Featured Image Credit: Warner Bros
Topics: Lady Gaga, Reddit, TV And Film
Rhianna Benson
Yesterday, Tyla reported on the unexpectedly excruciating reviews that the follow-up Joker movie has garnered since landing in cinemas last week.
And now, a batch of eagle-eyed fans have conjured up a pretty mind-blowing theory as to why the blockbuster seemingly bombed, alleging that many disgruntled viewers must have 'missed the point'.
Officially titled Joker: Folie à Deux, fans of the original Joaquin Phoenix hit - which saw him receive an Oscar for Best Actor - couldn't wait for a spin-off sequel to hit the silver screen.
The new flick boasts a pretty seamless continuation of the events of the first film, which saw Phoenix's rendition of the much-loved Batman villain 'Joker' murder a handful of Gotham's citizens people, including talk show host Murray Franklin, played by Robert DeNiro, who he shoots live on air.
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Amid his ongoing mental health battle, the supervillain - who daylights as failed comedian Arthur Fleck - is sent to Arkham State Hospital.
It is only when incarcerated, however, that he first comes face-to-face with Lady Gaga's rendition of Harleen 'Lee' Quinzel - who (spoiler!) turns out to be his equally-insane sidekick Harley Quinn - and falls head over heels for her.
If you haven't yet sat through the 2hr 18m-long movie, however, don't worry - we won't give too much away.
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What we can tell you, though, is that Joker 2 has been deemed a blockbuster flop, with several viewers claiming they even walked out of the cinema early, seemingly unhappy with the musical
Apparently, however, some die-hard fans of the anti-hero franchise have some pretty strong views about how many audience members have completely missed the mark.
Taking to discussion forum Reddit, one DC Comics fanatic explained: "I think a lot of people predictably missed the point as to why it was a musical and what was happening, or even what the Joker films are supposed to be.
"I tried to explain this 5 years ago when the first movie came out: This Joker is not real. This film is a 'joke'."
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He went on: "I honestly think the sequel was Todd and Co.'s attempt to drive the message home even further: This isn't the real joker or a real DC movie.
"It's a fantasy about society and mental illness/mental health that uses the Joker pop culture symbol as a framework."
He added: "If anything this film is supposed to be an 'anti-Joker'/'anti-DC'/anti-superhero-movie film ('anti-' meaning 'opposite'/'deconstructed'). The problem is that MOST of the people coming into the movie don't realize this and it's kind of ironic and funny."
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And by the sounds of things, a lot of other dedicated fans are in agreement.
Another commented below: "I completely agree and I also think the movie is making a point about how pointless a sequel to Joker is.
"That a lot of the professional critics feel that the movie is meandering and has no point but don't seem to get that it was done intentionally cements this in my mind as both brilliant film making and hilarious irony exposing the critics as shallow."
A third continued: "I agree. I loved both of these films, and I got what they were trying to do with the first one. Apparently a lot of people didn't.
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"I don't know how anyone thought this guy would turn into a crimelord or comic Joker, or confront any Batman. It's baffling to see this considered the worst comic film ever.
"But it's also funny to see some of these people realizing they were the joke and they were invalidated just like Harley and the guy at the end were."
Well, there you have it...