Though an argument can definitely be made that some people are going a bit overboard with their criticisms of the movie, there's no denying that Warner Bros. and director Todd Phillips have a misfire on their hands with Joker: Folie à Deux.
After being hit with a disappointing 33% Rotten Tomatoes score and the lowest CinemaScore in comic book movie history (D), the downbeat musical sequel only managed to take in around $40 million at the domestic box office (it did slightly better overseas) this past weekend.
According to The UK's Daily Mail, Lady Gaga, who plays a new take on Harley Quinn, is said to be "shocked" at the negative response following the movie's mostly positive reception at the Venice Film Festival.
"Gaga is surprised by the response to Joker 2 and is shocked that people don’t love it after the response it received from critics before it premiered. She put so much heart into the movie and has so much respect for the DC Comics fan base."
There was a lot of hype for Gaga's performance prior to the movie's release, and some had pegged her for another Academy Award nomination.
To be fair, very few people seem to have had a problem with Gaga or co-star Joaquin Phoenix's performances, and the perception appears to be that while "Lee" was a little underused/underdeveloped, Gaga did everything she could with what she had to work with.
The pop megastar turned actress is now said to be keen to put this behind her and move on to her next project, and is reportedly eyeing a role in Quentin Tarantino's next film, The Movie Critic.
From acclaimed writer/director/producer Todd Phillips comes Joker: Folie À Deux, the much-anticipated follow-up to 2019’s Academy Award-winning Joker, which earned more than $1 billion at the global box office and remains the (second) highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.
The new film stars Joaquin Phoenix once again in his Oscar-winning dual role as Arthur Fleck/Joker, opposite Oscar winner Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born). The film also stars Oscar nominees Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin) and Catherine Keener (Get Out, Capote), alongside Zazie Beetz, reprising her role from Joker.
The movie is rated R for “some strong violence, language throughout, some sexuality, and brief full nudity.”
Do you plan on seeing the Joker sequel in theaters, or have the reviews put you off? Let us know in the comments section down below.