Tim Dillon, who briefly appeared in "Joker: Folie à Deux" as a guard at Arkham Asylum, wasn't a fan of the movie-musical sequel. During his guest spot on the Nov. 6 episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast, the comedian lambasted the film, branding it "the worst film ever crafted." Despite its predecessor, "Joker" (2019), winning two Academy Awards, the sequel has fallen flat at the box office, receiving a disappointing reception.
"Following the first 'Joker,' there was a lot of chatter suggesting that it was beloved by the wrong demographic—incels and the like," said Dillon, 39, referencing the Todd Phillips-directed flick. "It conveyed the wrong message—male rage, nihilism! Those were the buzzwords surrounding it." He further criticized the sequel's significant shift by infusing music into the comic-book adaptation about one of Gotham's most infamous villains. "Then, it seemed like they thought, 'What if we go in the opposite direction?' Hence, we now have Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga tap dancing to the brink of absurdity," Dillon added.
The comedian also asserted that the sequel lacked a coherent plot, reminiscing about his conversations with fellow cast members on set regarding the storyline. "We'd sit there, dressed in our security uniforms as Arkham Asylum guards, and I'd turn to one of them, listen to this nonsense, and exclaim, 'What the hell is this?' They'd respond, 'This is going to tank, buddy.' I'd reply, 'This is the worst thing I've ever witnessed,'" Dillon recounted.
"During lunch breaks, we'd ponder, 'What's the plot? Is there even a plot? I'm not sure, but I think he falls in love with her in prison?' It's not even hate-watchable; it's genuinely terrible," he continued. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film revolves around Arthur Fleck (Phoenix), institutionalized at Arkham Asylum awaiting trial for his crimes as the Joker. Amid his struggle with dual identities, Arthur not only discovers true love with Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga) but also finds the music that's always been within him.
"Joker 2" garnered a dismal 32 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes from 349 reviews, earning poor reviews despite its star-studded cast and the success of its predecessor. Following the film's underwhelming box office performance, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery issued a statement. "Even in an industry filled with hits and misses, we must acknowledge that our studio's business must deliver greater consistency," David Zaslav said, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Variety reported that Zaslav also stated, "Inconsistency remains a persistent issue at our motion picture studio, as evidenced recently by the disappointing results of 'Joker 2.'" "Joker: Folie à Deux" is now available digitally.
