Connect with us

DC Takes A Deep Dive Into The Dark World Of The Joker

Published

5 years ago

on

The Joker: This is another of DC’s attempts at delving into the darkest elements of the human condition…And this time they succeed.

After having watched a number of their animated programs, which seem to only focus on characters being able to swear and such, this character we see his mental breakdown. It is the story of how the world around him chips away at his mental fortitude until it finally collapses.  During the course of the story, you forget that you’re in Gotham City. The name of the city is rarely mentioned. The only references to Gotham is Arkham asylum.

This film is set in a  realistic interpretation of what it would have been like in the 70s in Gotham City. We are introduced to Arthur Fleck (portrayed masterfully by Joaquin Phoenix); a dutiful, and caring son who lives with and cares for his mother. Arthur works for a company that sends clowns out to stand in front of shops and provide entertainment at parties.  Arthur’s life is one of great humiliation and delusions of grandeur.

He has wild fantasies about being a stand-up comedian and of meeting one of his heroes, the great Murray Franklin (played by Robert de Niro) a talk show host. He imagines himself in the studio audience being hand-picked by Murray to come to the front of the stage. He is welcomed warmly and the audience loves him. He comes off as a very gentle, mild-mannered, sweetheart of a guy. This situation is merely a fantasy. Arthur, unfortunately, gets walked over, pushed around, and violently attacked several times.From these emotional and traumatic events that cause him to break from his reality.

There are a couple of very well placed  intense twists to the story which push further into the dark realm. We’re exposed to the fact that he does suffer from some mental illness which he does go to counseling for, as well as receive medication for.

I think one of the things I appreciated most about this film is that there isn’t any comic book like elements to this film. The whole film is set in a very realistic type environment and how this all might happen.

Joaquin Phoenix plays this character especially creepy due to the fact that there isn’t a chemical influence, nor is there widespread insanity. There is actually some mental issues that he suffers from, but the thing is he only becomes exacerbated after a series of brutal events in his life. I know I’ve said this before but I found it especially interesting that you get to watch him slowly descend into that realm of insanity; you get to see each protective layer get taken from him.

I think the film has the potential to usher DC into a different sort of medium.If they decide to go forward with this sort of filmmaking, I believe it will be extremely difficult to bring Batman into this kind of realm. I say this because this was set in such a realistic environment and Batman, by his very nature, is more of an over-the-top response to crime being unchecked and uncontrolled. It will be interesting to see if this can even be a possibility.

This film is nothing like we’ve ever seen from DC before. I would dare say that I would like to watch it again just so I can delve further into some of the nuances that I may have missed first time out.

I would highly recommend this film for most, but definitely leave the children at home!!! This, in many ways  a “hard R” because, well there are many films that portray violence and darkness as this one does. The film comes from a very dark psychological place and I don’t think it would be appropriate to expose children to this kind of onslaught.
Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Events

Paramount+ Reveals Official Main Title Sequence for the Upcoming Series TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

Published

13 hours ago

on

July 26, 2024

By

During the TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES panel earlier today at San Diego Comic Con, Paramount+ revealed the official main title sequence for the series. The sequence is composed by EMMY® nominee, Matt Mahaffey, known for his work on Sanjay and Craig, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie and much more. 

From the studios of the Mutant Mayhem film, the all-new Paramount+ original series TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES explores the adventures of everyone’s favorite pizza-loving heroes as they emerge from the sewers onto the streets of NYC. Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey are faced with new threats and team up with old allies to survive both teenage life and villains lurking in the shadows of the Big Apple. The series is produced by Nickelodeon Animation and Point Grey Pictures.

TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES is executive produced by Chris Yost (The Mandalorian, Thor: Ragnarok) and Alan Wan (Blue Eye Samurai, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [2012 Series]). Production is overseen for Nickelodeon by Claudia Spinelli, Senior Vice President, TV Series Animation, Nickelodeon, and Nikki Price, Director of Development and Executive in Charge of Production.

In addition to the upcoming new series, stream all things Turtles on Paramount+.

Continue Reading

Events

Comic-Con 2024: Those About to Die Activation

Published

15 hours ago

on

July 26, 2024

By

Continue Reading

Events

DISNEY+ CASTS DANIEL DIEMER AS FAN-FAVORITE ‘TYSON’IN SEASON TWO OF “PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS”

Published

16 hours ago

on

July 26, 2024

By

 in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con, Rick Riordan and Disney+ revealed that Daniel Diemer (“Under the Bridge”) will star as fan-favorite cyclops “Tyson” in the epic adventure series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” Diemer joins Walker Scobell (Percy Jackson), Leah Sava Jeffries (Annabeth Chase) and Aryan Simhadri (Grover Underwood) as a series regular. The Disney+ Original series from Disney Branded Television and 20th Television will start filming its second season next week in Vancouver.

Season two of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is based on the second installment of Disney Hyperion’s best-selling book series titled “The Sea of Monsters” by award-winning author Rick Riordan. In the new season, Percy Jackson returns to Camp Half-Blood one year later to find his world turned upside down. His friendship with Annabeth is changing, he learns he has a cyclops for a brother, Grover has gone missing, and camp is under siege from the forces of Kronos. Percy’s journey to set things right will take him off the map and into the deadly Sea of Monsters, where a secret fate awaits the son of Poseidon.

Diemer stars as Tyson – a young Cyclops who grew up all alone on the streets, and finds it difficult to survive in the human world.  Shy and awkward, with a heart almost as big as he is, Tyson soon discovers that Poseidon is his father, which means Percy Jackson is his half-brother… and that Tyson may have finally found a home. 

Diemer recently starred in the Hulu limited series “Under the Bridge” based off the critically acclaimed book of the same name and a tragic true story of a missing teen girl in Vancouver in 1997. He will next star in the indie “Thug” opposite Liam Neeson and Ron Perlman for director Hans Petter Moland. Daniel was recently seen as the lead in the indie “Supercell” opposite Alec Baldwin and Skeet Ulrich and the lead in the film “Little Brother” opposite Phil Ettinger and JK Simmons. Daniel can also be seen in the Netflix series “The Midnight Club” and recently starred as the male lead in the breakout hit Netflix feature “The Half Of It” from producer Anthony Bregman and director Alice Wu. He is a graduate of Victoria Academy of Dramatic Arts in Vancouver.

Created by Rick Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg, season two of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is executive produced by Steinberg and Dan Shotz alongside Rick Riordan, Rebecca Riordan, Craig Silverstein, The Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Bert Salke, The Gotham Group’s Jeremy Bell and D.J. Goldberg, James Bobin, Jim Rowe, Albert Kim, Jason Ensler and Sarah Watson.

The first season of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is available on Disney+

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2012 - 2024 That's My Entertainment