This crazed clown could have the last laugh in Joker: Folie a Deux

Joker: Folie a Deux slips into more madness for the title character as a sequel to 2019's Joker. The original was conceived to be a standalone story, but after a billion in ticket sales, this attention-seeking villain is returning for more.

While the title character was born from comic book inspiration his cinematic creators have taken dark twists and turns to keep filmgoers on the edge of their seats.

This Joker's tale begins with a cartoon to prepare the audience for the creativity to come from this next chapter in the psychopath's life. The scene shifts to Arthur Fleck's new home at the Arkham State Mental Hospital where he meets his biggest fan Lee Quinzel. She takes him on an adventure within his mind to escape his surroundings while attempting to impress him.

A doomed romance follows with enough twists and turns to keep viewers guessing until the bitter end.

Fleck is once again portrayed by Phoenix who has left Todd Hayne's gay role behind but still finds time to kiss a guy in Folie. He was nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award for his first try at bat and this project gambles on that happening again. They are not dealt a full house this time even with a Joker and supremely talented team.

Folie a deux translates from French as madness for two and Lady Gaga is the other half of this deadly duo. There is early talk about a supporting actress award for Stefani Germanotta and her slightly over 30 minutes of screen time in this flick. Her “Poker Face” is stripped down to no makeup and she does an ample job of playing a crazed fan.

Catherine Keener joins the cast as Arthur's lawyer Maryanne Stewart to reinforce that this is a serious acting project and there's method acting in this madness. Fleck eventually takes over the courtroom to make it a theatrical circus similar to the musical Chicago and there's plenty of trouble to play off of right there in Gotham City.

His delusions transform the narrative into many musical montages and a few of them are a lesson in patience. The jokes on some comic fans who might not enjoy musical interpretations, but it was director Todd Phillips' vision to make music segments within the storyline happen.

The cover songs give Gaga a chance to expand her catalog of classic tunes and see what works for her vocal range. One song in particular hits it out of the park with “Gonna Build a Mountain” with her voice climbing to new soulful heights as she takes listeners to church.

There are several easter eggs for the fanboys such as an assistant district attorney named Harvey Dent and inmates modeled after Batman's enemies.

The first movie was about mental health, abuse and depression then this second act hammers that point home. This sequel might not be everyone's cup of tea but that doesn't mean it's not worth sipping on.

While Folie is not twice as good as the original it is mesmerizing to watch and unpredictable for over two hours. Is this the last laugh for Joker? There could be a Harlequin spinoff or similar treatment from other sinister characters taken from Batman's rogue's gallery but until then audiences have a dastardly different endeavor to entertain themselves with through Halloween.

Joker: Folie a Deux takes a stab at the box office on October 4, 2024.