The biggest fear that I had – that, I think, everyone probably had – when a solo Joker was announced was that one of Batman’s most mysterious villains would be ruined by a backstory. It’s happened before – the remakes of both Willy Wonka and The Grinch attempted to give their lead characters a sympathetic backstory, and all it did was take the mysticism out of them. To do that to the Joker would be a huge disservice, because part of what makes him such an amazing villain is not knowing his motivations, his desires, or anything concrete. So, with all that said, did this version of the Joker, not tied to any current DC films, do justice to one of the most well-known villains in pop culture? A lot of it depends on how the audience member takes the story – do you believe what Arthur Fleck is telling you and showing you? Do you agree with the portrayal of mental illness? And can you sit through two hours of what turns out to be a very emotionally draining and difficult film? While the Joker may be a comic book character, this movie is anything but your regular comic book movie.
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