NO

After 11 Oscar nominations and massive critical acclaim for the first “Joker,” it seemed natural that a sequel would follow suit. Unfortunately, much to the dismay of DC Comics fans, this sequel has tanked spectacularly. With a poor storyline, inconsistent pacing, and random musical numbers, “Joker: Folie a Deux” fails as both a drama and a musical.

Joaquin Phoenix reprises his role as Arthur Fleck, an unfunny, mentally ill comedian turned murderer. Coupled with a star-studded cast, many anticipated a jaw-dropping film like the original. Most notably, Lady Gaga joined the cast, a surefire way to add a movie to anyone’s “must-watch” list. Regardless of Phoenix’s “Best Actor” Academy Award and Gaga’s singing ability, nothing they could do would salvage this film.

The writing for the sequel is poor, with the first half of the movie entirely set in Arkham Asylum and the second half in the courtroom deciding Arthur’s fate. We see next to nothing of grimy Gotham City, which was integral to the story in the first film.

The monotonous asylum and courtroom settings are only broken up by musical numbers. Heavily inspired by Broadway numbers, Phoenix and Gaga twirl to songs such as “To Love Somebody” by the Bee Gees and “Gonna Build a Mountain” by Sammy Davis Jr.

While these bursts into song and dance are entertaining and well produced, they only heighten the boredom of the less sing-song moments and highlight Phoenix’s lack of singing skills. His raspy voice seems more fit for a drunken bar singalong than a Broadway stage.

All in all, this movie was an incredible disappointment. While the first film made over one billion at the box office, the sequel fumbled the bag. Unfortunately adding in the musical elements and removing Gotham City kneecapped the film and created a tedious, woeful sequel that even the great Lady Gaga couldn’t salvage.

YES

Folie á Deux, translated from French to “madness for two,” is a rare syndrome wherein two people have a shared mental disorder, usually a delusional vision and belief of something. In this Joker sequel, Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga put together outstanding performances. Both actors are incredibly acclaimed with each holding Oscars, and their fiery performance alone makes the film worth a watch.

Gaga has only been acting since 2013 and is only given 33 minutes of screen time, but every moment she’s on scene left me on the edge of my seat. Her singing was phenomenal, but that wasn’t even what made her performance. Gagas’s acting is pristine, and she keeps up with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars impressively well.

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A concern I had before watching the film, especially as a Gaga fan myself, is that having such an enormous celebrity who is not necessarily known mainly for acting would distract from the plot. However, this wasn’t at all the case. Gaga makes audiences completely forget they are watching the international superstar. Here, she is only Lee Quinzel.

Along with Gaga, we see another fresh and brilliant performance by Phoenix, a big screen veteran. Phoenix delivers again here with a dangerously scary body transformation. Nobody said that Arthur Fleck was supposed to be likable, and Phoenix kept the audience uncomfortable, squirmy, and sad for over two hours. He creates the perfect balance to keep an audience afraid, disgusted, and even sympathetic towards the Joker.

On top of these stellar acting performances, I was immersed in many cinematically pleasing song and dance numbers. Seeing Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix dancing and singing on a stage together isn’t something I imagined I would ever see, but now I wonder how I’ve gone so long without it. The lighting, color, and camerawork in these scenes make them an absolute pleasure to watch.

Overall, “Joker: Folie á Deux” was a visually fascinating and entertaining watch with excellent acting from two of the world’s brightest stars.