‘Joker: Folie a Deux’ 4K Ultra HD movie review

The follow-up to director Todd Phillips’ acclaimed interpretation of Batman’s legendary archenemy had the filmmaker go deeper into his mental rabbit hole, delivering a tragic love story with mixed results.

Home theater viewers smitten with the 4K disc format can now render judgment on Joker: Folie à Deux (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, rated PG, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, 120 minutes, $30.99), which was a crushing disappointment to most critics and fans.

An opening animated scene with the Joker’s shadow singing sets the tone for the levels of musical derangement to follow in this quirky drama that finds Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) institutionalized at Arkham State Hospital awaiting trial for his homicidal crimes as Joker.

Arthur meets his soulmate in arsonist Harleen “Lee” Quinzel (Lady Gaga). In between his imprisonment and final courtroom appearances, he fantasizes about singing and dancing in Broadway musical and variety show traditions with his new sweetheart to new levels of twisted romance.

Mr. Phillips’ radical departure from anything resembling a superhero film back in 2019 led to praise and blockbuster numbers. 

One could argue he went too far here, removing any semblance of the Dark Knight’s mythology to alienate the male comic book geek, adding the musical component not fully understood or embraced by the geek and not finding enough of a focused story to explore the debilitating effects of a personality disorder and mental illness to satisfy critics.

My verdict is the film never warranted the vitriol from fans, but the director committed three misdemeanors: first, the dynamic duo of Lady Gaga and Mr. Phoenix did not spend enough time together interacting on screen, a waste of both talents; next, the film drags on about 30 minutes too long; and finally, the ending was a stunning rebuke of the DC Comics’ famed villainous icon as well as Arthur’s potential future.

Mr. Phillips had every right to take as big a risk as the studio would allow and why not swing for the musical fences with a “Funny Guy” interpretation? So, not a home run, but let’s hope he gets to swing again with a Joker.

4K in action: The ultra-high definition showcases the impeccable cinematography of Lawrence Sher with mooted color choices of grays and greens in the urban settings that evolve to color as Arthur’s love blossoms and the fantasy sequences play out.

Moments to stop and admire include Arthur lighting a cigarette in his darkened cell that will remind one of a photo-realistic comic book illustration, the first kiss between the smitten in front of a building on fire and a dance number on the roof next to Hotel Arkham.

Also, the Dolby Atmos sound mix allows musical numbers to shine with new arrangements of classics such as Judy Garland’s “That’s Entertainment”; the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody”; The Carpenters’ “(They Long to Be) Close to You”; Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Life”; and Tony Bennett’s “For Once in My Life” for Lady Gaga and Mr. Phoenix to sink their vocal cords into.

Best extras: A 44-minute comprehensive production diary covering moments from the 81-day shoot gets supplemented by words from an enthusiastic cast and crew including Mr. Phoenix, Mr. Phillips, Lady Gaga, choreographer Michael Arnold and even chief lighting technician Raphael Sanchez and key grip Ramon Garcia, all apparently unaware of the impending commercial disaster on their hands.

Areas covered include the production design of Arkham State Hospital and the courtroom; shooting in Los Angeles and the Bronx in New York City, touching on the color palettes, story, characters of Lee and Arthur and their shared fantasy; makeup; and costume design.

An additional quartet of featurettes offers eight minutes on the music, including revealing that the actors’ singing was captured live on the sets; eight minutes looking at the production design of Mark Friedberg; six minutes on the cinematography; and five minutes focused on the animated sequence that opens the film based on a classic, 1940s, Looney Tunes’ cartoon style with words from lead designer Sylvain Chomet.