‘Joker’ delivers a version of the comic book villain like nothing we’ve seen

Posted on October 11, 2019

By MARK VIOLA

The Joker is one of the most iconic villains in comic book history, dating back to the very first issue of “Batman” in 1940. Since then, countless writers have put their own spin on the character, who has ranged from a goofy prankster to a psychopathic mass-murderer.

Joker has had numerous adaptations in television and film, including Cesar Romero in the 1960s “Batman” television series, Jack Nicholson in 1989’s “Batman,” Heath Ledger with an Academy Award-winning performance in 2008’s “The Dark Knight” and Jared Leto in 2016’s “Suicide Squad.” If you made my pick my favorite, I’d probably have to go with Mark Hamill of “Star Wars” fame, who voiced the character in the animated “Batman” series of the 1990s and has continued doing so in animated films and video games for the past 20 years.

Now the character finally has his own movie, “Joker,” directed by Todd Phillips (“The Hangover” trilogy) and with Joaquin Phoenix (“Her”) in the title role. Now, if Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” was the most serious and grounded comic book adaptation at the time, “Joker” is an absolute deconstruction of the entire concept of a comic book movie. In fact, if you didn’t know the Joker and the city of Gotham originated in comic books, you would never guess by this movie.

There’s a lot to say about this movie and the resulting controversy that rose in the weeks preceding its release, but first of all, let me say, “Joker” in an excellent movie. It is a dark movie. It is often times an uncomfortable movie. It is also one of the most tense film experiences I’ve sat through in a long time. And, I mean all of those things in the best possible way.

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