Joker

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33anda3rd
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Joker

Post by 33anda3rd »

I kinda feel like The Joker as Travis Bickle is going to be rad.



Are the Batman movies the best superhero movies? I'd take the first two Burtons and the first two Nolans up against those Made For The Oscars movies any time. To me they are great movies, whereas Guardians of the Galaxy or Iron Man are more like yeah it's good for a cartoony popcorn movie.

I think a big part of it is that Batman and most of his villains, especially The Joker, are not aliens with superpowers, but humans. They're more empathetic, relatable and aspirational than, say, Thor or Superman. Also much darker because they're all driven by some kind of relatable trauma.

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Fat_Bulldog
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Re: Joker

Post by Fat_Bulldog »

Good points.

Batman is the only comic or superhero series that I've ever followed.

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33anda3rd
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Re: Joker

Post by 33anda3rd »

I know this guy who is a mega nerd. His hobbies include comic books, movies based on comic books, video games, movies based on video games, video games based on movies based on comic books, horror movies, horror movies that are remakes of older horror movies, sequels to horror movies that are remakes of old horror movies, expressing very strong opinions on Facebook about all the above, and writing plays about people whose lives revolve around all the above. When he worked for me years ago we had to send him home once because he lost his mind over an argument about a Star War and now he's in therapy and takes meds and is better but still.

Anyway.

He went on a long Facebook rant last week about Batman and the new Joker and how he doesn't get why people like Batman so much. A bunch of his friends jumped in that yeah F all the squares who love Batman, Batman's not the real stuff. I was like, huh, I didn't know Batman was anathema to mega nerds.

Is that a thing?

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stlouie_lipp
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Re: Joker

Post by stlouie_lipp »

Apparently the early reviews are that this movie is outstanding. I've read comic book nerds (I use that term endearingly) might not like it so much as it doesn't really tie into the Batman universe in a way that, for example, a Suicide Squad Joker backstory would. It is supposed to be more of a stand alone movie which is one of the reasons that Joaquin Phoenix agreed to do it.

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Swirls
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Re: Joker

Post by Swirls »

The big difference in DC and Marvel as a whole is that the DC universe is much darker and grittier than Marvel's. Yeah, both have dudes from other planets and galaxies and time travelers and space police forces, etc. There's not a lot of originality because damn near all of the superheroes from both universes have essentially the same powers. A few examples...

Green Arrow = Hawkeye
Flash = Quicksilver
Superman = Captain Marvel

Some of the villains are more unique between the universes, but overall there are a ton of parallels.

The biggest difference though is that one setting is kinda dark and gritty and sad whereas the other is bright and colorful and somewhat comedic.
Last edited by Swirls on September 10 19, 8:47 am, edited 1 time in total.

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pioneer98
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Re: Joker

Post by pioneer98 »

I probably won't see this until it's streaming somewhere. But there's a guy I know who is pretty smart about these things, and he is comparing this movie to the old Michael Douglas film "Falling Down". The gist of it is both films follow the character down a monstrous downward spiral, but some people think the message of the film is that we should empathize with the main character....and I don't think that is the point of either movie! (Certainly not Falling Down, but as I said, I probably won't see this one for a while)

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Re: Joker

Post by Michael »

pioneer98 wrote:I probably won't see this until it's streaming somewhere. But there's a guy I know who is pretty smart about these things, and he is comparing this movie to the old Michael Douglas film "Falling Down". The gist of it is both films follow the character down a monstrous downward spiral, but some people think the message of the film is that we should empathize with the main character....and I don't think that is the point of either movie! (Certainly not Falling Down, but as I said, I probably won't see this one for a while)
I've heard similar things. It's the same folks who think Rick in Rick & Morty is a hero. I also read there are concerns the story will appeal to incels due to a failed relationship in the movie. They're hopeless.

AWvsCBsteeeerike3
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Re: Joker

Post by AWvsCBsteeeerike3 »

It's been probably 20 years since watching Falling Down but I remember thinking...wtf is this guys problem moreso than thinking, huh...i can totally empathize with this nutjob who accosted countless people, shot and killed a few more, stabbed some people, etc. Sure it's a downward spiral but...from a lost job, divorce (where the lady already had a restraining order due to his instability) and AC not working? That's like half the world. And, the fact his ex already had to take out a restraining order it wasn't some organic downward spiral where he started off relate-able.

If the Joker, and I probably won't see it until it's available online somewhere either, is going to try to follow the same direction Falling Down went by trying to justify or illustrate the though processes he went through at the time, I truly hope it does a better job of making it logical and not just some vein attempt to make a truly awful character seem like a victim of every day life. If they did, that would seem like a mistake.

The joker has been one of the best villains in some time. Don't [expletive] him up.

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Fat_Bulldog
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Re: Joker

Post by Fat_Bulldog »

I really like the term "mega nerd"

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33anda3rd
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Re: Joker

Post by 33anda3rd »

I'm curious: why wait til this streams to see it when a big part of the appeal is the grandeur of the visuals and, I would assume, the sound design? Just not into the genre, or this movie in particular, or other?

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