Evaluating the negative opinions of the ‘Joker’ trailer
The first trailer for Joker has arrived but, so far, not everyone is so keen on this interpretation of the Clown Prince of Crime.
The first trailer for Todd Phillips’Joker was revealed this week, and this new approach from DC Films in making solo, Elseworld tales for the big screen is taking fans by storm. Believe it or not, many fans are taking issue with what they see in the trailer. So what are they saying?
One ongoing criticism is the fact that this is an origin tale. The common belief for the Joker it that he does not have a concrete origin and does not need one. Fans normally go back to Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke, where he recites that if he’s going to have a past, he rather it be up to him to decide on that particular day what his past is. There is the usual drop into the vat of chemicals for his origin across several stories. However, we almost never get anything before that. What is his childhood and life prior to crime? The Joker trailer seems like it is giving us something prior to his life of crime. Do we need to know the Joker’s origin? No, we do not need to know it. Nonetheless, it is part of the film, to tell its story. In addition, this is an “Elseworlds” story. Everyone knows Superman’s origin, yet we need it retold in the setting of Red Son.
Others are criticizing the trailer for a lack of fun and brightness. Not to sound partisan, but this opinion is stemming mostly from devout MCU fans. Why should the Joker trailer be bright and oozing with fun? Here is a sadistic clown turned criminal in the setting of Gotham City, which everyone knows is a horrible landscape of crime, corruption and downright awfulness. If you want a fun, bright Joker you can always watch Caesar Romero’s take in the old ’60s television series. More and more it appears to people that comic books equal fun times. They forget this has not always been the case. Even many appraised comic book films have shown this with The Dark Knight Rises, Logan, Blade and lesser-known properties such as Dredd. Comic books cover a wide array of tones, interests, audiences and settings. Why shouldn’t the films do the same? We certainly do not have one take on films, do we?
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Some are disregarding the Joker trailer, thinking it asks audiences to sympathize for the character. From an initial viewing, this does seem possible. However, in more modern tales of comic book villains, their origins do come of tragedy. Evil no longer births out of a vacuum like in the Golden Age and Silver Age of comics. Is the trailer asking you to sympathize for the character? To some degree, yes, but it is highly doubtful the director is telling you this reaction to their tragedy is the route to go. Already, critics want to take this as some odd propaganda film. Do not forget the numerous films made on dictators, criminals and murderers. This is not worship, we as humans simply find these individuals fascinating. You can compare this to the car wreck on the highway you cannot help but look at. This does not make you a bad person, it just makes you human.
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Will these negative opinions harm the film? It’s too soon to say right now. In addition, this film looks cheaper in comparison to the usual special effects-heavy comic book movie. This film has no competition in October from other comic book movies. In time, these negative opinions will most likely dry up.