The wait is finally over! A quite long one at that. The sequel to the highly successful 2019 flick, “JOKER”, starring Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix from the brilliant director Todd Phillips, is here.

The first film broke many box office records, including becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, until it was beaten just recently by Deadpool & Wolverine. Nobody, and I mean nobody, expected Joker to become such a beloved phenomenon the way it was. An R-rated film making over $1 billion, that's simply unheard of, as the R-rating limits the range of audiences that can go see that movie. But even that didn't stop the Clown Prince of Crime from reigning chaos in movie theaters around the world. The film truly began grabbing attention from audiences about two months before it came out when it premiered in Venice at the Venice Film Festival and won the Golden Lion award, which had never happened before for a comic book movie. But that's why Joker stood out in this genre of superpowers and capes…it didn't have any of that. Joker is a simple story, about Arthur Fleck, a mentally-ill man in a real society that bullies, berates, and disregards him, which then ultimately causes his descent into madness as the Joker. Audiences who never even watched superhero films went to watch this one, and from there...it just exploded. I call it a "perfect lightning in a bottle, once-in-a-lifetime type of phenomenon". A truly brilliant, brilliant film. It won Joaquin Phoenix his Oscar and was nominated for Best Picture, Best Soundtrack, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup, etc.

So, after a five-year wait, and with anticipation skyrocketing because Lady Gaga was cast as Harley Quinn here, the question has been…does the sequel deliver? Well, that's a yes and no answer from me. And I'll explain why…

Why ‘Folie a Deux’ Is a Worthy Successor of the Original...

As I said above, it's a yes and no answer from me. I'll start on why I believe it's a worthy successor, then I'll dive into why I believe it isn't. First of all, Todd Phillips once again brings his A-game to this sequel, he's an extraordinary director and writer.

Smoothly transitioning from The Hangover trilogy to the Joker films is something not many can do nowadays, but this guy did it. There are certain shots in this film that are simply breathtaking to look at, just like in the original. Once again, the soundtrack is beautiful, along with the costume designs, makeup, editing, cinematography, etc., but the performances stood out the most. Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga are truly unique pairs to watch on screen. I believe both will be nominated for Oscars, but I don't believe they will win as there have been some stronger performances this year from other actors and actresses. But doesn't take away from the fact that this pair will be forever remembered as possibly the best version of both characters so far. This may be a controversial take for some, but these two just absolutely nailed these roles. Now, to the bad...

Take the Quiz: Which Squid Game Player Are You?

Ever wondered which player you’d be if you found yourself in the Squid Game universe? Take this quiz to find out which character matches your perso...

Why ‘Folie a Deux’ Isn't A Worthy Successor of the Original...

But the good parts of this movie just simply aren't enough to outweigh the bad, unfortunately. As many of you probably already know, this film is a musical. I actually didn’t mind it being a musical when I first heard it was going to be one, as Joker & Harley are the perfect examples of why a musical would be the ideal way to go for this story.

But it just didn't work for me. The music used was great, but the musical numbers didn't push the story forward at any moment. They just felt random and out of place mostly. Yes, the musical scenes are only happening in the characters' heads, and I thought that was a brilliant idea actually as these two are mad for each other, but it just wasn't executed well. The story was weak, it felt stuck in the same place throughout the entire film. It didn't add anything new to the story. The first Joker could've been left as a standalone movie, as this one just felt like an epilogue, instead of the next chapter in this beautiful world created by Todd Phillips. The message of the first one was how Arthur, a sick and ill individual, was bullied and mistreated by society and how he created the persona of the Joker because of it. The sequel shows how society idolizes him for being the Joker, not for being Arthur, which is something I admire about this film. That's something I loved. It's a real and truthful message, as there are many times when people love you for being something you pretend to be, not when you are your true self. Todd Phillips isn't scared to take risks, no matter what genre that may be. That is why he is one of my favorite directors. If you've watched it already, you know that the ending of this film will be talked about for years and years to come. It's shocking and unexpected. And I loved it.

My rating of this movie is 6/10. Not bad, but not good either. A step down from the first one, that's for sure.

Hollywood needs more directors like Phillips, where the sequel itself may not be the best, but it goes for the fences and doesn't hold back, no matter how good or bad the final project may be. I may be wrong here, but I believe that Joker: Folie a Deux will be considered a masterpiece ten years from now by audiences. Back in 1974, The Godfather Part II wasn't very accepted by people, but look at it now...one of the greatest sequels of all time. It was something simply just ahead of its time. History repeats itself once again because that is exactly what Folie a Deux is - a movie simply ahead of its time.