Joker Trailer Review: 9 Ups & 1 Down

"Is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there?"

Joker Joaquin Phoenix
Warner Bros.

On the back of an exceptional first poster for Todd Phillips' strange origin story, we've now got the first trailer. And boy does it leave a mark.

While there were - inevitably - some pretty vocal complaints about the project's existence (and others about where it was coming from AND where it would slot into the existing DC cinematic universe), the hype should have just been turned up massively. Because it looks suspiciously like director Todd Phillips is delivering on his promise of a movie inspired as much by Taxi Driver, Mean Streets and The King of Comedy as it is by any Batman comic.

Here's the trailer...

Now, inevitably, there are lots of points to discuss here and not all of them are positive, but by God, this might be the best Batman-universe trailer there's ever been. And that's saying something when that first Suicide Squad trailer exists.

First the negatives...

Downs

1. Well, Now It's Just A Tragedy He's Not In A Batman Movie

Joker Joaquin Phoenix
Warner Bros.

Honestly, admit it: you expected there to be way more negatives than there are after this. It's a movie made by a comedy director with a grim subject and aspirations to emulate Martin Scorsese. It shouldn't work at all. But it looks legitimately brilliant.

The only issue here is that we're not going to get to see this version of the Joker in a Batman movie. Because he's trapped in this Elseworlds bubble because of the agenda to protect the DCEU from confusing continuity (even though it doesn't even deserve it now), we're robbed of the chance (probably) to see him in Matt Reeves' new Batman trilogy.

Please, PLEASE fix that, Warner Bros.

And now to the positives...

Advertisement
In this post: 
joker
 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

WhatCulture's former COO, veteran writer and editor.