The ember months saw the release of two Batman villain stories: The Penguin and Joker: Folie à Deux. Both stories aimed to take a unique spin on these iconic villains, unfortunately only one was successful at honouring the legacy and fans.
The Penguin is an 8-episode TV series following Oz Cobb aka Penguin on his journey from being a nobody to a major force in Gotham City’s criminal underworld. It is a sequel spin-off of The Batman (2022) directed by Matt Reeves. Joker: Folie à Deux, also known as Joker 2, is a movie following the trial of Arthur Fleck’s (Joker) actions in the first film, while he spends his time in Arkham Asylum and meets the love of his life, Harley Quinn.
The Penguin aimed to tell a grounded crime drama without all the theatrics of a superhero movie. Joker 2 planned on delivering a musical twist to the Joker’s tale. Both stories avoided the appearance of Batman, but how did their stories fare?
The Penguin received a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and critical acclaim from fans. In comparison, Joker 2 received a 32% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and bombed at the Box Office only raking in $206.4 Million on a $200 Million budget at the time of this publication. Why differing results in two similar stories?
First, the protagonists. Oz Cobb was introduced as a disfigured bad guy who desperately wanted a shot at the top. His characterisation was consistent throughout the series, with various twists and revelations to show that he was truly evil and deserved the title of villain. Arthur Fleck, however, diverged from his representation in the previous movie. He was no longer a confident villain fighting mental health issues and taking revenge on society for what they had turned him into, but a weak man who was beginning to feel sorry for his previous actions. The portrayal of Arthur Fleck in Joker 2 did not seem worthy of the villain title.
Next is the worldbuilding. Although, The Penguin has an unfair advantage due to its runtime as a series, Joker: Folie à Deux failed to maximally utilise its time to ensure the world of Gotham we were introduced to in the first movie was built upon. Most of the movie alternated between the Arkham Asylum and the courthouse. Also, multiple scenes were of no use in moving the story forward. The Penguin did a lot to develop the world of Gotham, especially the slums, taking heavy inspiration from the Batman: No Man’s Land comic book story arc.
Most important is the genre of the stories. The Penguin stuck heavily to its Crime Drama genre, ensuring there was suspense and mysteries every step of the way. Joker 2, however, alternated between a Legal Drama, Musical and Romance. This could have been handled well but the musicals, one of the most advertised aspects of the movie, were reduced to covers and did not contribute to the story’s progression, only serving as a rehashing of previously made statements.
Although, both stories showed the efforts of the actors and production team in trying to create a good tale, Joker: Folie à Deux seemed to be more of a failed money-grab attempt.
Oluwawapelumi Akin-Ajani