Ranking the "Joker" performances

3/22/2020 7:21:31 PM

As much as I've come to despise Robert De Nero since he started his anti-Trump tirade, I finally broke down and rented the Joker movie. Batman is hands down my favorite super hero character of all time and Joker was always my favorite villain. I loved the Nolan trilogy, so I thought the character study of Joker was an intriguing idea. Also I've always liked Joaquin Phoenix, especially in Gladiator. "Tell me what you've been doing busy little bee, or I shall strike down those dearest to you. You shall watch as I bathe in their blood."

I hated the Joker movie. As much as I love how the old campy super hero stories are becoming darker and more violent, this one seemed like an overreach with unnecessary violence, just for the sake of being violent. That works for Quentin Tarantino movies, but not here. The writing was terrible. The story was boring. And I was disappointed in Joaquin Phoenix's performance. How he won an Oscar for that movie I have no idea.

Anyway, here's my ranking of Jokers:
1. Heath Ledger
2. Cesar Romero
3. Jack Nicholson
4. Joaquin Phoenix

Your thoughts?

2 comments

Latest

Roadworrier

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5 years ago

I rank Joker maybe a 1/2-star above Uncut Gems, which I consider to be the most overrated, overhyped movie of the season. Whoopie, Adam Sandler playing a heavy. Give that man some kind of trophy. At least with Joker there was a slight bit of depth to go with the nihilism, which ultimately both of these movies thrive on. Joker at least doesn't hide the nihilism or try to disguise it with a convoluted script and plot.

gammanu95

•

5 years ago

I was pretty upset that Heath Ledger was going to try and upstage Jack Nicholson, when Nicholson was clearly born to play that Joker in 1989's Batman. I was way fucking wrong. Nicholson's Joker was right an perfect for THAT Batman, but Ledger's Joker was intrinsic to The Dark Knight. As far as Phoenix goes, I hated that movie. The only saving grace is that it was left open and unspecified as to whether Phoenix was the Joker that would terrorize Gotham later during Batman's time, or if he was merely an inspiration for the later criminal.
My List:
1. Heath Ledger
2. Jack Nicholson
3. Mark Hamill (animated TV series)
4. Cesar Romero
5. Joaquin Phoenix
6. Anyone else
7. A random stone
.
.
656. A Lawyer
.
.
.
999. A cockroach
1000. Jared Leto

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