I can kinda see what they were going for with the sequel, since more of the same would be tricky when balancing Arthur’s battle with his alter ego. The musical idea does work in theory.

With that said, this kind of thing works really well on TV, but not so much in a follow-up to a movie many consider to be great. Also, I know she had great success in A Star Is Born, but I’m still not entirely sold on Lady Gaga as an actress. She can definitely act, but many of her roles are basically “…and Lady Gaga is in this too”. She’s definitely better than Beyonce in that regard, but IMO she was cast because they wanted to make a Joker-themed musical, rather than a sequel to a critically acclaimed movie called Joker.

I just saw it today. Can confirm - it’s bad. Bad enough I’m upset it exists, because it practically taints the first.

The plot is pretty weak, and to make it worse, sporadically there are flashes that make you think it’s finally building towards something, and then it just fizzles.

With very few exceptions, the songs are bad both in terms of the music and the lyrics, and they slow the movie to a crawl.

Additionally, Lady Gaga’s lip synching is shameful, especially considering she’s most famous for music. Her performance is otherwise fine, but it feels like they could have put anyone in there. She didn’t bring anything to the role.

Joaquin Phoenix’s performance is pretty good, and the cinematography is good. But… Don’t see it. Definitely don’t pay for it. I wish I had my money and my time back.

My partner saw the first, opening night. Shes been under the weather all week. Ratings turned her off. Previews just started