappointed, but only because of the many super positive personal reviews and hype. The movie isn't crap or bad, it's decent, but it's definitely missing something and I don't know what exactly. I do agree with those who've mentioned that Phoenix over acted at times. It also seemed to me like while he had a fairly good idea of how he wanted to play the role, he was still somewhat undecided. The performance felt kinda all over the place. Maybe that's supposed to be part of the Joker's deal now possibly, but if so it didn't really work for me. I'll have to watch a second time during the holidays, because it is intriguing, but after the initial viewing I'm certainly not blown away.

At the moment I'd give it a 7/10. Certainly worth the watch but I think Ledger's Joker performance was miles better overall.

I'm late to the party and just saw it yesterday.

Excellent movie if I pretend the final scene never happened. It just didn't work at all.

Phoenix's performance was outstanding, maybe my favourite take on Joker. And then the director wants to take it away from him suggesting he was just a random madman imagining things, possibly not even in Batman universe. Madness. Maybe that's the joke I don't get.

Meh, I think the final scene is just a metafor for him going full Joker. 

I personally loved it, but can't imagine how it's as popular as it is. I think it's a solid, but not "best of all time" caliber movie that has mainstream appeal that most similar flicks don't do to the comic book tie-in.

StuOhQ said: I personally loved it, but can't imagine how it's as popular as it is. I think it's a solid, but not "best of all time" caliber movie that has mainstream appeal that most similar flicks don't do to the comic book tie-in.

Despite some missteps in their movies, DC has "The icons". Not making this a Marvel vs DC thing but it's always been like that until recently. Marvel was the cool company. DC was the popular company. And the Joker has the reputation of being the best villain in all of comics. Revamped and redefined for the better part of a century. Pair that with a really good movie and it was a license to print money.

StuOhQ said: I personally loved it, but can't imagine how it's as popular as it is. I think it's a solid, but not "best of all time" caliber movie that has mainstream appeal that most similar flicks don't do to the comic book tie-in.

Sometimes people are so starved for quality content that what is good become the best ever.

Was wondering what the hype about - seemed to draw strong reactions of both love and hate, so that meant I absolutely had to see it. And I definitely lean towards love. Phoenix really plays a creepy unstable dude quite well haha. Very unsettling. But yeah, terrific acting, great cinematography, very nuanced (at least for a movie related to superheroes) and kept me engaged, especially the 2nd half. I'd give it around an 8 for the first half and 9 for the second.

Very much a "screw the rich" message which I appreciate ha