«Boring and slow»: the movie «Joker 2» has received a mixed reaction from critics — 54/100 on Metacritic

But Joaquin Phoenix’s performance in «Joker: Madness for Two» remains «powerful and moving».

Director Todd Phillips presented the sequel to his Oscar-winning «Joker» at the 2024 Venice Film Festival. The movie «Joker: Folie À Deux» will be released in October, but it has already received mixed reviews from critics. At the time of writing, the movie has received 60% approve reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and 54 points out of 100 on Metacritic.

The film stars Joaquin Phoenix, who reprised his role as Arthur Fleck/Joker, and Lady Gaga, who portrayed Harley Quinn. Brendan Gleeson and Catherine Keener also joined the cast, and Zazie Beetz reprised her role from the first film.

David Rooney, chief film critic The Hollywood Reportercalled the movie «uneven». He praised Lady Gaga’s performance, but noted that the sequel lacks a solid storyline. In Rooney’s opinion, the first «Joker» had a more solid structure based on elements of Martin Scorsese’s films.

Jo-Ann Titmarsh of the London-based Evening Standard agreed with this assessment. She noted that the film lacks the «sense of madness that takes control». The critic also added that despite the interesting main character, the film was boring and slow.

Allison Willmore from Vulture believes that Arthur Fleck, played by Phoenix «, is simply not that interesting, despite the best efforts of the» actor. She also noted that the character becomes a «punching bag for the» director, who subjects him to numerous humiliations.

Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian noted that Lady Gaga was underutilized in the film, despite the hype surrounding her participation. He pointed out that the plot does not provide enough opportunities for her character to develop.

However, some critics praised Phillips’ new approach to the story of the Joker and his girlfriend. Matthew Turner of NME called the film «socially responsible», which interestingly explores the consequences of the events of the first part.

Jeffrey McNabb from The Independent noted that the director «clearly had fun» creating a kind of «tour through the centuries of Hollywood» with musical numbers and references to movie classics. He also praised Phoenix’s performance, which remains «powerful and moving».

John Nugent of Empire believes that the musical moments helped to reveal the story. He noted that Phoenix and Gaga’s unconventional performances of the songs conveyed what the dialogues lacked. The critic also noted that, unlike the gloomy tone of the first film, the sequel has a touch of hope.