He's pretty much Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan cut funding to mental health services in the late 1970's. To cut cost, He had it set up that you had to commit yourself for treatment. Mental ill people don't know their crazy. With funding cut, the hospitals just released patients onto the streets homeless.
@@avengersassemble4972 THANK YOU. Someone finally says it. I've said this so many times. Heath was good. Joaquin is AMAZING. Heath is hyped up cuz he's dead. No disrespect. Just being honest. People always get hyped when they're dead. It's true. Look at Nip. Nobody knew him aside from myself and his true fans. He dies, and BOOM nothing but praise. Same with Heath. Joaquin is way better. And is fucking legendary. Thanks for being real bro. We need more of this.
@@Kal-El207 I'm not taking anything away from Joaquin at all! I agree 1000% he was amazing. Undoubtedly. I just don't see the the comparisons of their Jokers. Acting wise I agree with Tony, Joaquin had more time to flesh his Joker out, which led to a standout performance.
Joaquin was incredible and I think he might have topped Heath. Although the best Joker then was Heath,we now have the perfect one. Crazy how he killed his mom after finding out the truth.
One thing I would say with Joaquin's Joker what alot of people is missing is that he didnt want to be a villian he just wanted to be notice and accepted. He loved his job. He started to realize the only he would get accepted is that he had to be a villian. I also think he wouldn't be the one that goes up against Batman because of the age difference but he would inspire the next Joker.
I think you're right about the age difference. one way I think it would be really dope and kind of poignant in the Robert pattinson movie, is if this joker does die of age, and while Bruce is young and growing. this joker is the one who inspired his parent's murder, he inspired ALL the rouge's gallery and the common petty thugs that batman goes against, But because he is dead and Bruce only has that memory of him behind the gate, he is like a ghost that Bruce can never catch, who hurt him in a way that can never be undone and that plays on the psyche/psychosis that drives batman's anger. kinda like far from home did with tony and peter, villain angle instead of mentor.
I agree. Like Tony Baker always says, in order to be a great villain, you have to have a human, goodwill side, too. A great villain can't just be all evil. The issue with the Joker though is that he was battling mental illness, and the city took those services and medication from him when they cut funding, which made his mental state deteriorate tremendously. So, it's really not his fault. There's several hints to that in the movie (trying not to spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet). It was definitely a dope movie!
This had to be the most spot-on review I’ve ever heard/seen so far. So many people are stuck on “superhero” films being cut up fight scenes, cgi scenes, things like that. But Joker doesn’t have things like that. It doesn’t need it.
@@BruceWayne-mh2qf I actually agree, but I should've stated that all Jokers don't have cgi. It's not needed so I never got how ppl get wound up over movies like Avengers.
Joaquin's Joker was pretty unpredictable and scary as well. The scene where he kills the one dude while the little person was in his apartment. I had no idea if he was gonna let the second guy go for sure. I was anxious. When he was Joker, he was Joker. And I'm glad you said you don't put one performance above the other. When you two performances that are 10/10, one doesn't need to be better.
I agree, Heather Ledger vs Jack Nicholson, up against Batman is a more fair comparison. Joaquin Phoenix is Joker if Joker existed in real life. This Joker was completely believable as a person.
And this movie makes that part of Joker make sense. He tells bad jokes. The movie ended and I sat there for a few minutes remembering what he went through. No wonder he became that way. They did Justice to the origin of Joker.
Joker not being funny was intentional and draws from The Killing Joke graphic novel. At least that is what I believe since it was once of the inspirations.
@@brianapaylor9136 The entire movie isn't based on that, you are right. Him being a comedian and not being funny. Those are parallels we are speaking on.
@@brianapaylor9136 His origin in this movie takes quite a few themes from The Killing Joke. Being a failed comedian Loving his mother (being a family man) And how the world pushed him into becoming who he is. With the King of Comedy and Taxi Driver serving as three basis to flesh out those themes.
I don't think Phoenix Joker will ever become the crime Prince. That seems to not interest him. Phoenix Joker could just be something completely different.
for real, but also it's because the critics saying this shit can see themselves in the movie, and they're scared of it. they are the ones who would make fun of a arthur fleck, and they don't like to pay attention to mental health. so yeah, it scared the pussy upper class.
Great comparison to Tony Collete. The mental journey and character study was intense and difficult to watch at times in Joker. Joaquin carries the whole movie. And what a heavy story to carry. He is a masterpiece
This film absolutely exceeded my expectations. I knew that Joaquin Phoenix would deliver an amazing performance however I had no idea the physical transformation he underwent for this role. Parts of the film were hard to watch due to the brutality and the rawness of it; however, it is a very accurate depiction of societal behavior that we are currently seeing reflected in the news. The story itself is very dark but I think it's an excellent stand alone film and I recommend it. Further, I appreciate that the director didn't feel the need to inflate the runtime.
I agree with Tony on the violence. There are other movies that came out this year that are more violent. I like the violent acts Joker commits in comics and movies because the level of intellect behind them. Is it wrong that I like watching the Joker do Joker shit? Hahaha
my opinion on the violence now while there have been many more violent films i think its the execution of the violence and how real it looks and feels that makes it have lasting impact over something like john wick 3
Tony watching your reviews has really caused me to evaluate movies more whenever I watch them. It’s helped me to break it down from each characters point of view and it has made me appreciate movies even more than I do now. So thank you for these!!
Same here! Totally understood why the town revolted and supported Joker. Because they could relate to being treated differently than others "above" them. Great movie!
The fact that the Jokers laughter was a condition and not apart of his psychosis was brilliant. As far as the origins go.. there is no origins of the Joker in the comics. He just walked into Gotham one day. No childhood, no parents, no reasoning behind the madness. Which is why you can come up with anything you want to fit the jokers narrative. Lastly there are many jokers!! think of an entity embodying a human form.. the first Joker was Jack Napier played by Jack Nicholas. The second was Jason Todd played by Leto in Suicide Squad. Heath Ledger Joker was actually a collective of Jack Napier and a Animation adaptation from the cartoon "Batman the animated series". All in all you cannot compare any joker to another because they were all different men embodied by the same entity! at different points in time. That's why you'll always get a somewhat different kind. I call the the joker an entity because there's nothing humane about him in any genre.. he feels nothing, he believes in nothing. Great Film for the Greatest villain ever!
Tony, your reasons as to why we can’t compare Ledger and Phoenix were on point! I never thought about their respective screen times and the presence of Batman as an actual factor. That’s some good thinking!
Bro, when he stands up on the car at the end, and puts that smile on his face....now that's the JOKER!! Absolutely brilliant! This is easy the best movie of the year, and one of my favorite films PERIOD!! Dope review bro. 💯
The movie "Joker" helped me out alot. I've been battling some mental health issues for the past few months and all this time ive felt like my life was a drama.....but now I know my life is a BET movie starring Steven Seagal 😂🤷🏾♂️
@@deathbymazda Yeah it just didn't make any sense. The whole time I'm like "why is she here?" I rolled with it bit once it was revealed I was not shocked at all
I remember watching the Batman the Animated Series growing up, the joker was never funny. Well not to me as a kid but looking back on it he made corny/dad jokes. I just watched the movie and loved it. Came to see your review.
Or you can say that Joaquin needed to carry the entire movie by himself. The amount of time that you have to express yourself is the same amount of time that you have to screw up. It can be both ways. But anyway. In this age of competition, people always want to superimpose things. To me.-Joaquin has depicted what I consider the quintessential Joker (one scene made me finally realize that). Heath Ledger on the other hand is already established Joker and has all the components of the Joker character, but it doesn't have that "theatre" vibe to him. (He is less of a clown-which is also perfect in the context of the movie). Heath Ledgers Joker performance was flawless for the particular setting of the Dark Knight and it could never be replaced. Not even a comic book Joker could fit the Dark Knight movie. In the Dark Knight, Joker is political figure-The symbol of Anarchy (which is perfectly fitting in the context of the movie). What makes Joaquin Joker more "Joker" to me (in isolated sense) is that when he finally becomes the Joker, his motives and actions are complete mystery. He has no political statement or a specific goals. He acts irrationally and impulsively and goes with the flow of the mess that he had instigated. He has no political opinion except that he is apolitical. Heath Ledgers Joker has more established political and sociological attitudes. He is more descriptive towards his own mental state and his own viewes. You can even argue that Joaquin had much more challenging work in terms of expressing himself. While Heath Ledgers Joker had a script with a lot of exposition and explanation (which is fine). Joaquin basically had to "passively" convince the viewers that he is the Joker character-and in my opinion he did a great job(so at the same time, he was given more and less to work with). We can't make a parallel comparisons. Characters in movies work in context of the movies. One thing is certain-Without Heath Ledger's Joker, we probably wouldn't have this one. (Thank you in advance for ignoring my spelling errors).
Two different time periods of The Joker. Heath's Joker is him embracing his psychosis, while Quino's Joker is his journey and breakdown of his mental state towards becoming The Joker..... Absolutely no comparison. But I will say this... Both renditions nailed mental illness superbly. But I think the character, The Joker is always going to be a fascinating character. Simply based on the fact that he is the epitome of insane and the way he accepts it - he totally embraces it. Makes any reader/viewer intrigued to say the least. Well done Quino! 👏👏 I truly hope that Oscar is for U. #AnotherOne4BillFinger!
11:40 You didn't feel nervous about this Joker? Shoot I kept waiting on him to crack. Each scene I was on edge like, okay he about to go crazy right? Now they sorta let me down in that area but I was still on edge.
The part that got me is when the midget asked for his help with the lock. I was like “oh shit he did that on purpose so he can bash his head in!”. Even though it didn’t happen, it speaks to how good of a job they did
Joaquin did a great job as joker. But mannnn, Heath Ledger set the bar so high when he became that character. I didn’t see Heath acting I watched him become Joker.
Well, Heath should be better Joker. He actually fully played Joker. Joaquin played Arthur a majority of the film and naturally transitioned into Joker. Hard for me to compare the two portrayls, when one wasn't even fully Joker throughout the whole movie.
His jokes aren't supposed to make you laugh. They definitely made it a point to make his humor nonsensical. He doesn't have a grip on actuality. That has a lot to do with everything he does.
Say bruh, you hit all the notes with this review. I loved this film! The realism, the effort, the emotional toll, the successful “elseworld-type” take on the character, man everything. Doesn’t need a sequel or any other big references to any other movie or character. This was a damn art piece lol This is the type of Joker I’d expect to see in real life. Felt like the whole film perfectly displayed the type of life and downward spiral of a character like the Joker. And it doesn’t make sense to compare this Joker to any other Joker. This ain’t that type of film. Heath had it in terms of an action superhero film as Batman’s foil. A stand-alone Joker film had to be this. And lowkey, he shouldn’t have been funny. That adds a level of charisma that a realistic version of this character shouldn’t have imo. Love your stuff bro ✊🏾
in regards to people trying to compare the ledger joker and phoenix joker...one thing must be acknowledged..its quite impressive phoenix was able to make an amazing joker in the the little time he got to be him ...this is a joker on his first day of being joker against a "already been crazy for years joker " played by ledger...
Tony, I love your movie reviews. I'm a big movie buff myself. I feel like we can be in the theater together taking notes & giving our Siskel & Ebert reviews. Joaquim was phenomenal & I agree with not comparing Ledger & Phoenix. Even Nicholson can't compare with these 2 because he based his Joker more with the comic version. Anyway, great review!!
Joaquin Phoenix Joker was amazing!! Heath Ledger Joker was amazing! There can be no comparisons, period! The times were different in both films! The Joker touched more on the mental stability of one’s character and how he became or embodied this person we know as the future Joker in previous films. I honestly loved this movie and the breakthrough scene when he ran after the train scene where he locked himself in the bathroom and DANCED..... that moment right there.... Perfection😌
He shot the first guy in the head once, dead. Second guy got two bullets. Dead. Third guy got one in this foot on the train, then three more bullets out of the train. So 7 bullets was fired.
@@deathbymazda Never said that you can't. Just stating the facts. He fires 7 shots then it goes *click* *click* empty. And according to the other guy he fires 25 bullets with a six shooter.
They hit on all of the necessary points that explain what we've all watched for the better part of 40 years.... There was a turning point, in the existence of Gotham, the spark that motivated and developed Batman, and the life of the most prominent villain in the world of Batman.... I like how they( in this film) developed what many believe is the best Joker which is Heath Ledger, and it was great that they did not cut any corners.... And the closing scene, where he's running around the asylum, is fantastic, and brings it all home when it comes to accepting what we've known as the Joker for years.... My only concern is the next Batman movie being able to live up to the acting standards.... at some point, Joker has to come out of the asylum, and contend with Batman again.... And the storyline that gives it meat, will have to be as well acted as Dark Knight and this Joker film.... And they probably will have to develop a new angle when it comes to why Batman exist, and why Joker is so obsessed with destroying Batman But visually it was perfect, and the nostalgia of the 80's is drummed up incredibly
This makes for a good character study because alot of these issues shows in real life. People may show happiness on the outside but crying on the inside. Attention and popularity is the new currency these days and if you don't have it then you're nothing smh. Were all doing things for some sort of attention and recognition from popular people who are shitty and probably have their own problems. This IMO is 10x better than any comic book story because when the lights in the theater comes back on or when you close the comic, these issues are REAL AF. This film is a true masterpiece
This movie was about the Joker's descent into madness. It was definitely a roller-coaster of emotions. I also loved the fact that it went against the typical hero vs villain scenario. The fact that Joker was both the antagonist and "hero" was excellent, but I imagine most people won't understand because they went into the movie expecting something that it's not.
Tony Baker, you never disappoint. This is by far one of the best movies of the year, and one of the best origin stories to be told. Joaquin killed it in this role, and I would love to see a part 2 with him fully committed to being the Joker with 0 fucks given.
Omg me and my mom were trying to figure out the time period of the movie. I guessed 1979 and my mom guessed 1976. Good observation about the movies on the marquee.
If they do make a joker movie again with Phoenix I would like a film of when joker beat and killed Jason Todd showing the darker side of Batman and his mindset after that happened
I went to movies being skeptical. That movie completely took me by surprise. One thing I would say. The subliminal messages were, mental health is nothing to joke about, the mental care health system is fucked up and the have and have not's. It was such a surreal movie. I took it as if, this is Joker if he was a real person. I'm not gonna lie, when he killed the three douchebags on the subway....damn right I rooted for him which, left me questioning my own state of mind. LOL!! The only that annoyed me was the artsy-fartsy dances but, he's off his rocker so, it made sense.
BTAS/Mark Hamill’s Joker, and Batman: the Dark Knight Returns Pt 2 the animated movie. It felt like Todd drew some inspiration from the movie as well. I had faith in Phoenix based on his past work... but his performance exceeded expectations. Great movie.
I thought people were more fearful about the possibility of a copycat of that movie theatre shooting during "The Dark Knight" rather than the movie content. I'm not very interested in seeing another Joker adaptation after Heath's tbh, but I liked your review about it Tony; that both can stand on their own without need for comparison. I actually expected you to compare the Joker laughs in the vid lol
People keep bringing up the the dark knight when the shooting didn't even take place during that film. The shooting took place during "Rises" . No one's worried about a Bane style revolution?
The strongest message that I think many miss, is the opportunity to be kinder to your fellow man. You just may be unaware of what someone is struggling with. It’s an understated plot point. No one was kind to him throughout the entire movie. It might just push someone over the edge because it definitely had that effect on Arthur. It’s a build up of bad events in his life, like Michael Douglass in the movie “Falling Down.”
This didn’t feel like a comic book movie, besides the references to Gotham City and of course the side plot with the Wayne’s this didn’t feel like a DC movie but I mean that in a good way. If Joaquin Phoenix doesn’t win an Oscar for his performance it’s a complete injustice, like Tony said I felt emotionally drained and also having sympathy for Arthur for a good chunk of the movie.
Joker was funny for me in these scenes: 1) I forget to punch out - hits time punch machine 2) how he says 'yes mother' when she says Tomas Wayne is on TV 3) how he says 'it's horrible' about the subway killings to the police 4) when he asks the midget if he watches Murray Franklin live 5) his british accent impersonation 6) saying he's celebrating his mothers death 7) saying he has a gun and can come back to the bank tomorrow 8) How he says 'mur-ray'
I think it's pretty cool that they showed a story of Arthur Fleck in that light. You can sympathize with what he's going through but approving of what he became is something that we have to ask ourselves personally. I also like how this movie shed light on Thomas Wayne, it's like in this movie we get to decide what we think about Thomas Wayne and not by he say she say, like in the Michael Keaton and Christian Bale movies.
6:28 THANK YOU TONY lol God damn, been saying that you can’t compare these jokers, duh. Phoenix was the joker in the making/becoming of vs. ledgers already committed/criminal mastermind Joker. Both done excellently but knight (pun) and day.
I just watched JOKER tonight and man that was a powerful movie. I agree the lines were very blurred on feeling sorry for him and him just being bad and evil. Phoenix’s range on this one really shows. I agree he definitely put in the emotional work for this one.
I didn't feel that it was the movie's take on Thomas Wayne. It was the Joker's view of him. And his memory is unreliable. Because he is insane, and off his meds too.
First but who cares was looking for this review Tony appreciate it fam.. Edit: the rating you gave made me happy for some reason its a dramatic piece that i truly enjoyed
@@1LocWonder no love everyone is always saying First on peoples videos lol so i said im first but who cares of i am my bad did you enjoy the joker movie
Im checking it out Saturday morning matinee..also Tony, whats up with Gemini Man review? Hopefully you knock that one out as well, i hear the special effects is superior. Its recommended to watch in IMAX
Joaquin's Joker is not full fledged yet. He becomes the Joker only when he "ressucites" after the accident. Ledger's and Phenix's joker cannot be compared because they are not at the same stage.
I'm not understanding why people are crying about how violent this movie is. Perhaps people are so uncomfortable because they relate to the garbage Joker took out 🤷♀️
4.5 definitely seems high to me. But I do agree, this Joker was exclusively for this movie, up against Batman he wouldn't stand a chance. But the Joker character itself was done great and the different view on the Wayne's was also great.
I think we've been looking at Batman's father through Bruce's eyes and not through The eyes of the people he had to step on to get where he's at
On the money!
Good point
FACTS!!! That's why I understood why Joker was upset at his father.
Mind blowing!
He's pretty much Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan cut funding to mental health services in the late 1970's. To cut cost, He had it set up that you had to commit yourself for treatment. Mental ill people don't know their crazy. With funding cut, the hospitals just released patients onto the streets homeless.
I don't think Heath and Joaquin's Jokers can be compared. Heath's Joker was established, Joaquin's was just starting that transition.
Joaquin is way better than heath
@@avengersassemble4972 THANK YOU. Someone finally says it. I've said this so many times. Heath was good. Joaquin is AMAZING. Heath is hyped up cuz he's dead. No disrespect. Just being honest. People always get hyped when they're dead. It's true. Look at Nip. Nobody knew him aside from myself and his true fans. He dies, and BOOM nothing but praise. Same with Heath. Joaquin is way better. And is fucking legendary. Thanks for being real bro. We need more of this.
@@Kal-El207 I'm not taking anything away from Joaquin at all! I agree 1000% he was amazing. Undoubtedly. I just don't see the the comparisons of their Jokers. Acting wise I agree with Tony, Joaquin had more time to flesh his Joker out, which led to a standout performance.
Exactly
Joaquin was incredible and I think he might have topped Heath. Although the best Joker then was Heath,we now have the perfect one. Crazy how he killed his mom after finding out the truth.
One thing I would say with Joaquin's Joker what alot of people is missing is that he didnt want to be a villian he just wanted to be notice and accepted. He loved his job. He started to realize the only he would get accepted is that he had to be a villian. I also think he wouldn't be the one that goes up against Batman because of the age difference but he would inspire the next Joker.
He really did love his job. You saw that at the children's hospital scene.
I think you're right about the age difference. one way I think it would be really dope and kind of poignant in the Robert pattinson movie, is if this joker does die of age, and while Bruce is young and growing. this joker is the one who inspired his parent's murder, he inspired ALL the rouge's gallery and the common petty thugs that batman goes against, But because he is dead and Bruce only has that memory of him behind the gate, he is like a ghost that Bruce can never catch, who hurt him in a way that can never be undone and that plays on the psyche/psychosis that drives batman's anger. kinda like far from home did with tony and peter, villain angle instead of mentor.
I agree. Like Tony Baker always says, in order to be a great villain, you have to have a human, goodwill side, too. A great villain can't just be all evil. The issue with the Joker though is that he was battling mental illness, and the city took those services and medication from him when they cut funding, which made his mental state deteriorate tremendously. So, it's really not his fault. There's several hints to that in the movie (trying not to spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet). It was definitely a dope movie!
@Chastity McGraw ❗spoiler alert❗
perfektg he did have a good side too. For example, “you were always nice to me Gary”. What made him a villain is what he did to his mother
His dancing in it was crazy. Looked like he was shedding his skin or coming out of a cocoon.
Yeeessss great way to explain it. Everytime he danced he was becoming more of himself.
Wow great way of putting it.
His dancing was the best part. Especially when he was on his way to the studio down the steps.
Him and the dude from Silence of the Lambs should have a dance off
I dance like that too 👀
This had to be the most spot-on review I’ve ever heard/seen so far. So many people are stuck on “superhero” films being cut up fight scenes, cgi scenes, things like that. But Joker doesn’t have things like that. It doesn’t need it.
Bro Heath Ledgers Joker had no CGI and was very grounded so that argument doesn't work for him or The Dark Knight to be honest🙏
@@BruceWayne-mh2qf I actually agree, but I should've stated that all Jokers don't have cgi. It's not needed so I never got how ppl get wound up over movies like Avengers.
Joaquin's Joker was pretty unpredictable and scary as well. The scene where he kills the one dude while the little person was in his apartment. I had no idea if he was gonna let the second guy go for sure. I was anxious. When he was Joker, he was Joker. And I'm glad you said you don't put one performance above the other. When you two performances that are 10/10, one doesn't need to be better.
I agree, Heather Ledger vs Jack Nicholson, up against Batman is a more fair comparison. Joaquin Phoenix is Joker if Joker existed in real life. This Joker was completely believable as a person.
Joker always told Corny Jokes . That’s why he killed people for not laughing when he told Jokes
And this movie makes that part of Joker make sense. He tells bad jokes. The movie ended and I sat there for a few minutes remembering what he went through. No wonder he became that way. They did Justice to the origin of Joker.
@@ShinkuGouki Facts!
😂 😂 😂
Joker not being funny was intentional and draws from The Killing Joke graphic novel.
At least that is what I believe since it was once of the inspirations.
Yeah, he wasn't meant to bw funny. You are right about 'The Killing Joke' pretty much the same premise or draw.
He was a comedian in THE KILLING JOKE...It didn't pull from it at all. It was a great MOVIE
@@brianapaylor9136 The entire movie isn't based on that, you are right. Him being a comedian and not being funny. Those are parallels we are speaking on.
@@brianapaylor9136 His origin in this movie takes quite a few themes from The Killing Joke.
Being a failed comedian
Loving his mother (being a family man)
And how the world pushed him into becoming who he is.
With the King of Comedy and Taxi Driver serving as three basis to flesh out those themes.
Actually the writers said this story was independent of any of the Joker canon.
This Joker was just starting out, Heath's Joker had been in the game a while, and watched Bruce grow up
Aaron McLean exactly. This movie is the beginning of the joker and eventually he becomes the heath ledger joker in the batman movie.
I don't think Phoenix Joker will ever become the crime Prince. That seems to not interest him. Phoenix Joker could just be something completely different.
@@lexis4490 Tom Phillips' genius ass will find a way to make him the Clown Prince Of Crime
They just wanna call this violent because the mindset is against the elite. Smh! Definitely was a low body count movie. It scared the uppers! Lol!
for real, but also it's because the critics saying this shit can see themselves in the movie, and they're scared of it. they are the ones who would make fun of a arthur fleck, and they don't like to pay attention to mental health. so yeah, it scared the pussy upper class.
The uppers. Lol
Great comparison to Tony Collete. The mental journey and character study was intense and difficult to watch at times in Joker. Joaquin carries the whole movie. And what a heavy story to carry. He is a masterpiece
I’m going to say this. Loved the movie! I was scared of Heath Ledgers Joker. But I was left completely terrified of Jaoquin Phoenix’s Joker.
Luis Wiley I still think if you don't fuck with Phoenix Joker, you will be fine. Not with Ledger Joker.
@L ex nah
@@lexis4490 Nah. PG13 Joker wouldn't do any shit to me.
This film absolutely exceeded my expectations. I knew that Joaquin Phoenix would deliver an amazing performance however I had no idea the physical transformation he underwent for this role. Parts of the film were hard to watch due to the brutality and the rawness of it; however, it is a very accurate depiction of societal behavior that we are currently seeing reflected in the news. The story itself is very dark but I think it's an excellent stand alone film and I recommend it. Further, I appreciate that the director didn't feel the need to inflate the runtime.
Best part of this movie to me is you didn't know what was real
Yes, that threw me!! Especially with the "girlfriend"
That’s definitely an element this movie took from Taxi Driver
I agree. It broke my heart once you figure out the parts that weren’t real and even the parts that were real. Great film
@@NuancedSkeptic even the ending left you thinking is this real. Really appreciated the effort they put into it!
Definitely
The gun scene in the living room was an homage to Taxi Driver I felt. So DeNiro’s presence and character in the movie was perfect!!
Definitely, I loved that scene but so glad he killed him in the end because he knew he was taking the piss out of him.
I agree with Tony on the violence. There are other movies that came out this year that are more violent. I like the violent acts Joker commits in comics and movies because the level of intellect behind them. Is it wrong that I like watching the Joker do Joker shit? Hahaha
my opinion on the violence now while there have been many more violent films i think its the execution of the violence and how real it looks and feels that makes it have lasting impact over something like john wick 3
Tony watching your reviews has really caused me to evaluate movies more whenever I watch them. It’s helped me to break it down from each characters point of view and it has made me appreciate movies even more than I do now. So thank you for these!!
I think everyone is missing the point that this was a movie on mental health issues once I realised this I in joyed the movie even more.
raeir & tanya exactly. Made me really appreciate the movie.
Same here! Totally understood why the town revolted and supported Joker. Because they could relate to being treated differently than others "above" them. Great movie!
The fact that the Jokers laughter was a condition and not apart of his psychosis was brilliant. As far as the origins go.. there is no origins of the Joker in the comics. He just walked into Gotham one day. No childhood, no parents, no reasoning behind the madness. Which is why you can come up with anything you want to fit the jokers narrative. Lastly there are many jokers!! think of an entity embodying a human form.. the first Joker was Jack Napier played by Jack Nicholas. The second was Jason Todd played by Leto in Suicide Squad. Heath Ledger Joker was actually a collective of Jack Napier and a Animation adaptation from the cartoon "Batman the animated series". All in all you cannot compare any joker to another because they were all different men embodied by the same entity! at different points in time. That's why you'll always get a somewhat different kind. I call the the joker an entity because there's nothing humane about him in any genre.. he feels nothing, he believes in nothing. Great Film for the Greatest villain ever!
Tony, your reasons as to why we can’t compare Ledger and Phoenix were on point! I never thought about their respective screen times and the presence of Batman as an actual factor. That’s some good thinking!
Bro, when he stands up on the car at the end, and puts that smile on his face....now that's the JOKER!! Absolutely brilliant! This is easy the best movie of the year, and one of my favorite films PERIOD!! Dope review bro. 💯
The movie "Joker" helped me out alot. I've been battling some mental health issues for the past few months and all this time ive felt like my life was a drama.....but now I know my life is a BET movie starring Steven Seagal 😂🤷🏾♂️
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I think they made a movie about your life called "Half Past Dead" I'll be Your Ja Rule 😂
@@datl3afn1nja9 lmmfao!! We're film ready now 🤣🤣
That zazie beetz reveal, blew my mind.
There were a few other situations like that too. Everything he lived through didn't necessarily happen the way he saw them.
I saw it coming right away. No way would she be into him
@@deathbymazda i didn't think it was real but when it was revealed i was heart broken for Arthur
@@deathbymazda Yeah it just didn't make any sense. The whole time I'm like "why is she here?" I rolled with it bit once it was revealed I was not shocked at all
I agree about the Oscar nomination!!! I said out loud “He’s acting Hollywood begins off”!!!
My man shot three people and then started doing Tai-Chi in the bathroom 😂😂😂
Been waiting for THIS review!! Tony’s the best reviewer on UA-cam and that’s FACTSSSS!!!
Well Chris stuckmann is good too sorry
I wonder what you inhale
I remember watching the Batman the Animated Series growing up, the joker was never funny. Well not to me as a kid but looking back on it he made corny/dad jokes. I just watched the movie and loved it. Came to see your review.
Yo Tony Baker big fan of your content! Would you consider doing some Tony Baker Movie Reviews for classic Spike Lee or John Singleton
Or you can say that Joaquin needed to carry the entire movie by himself. The amount of time that you have to express yourself is the same amount of time that you have to screw up. It can be both ways. But anyway. In this age of competition, people always want to superimpose things. To me.-Joaquin has depicted what I consider the quintessential Joker (one scene made me finally realize that). Heath Ledger on the other hand is already established Joker and has all the components of the Joker character, but it doesn't have that "theatre" vibe to him. (He is less of a clown-which is also perfect in the context of the movie).
Heath Ledgers Joker performance was flawless for the particular setting of the Dark Knight and it could never be replaced. Not even a comic book Joker could fit the Dark Knight movie. In the Dark Knight, Joker is political figure-The symbol of Anarchy (which is perfectly fitting in the context of the movie). What makes Joaquin Joker more "Joker" to me (in isolated sense) is that when he finally becomes the Joker, his motives and actions are complete mystery. He has no political statement or a specific goals. He acts irrationally and impulsively and goes with the flow of the mess that he had instigated. He has no political opinion except that he is apolitical. Heath Ledgers Joker has more established political and sociological attitudes. He is more descriptive towards his own mental state and his own viewes.
You can even argue that Joaquin had much more challenging work in terms of expressing himself. While Heath Ledgers Joker had a script with a lot of exposition and explanation (which is fine). Joaquin basically had to "passively" convince the viewers that he is the Joker character-and in my opinion he did a great job(so at the same time, he was given more and less to work with).
We can't make a parallel comparisons. Characters in movies work in context of the movies. One thing is certain-Without Heath Ledger's Joker, we probably wouldn't have this one. (Thank you in advance for ignoring my spelling errors).
Well said
*PHEONIX BETTER GET AN OSCAR!* 🗣🗣🗣
Two different time periods of The Joker. Heath's Joker is him embracing his psychosis, while Quino's Joker is his journey and breakdown of his mental state towards becoming The Joker..... Absolutely no comparison.
But I will say this... Both renditions nailed mental illness superbly. But I think the character, The Joker is always going to be a fascinating character. Simply based on the fact that he is the epitome of insane and the way he accepts it - he totally embraces it. Makes any reader/viewer intrigued to say the least. Well done Quino! 👏👏 I truly hope that Oscar is for U.
#AnotherOne4BillFinger!
I’ve been WAITING for this!!!
Damn that's a lot of saxophone, I'm going tonight
I love this movie. Want to watch it again.
Him not being funny was part of cannon.
Yeah, i though everyone would know that. Joker is not meant to be funny, he never was it's part of his character/nature
Joke blew my mind !! definitely oscar node for Male actor. Tony your review just maked me want to go and see it again !!
I agree with the violence comparisons.
11:40 You didn't feel nervous about this Joker? Shoot I kept waiting on him to crack. Each scene I was on edge like, okay he about to go crazy right? Now they sorta let me down in that area but I was still on edge.
The part that got me is when the midget asked for his help with the lock. I was like “oh shit he did that on purpose so he can bash his head in!”. Even though it didn’t happen, it speaks to how good of a job they did
Everytime someone did him wrong I expected him to snap and kill them
Joaquin did a great job as joker. But mannnn, Heath Ledger set the bar so high when he became that character. I didn’t see Heath acting I watched him become Joker.
Agreed but I think part of Heath's greatness is inflated since he is no longer here. You can truely feel the pain in this Joker
icymoe1024 they’re too different kinds of joker...this joker has pain because it’s the beginning of his transition
True
Well, Heath should be better Joker. He actually fully played Joker. Joaquin played Arthur a majority of the film and naturally transitioned into Joker. Hard for me to compare the two portrayls, when one wasn't even fully Joker throughout the whole movie.
Question for all:
Do you think Arthur killed Sophie (his imaginary love interest)?
I don’t think so, but some of my friends do.
Rashonda Ross I do he’s crying and u hear sirens and shouting down the hall
He killed her and his daughter. The reason why is because she was living rent free in his head and he needed to clear that.
« Ok, bless your little heart 😬» 😂😂😂
The JOKER had an ACE up his sleeve?!
#unitentionalgems
👏👏👏👏
His jokes aren't supposed to make you laugh. They definitely made it a point to make his humor nonsensical. He doesn't have a grip on actuality. That has a lot to do with everything he does.
Jaqueim phoenix remind me of Daniel day Lewis great performance Oscar worthy
I appreciate your movie breakdowns Tony! Awesome reviews.
Say bruh, you hit all the notes with this review. I loved this film! The realism, the effort, the emotional toll, the successful “elseworld-type” take on the character, man everything. Doesn’t need a sequel or any other big references to any other movie or character. This was a damn art piece lol This is the type of Joker I’d expect to see in real life. Felt like the whole film perfectly displayed the type of life and downward spiral of a character like the Joker. And it doesn’t make sense to compare this Joker to any other Joker. This ain’t that type of film. Heath had it in terms of an action superhero film as Batman’s foil. A stand-alone Joker film had to be this. And lowkey, he shouldn’t have been funny. That adds a level of charisma that a realistic version of this character shouldn’t have imo. Love your stuff bro ✊🏾
Agree with you 👍🏾
in regards to people trying to compare the ledger joker and phoenix joker...one thing must be acknowledged..its quite impressive phoenix was able to make an amazing joker in the the little time he got to be him ...this is a joker on his first day of being joker against a "already been crazy for years joker " played by ledger...
Tony, I love your movie reviews. I'm a big movie buff myself. I feel like we can be in the theater together taking notes & giving our Siskel & Ebert reviews. Joaquim was phenomenal & I agree with not comparing Ledger & Phoenix. Even Nicholson can't compare with these 2 because he based his Joker more with the comic version. Anyway, great review!!
Joaquin Phoenix Joker was amazing!! Heath Ledger Joker was amazing! There can be no comparisons, period! The times were different in both films! The Joker touched more on the mental stability of one’s character and how he became or embodied this person we know as the future Joker in previous films. I honestly loved this movie and the breakthrough scene when he ran after the train scene where he locked himself in the bathroom and DANCED..... that moment right there.... Perfection😌
Joker was BUSSIN on the train... he had about 25 bullets in that 6 shooter
He shot the first guy in the head once, dead. Second guy got two bullets. Dead. Third guy got one in this foot on the train, then three more bullets out of the train. So 7 bullets was fired.
TheMongolat My 357 has an 8 round chamber. Ruger Redhawk. So it depends on what gun he had
@@deathbymazda He fired 7 shots and went empty.
TheMongolat Yeah? I can put 7 rounds into my 8 round chamber and leave one empty.
@@deathbymazda Never said that you can't. Just stating the facts. He fires 7 shots then it goes *click* *click* empty. And according to the other guy he fires 25 bullets with a six shooter.
This Thomas Wayne was more leaning toward the Flashpoint Thomas Wayne in my opinion.
Am glad u committed to the channel.. Respek from Nairobi
They hit on all of the necessary points that explain what we've all watched for the better part of 40 years.... There was a turning point, in the existence of Gotham, the spark that motivated and developed Batman, and the life of the most prominent villain in the world of Batman.... I like how they( in this film) developed what many believe is the best Joker which is Heath Ledger, and it was great that they did not cut any corners.... And the closing scene, where he's running around the asylum, is fantastic, and brings it all home when it comes to accepting what we've known as the Joker for years.... My only concern is the next Batman movie being able to live up to the acting standards.... at some point, Joker has to come out of the asylum, and contend with Batman again.... And the storyline that gives it meat, will have to be as well acted as Dark Knight and this Joker film.... And they probably will have to develop a new angle when it comes to why Batman exist, and why Joker is so obsessed with destroying Batman
But visually it was perfect, and the nostalgia of the 80's is drummed up incredibly
The only review I care about. Been waiting for this ✊🏽
This makes for a good character study because alot of these issues shows in real life. People may show happiness on the outside but crying on the inside. Attention and popularity is the new currency these days and if you don't have it then you're nothing smh. Were all doing things for some sort of attention and recognition from popular people who are shitty and probably have their own problems. This IMO is 10x better than any comic book story because when the lights in the theater comes back on or when you close the comic, these issues are REAL AF. This film is a true masterpiece
This movie was about the Joker's descent into madness. It was definitely a roller-coaster of emotions. I also loved the fact that it went against the typical hero vs villain scenario. The fact that Joker was both the antagonist and "hero" was excellent, but I imagine most people won't understand because they went into the movie expecting something that it's not.
I feel like it was ascension. He went from a weak man to a stronger version of himself. The madness was always there, he just stop taking his pills.
I was definitely nervous watching this whole movie. Nervous for him nd then the ppl
Great review and I enjoyed it and I'm going to watch it and have a blessed day
Tony Baker, you never disappoint. This is by far one of the best movies of the year, and one of the best origin stories to be told. Joaquin killed it in this role, and I would love to see a part 2 with him fully committed to being the Joker with 0 fucks given.
Lol. My mom stopped watching John Wick 3. Said it's just too much killing, lol. I was like really..... it's JOHN WICK
Tf she expect?? Lol
Omg me and my mom were trying to figure out the time period of the movie. I guessed 1979 and my mom guessed 1976. Good observation about the movies on the marquee.
I thought late 70s new york but early 80s probably still had that 70s vibe to it.
Bout God damn time Tony. Lol. I needed my fix.
If they do make a joker movie again with Phoenix I would like a film of when joker beat and killed Jason Todd showing the darker side of Batman and his mindset after that happened
I went to movies being skeptical. That movie completely took me by surprise. One thing I would say. The subliminal messages were, mental health is nothing to joke about, the mental care health system is fucked up and the have and have not's. It was such a surreal movie. I took it as if, this is Joker if he was a real person. I'm not gonna lie, when he killed the three douchebags on the subway....damn right I rooted for him which, left me questioning my own state of mind. LOL!! The only that annoyed me was the artsy-fartsy dances but, he's off his rocker so, it made sense.
The movie is bar none! The best DC has put out since Watchmen, and Dark night
And the jokes he made in the movie were supposed to be flat Tony! It was part of the whole mental health scenario. Reconsider the 5 Saxs.
Your movie reviews emerge from a place of TOTAL VISION AND ANALYTICAL GENIUS.
That's all.
BTAS/Mark Hamill’s Joker, and Batman: the Dark Knight Returns Pt 2 the animated movie. It felt like Todd drew some inspiration from the movie as well. I had faith in Phoenix based on his past work... but his performance exceeded expectations. Great movie.
Yeah man keep doing your thing you hit the nail on the head do you explain that so well
Joaquin joker is pre Dark Knight joker. They can’t be related.
I thought people were more fearful about the possibility of a copycat of that movie theatre shooting during "The Dark Knight" rather than the movie content. I'm not very interested in seeing another Joker adaptation after Heath's tbh, but I liked your review about it Tony; that both can stand on their own without need for comparison. I actually expected you to compare the Joker laughs in the vid lol
People keep bringing up the the dark knight when the shooting didn't even take place during that film. The shooting took place during "Rises" . No one's worried about a Bane style revolution?
The strongest message that I think many miss, is the opportunity to be kinder to your fellow man. You just may be unaware of what someone is struggling with. It’s an understated plot point. No one was kind to him throughout the entire movie. It might just push someone over the edge because it definitely had that effect on Arthur. It’s a build up of bad events in his life, like Michael Douglass in the movie “Falling Down.”
This didn’t feel like a comic book movie, besides the references to Gotham City and of course the side plot with the Wayne’s this didn’t feel like a DC movie but I mean that in a good way. If Joaquin Phoenix doesn’t win an Oscar for his performance it’s a complete injustice, like Tony said I felt emotionally drained and also having sympathy for Arthur for a good chunk of the movie.
Tony got that Joker Joaquin Phoenix laugh on point!
Your comparison of Phoenix vs Ledger’s joker was spot on. Can’t be compared.
Joker was funny for me in these scenes:
1) I forget to punch out - hits time punch machine
2) how he says 'yes mother' when she says Tomas Wayne is on TV
3) how he says 'it's horrible' about the subway killings to the police
4) when he asks the midget if he watches Murray Franklin live
5) his british accent impersonation
6) saying he's celebrating his mothers death
7) saying he has a gun and can come back to the bank tomorrow
8) How he says 'mur-ray'
Ayeee first, praise god man love your videos
You know this was a 5 start Tony ! I LOVED this movie, as a actor myself I was GLUED. Phenomenal Performance
You got how me and my husband felt right like this was on point
Tony!!! You should do a top 10, 5 saxophone Movies list!
Joaquin deserves an Oscar.
I think it's pretty cool that they showed a story of Arthur Fleck in that light. You can sympathize with what he's going through but approving of what he became is something that we have to ask ourselves personally. I also like how this movie shed light on Thomas Wayne, it's like in this movie we get to decide what we think about Thomas Wayne and not by he say she say, like in the Michael Keaton and Christian Bale movies.
6:28 THANK YOU TONY lol God damn, been saying that you can’t compare these jokers, duh. Phoenix was the joker in the making/becoming of vs. ledgers already committed/criminal mastermind Joker. Both done excellently but knight (pun) and day.
I liked your comparison of Phoenix to Toni Collette in Hereditary. That’s really true! Felt anxious and emotionally tired for both of them.
Tony, your movie reviews are so sharp. I don't think anybody can rival your critiquing at this point and I have seen a lot of critics lol.🐊🔥🔥🔥
I just watched JOKER tonight and man that was a powerful movie. I agree the lines were very blurred on feeling sorry for him and him just being bad and evil. Phoenix’s range on this one really shows. I agree he definitely put in the emotional work for this one.
I didn't feel that it was the movie's take on Thomas Wayne. It was the Joker's view of him. And his memory is unreliable. Because he is insane, and off his meds too.
First but who cares was looking for this review Tony appreciate it fam..
Edit: the rating you gave made me happy for some reason its a dramatic piece that i truly enjoyed
J- L33 LeeWay You asking “Who else”???
@@1LocWonder no love everyone is always saying First on peoples videos lol so i said im first but who cares of i am my bad did you enjoy the joker movie
Lol,ohhhh...I always celebrate the first commenter...they get so much hate...
They filmed a lot of scenes in this movie in my neighborhood in the Bronx, NY. The famous scene on the steps was filmed in my neighborhood.
Im checking it out Saturday morning matinee..also Tony, whats up with Gemini Man review? Hopefully you knock that one out as well, i hear the special effects is superior. Its recommended to watch in IMAX
Joaquin's Joker is not full fledged yet. He becomes the Joker only when he "ressucites" after the accident. Ledger's and Phenix's joker cannot be compared because they are not at the same stage.
I wonder if Tony has seen the Cube trilogy and if so what did he think of them?
Thanks Tony. I really enjoyed this review and now I look forward to seeing the Joker movie
I'm not understanding why people are crying about how violent this movie is. Perhaps people are so uncomfortable because they relate to the garbage Joker took out 🤷♀️
End game is more violent then Joker
@@toughfff712 John Wick 3, Midsommar, Rambo...not a whine about those, either.
@@TheValarieKay nope, not a whisper
I CANNOT WAIT for you to review Joker 2🫠🫠😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Great comparison and breakdown Tony. This sounds sorta like a Joker Biopic...nice!!
Good score. I give it 8.5 / 10. Not a perfect film, but incredible none the less. Definitely in my top 5 joker
Tony can you review Netflix movies.... I wuld love to hear your review on BIG Netflix movies out.
How old was joker supposed to be in the JOKER movie?? He looked mid 30s
fastblackkid The whole movie was from his perspective, so it probably doesn't even matter.
4.5 definitely seems high to me. But I do agree, this Joker was exclusively for this movie, up against Batman he wouldn't stand a chance. But the Joker character itself was done great and the different view on the Wayne's was also great.