The People's Joker

So I'm going to give everyone a full disclosure with this - I am not really into superhero movies. I don't generally dislike them, however what I dislike about the majority is it's either Joss Whedon style cracks at the expense of a sincere take on the story OR Zack Snyder style "I WANNA BE DARK!" edgy that it goes beyond the point of seriousness. The thing is I don't think it's so hard to tell a story that both can be a serious take on the characters AND ridiculous enough to be a fun ride. Also both are full of characters that are homework assignments for people who don't know who these people are and...the idea of "follow the brand that made the movie" ALWAYS sounds like the most boring way to actually engage with the way a movie is made.

This movie...is NOT a serious take on the story or characters. More it's a parody movie which kind of sort of retells the story of Joker (2019) but with a transfemale protagonist and director. There is a lot that gets reshaped to fit the needs of what that premise means for the story but if you want a "general gist" - that's it.

Now there are a lot of comic book references in this movie but I don't think it's impossible for someone to like this movie who has no idea who half the characters or scenes being parodied are. I do find that one scene that I recognized as being parodied and was objectively better here is the scene in Joker (2019) where he dances down the stairs. In this movie that scene is recreated but they replace Gary Glitter with a parody of the Prince song that played in the museum scene in the '89 Batman movie (insert "I did see these movies as a kid" disclaimer here). Cultural erasure of Gary Glitter will never be a bad thing to me.

Now a lot of what I've seen online in relation to this movie is people going in expecting this to be AS polished as the Hollywood stuff and getting disappointed (also slurs and people simping over companies keeping IP rights from the public forever, but I want to keep on track). You will not get that. The visuals rely on character identities getting swapped out a lot (people become 2D drawings, dolls, some characters are 3D animations that are uncanny valley). The amount of work that goes into animation like that suggests to me that the visual style of this movie being so disjointed is very deliberate.

So, if I don't like the genre and admit this movie can be pretty visually disjointed, why am I giving this movie a pass? Honestly because this movie isn't REALLY about comic book characters. It uses that as coding. "This person was a villain" "this person was a hero" and...deconstructing the idea of both. The movie outright dismisses the idea that any one person is a complete hero or a total villain. It's more a story of what we bring to it. Now that might not be very deep to some but my experience of comic book movies is they almost never bring that up. So it was nice to see that and I think it's worth a point for "just because I've heard it doesn't mean everyone else has or that people don't need to hear this."

Now I've talked serious for a bit, what about the "parody" aspect? I'll be honest in that it did get a few decent laughs out of me here and there. Now that's not going to be a sell for everyone as humour is very subjective and my sense of humour is NOT the kind that's applicable to everyone. So the best I can do is try to deconstruct some of the jokes but I don't really want to explain "Why did the clown jump into a vat of feminizing hormones at a chemical storage plant? Because gender health is inaccessible, even in comic book movies" Just...that made me laugh.

So, yeah. I know not everyone seemed to enjoy this but I think it's a cool little film.

Wow - what can one say about this wild, woolly, wigged-out spoof of superhero movies in which the protagonist is an edgy, crusading transgender harlequin comedian fighting the power structure of a corrupt, narrow-minded society? That description alone is pretty wacky in itself, but, as the finished product shows, its depiction on screen is even more bizarre and outrageous. Writer-actor-director Vera Drew's debut feature is simultaneously an exercise in the outlandish that's part high camp, part in-your-face irreverence, part alternative sexuality manifesto and part love letter to the Batman mythology turned on its ear. This story of a small-town boy's transgender awakening as a springboard to finding a new life in the wilds of Gotham City's underground comedy scene tells an off-the-wall, often-frenetically paced, sometimes-sentimental tale that defies conventional classification. Its inventive mix of live action, motion capture photography and animation serves up a unique viewing experience unlike anything most audiences have ever seen, including among most seasoned cinephiles. It also delivers some positively scathing one-liners and wicked sight gags that will leave many thinking "I can't believe they just did that!" Collectively, it makes for the kind of picture that will likely earn this production cult movie status and a guaranteed spot on midnight show movie lineups. Despite its many inspired cinematic innovations, however, the narrative occasionally tends toward overzealous self-indulgence and cryptic ideologies that appear to be employed simply to carry the story forward, making for a production that seems to be trying too hard just to see how much of a stunned reaction it can get from the audience. It has also come under some scrutiny for pushing the limits of fair use issues and acceptable propriety boundaries, elements that raised the eyebrows of some critics and of those who created the source materials from which this work draws (but that have also subsequently added to the picture's undeniable allure). Nevertheless, if you're looking for something that's part DC Comics, part John Waters, part "Liquid Sky" (1982), part "Rocky Horror Picture Show" (1975), and part exploration of the unknown and untried, this one might be right up your alley. But, if you're put off by such an eclectic blend of satire, social commentary, visual imagery and heretical rumination, don't say you weren't warned.

I was intrigued by the inclusion of Bob Odenkirk, Tim Heidecker, and Scott Aukerman in this movie, but was let down so bad. Vera Drew did work on On Cinema at the Cinema and Comedy Bang Bang, so I thought this would be interesting. I feel misled by a lot of the promotions for this movie. What put me off was the lack of sets, the cheesy acting, and the non-funny storyline. It's mostly a monologue about the hardships of being trans. I understand the lifestyle of a transgender person is hard, but this was severely wrongly marketed as a film that would appeal to audiences who wanted to see comedy and comic book action. It had neither. The comedians were horrible, to put it lightly, and the unsatisfactory comic book action was mostly done with bad animation and/or action figure stop motion. It was nauseatingly bad. I don't even think it qualifies as comic book knowledge with the references; it was more like pop culture knowledge. While I don't think comic books are that cool to begin with (I like the ones from the 40s and 50s the most), this movie made them seem lamer. Bob Odenkirk, Tim Heidecker, and Scott Aukerman are voice-only in tiny, miniscule parts. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone except trans people who might love comic book movies. The editing was alright, and the energy of some of the lead actors was alright, but everything else was terrible.

The presentation: I suppose I MOSTLY feel duped because I paid for a ticket to watch something that I probably should have watched on YouTube. I don't think that people shouldn't make movies just because they don't have the funds for it, but I *do* feel like I can judge it on its quality if it chooses to cut corners. The green screen looks terrible, and this is barely "directed." Conversations are shot super close up, and the actors fall out of frame frequently. The effects look like Red Letter Media videos when Mr. Plinkett's house was floating at the bottom of the ocean. I don't even really feel like calling this a movie.

The DC property: I suppose if it stripped all of the IP away, some might still frame it as a "Joker origin story." But I still don't believe that the solution was to lean into it. It undercuts its trans journey message with...superhero fiction. This movie wants you to take it seriously and as a joke at the same time. And as for the boldness of copyright infringement, "Escape from Tomorrow" is also, similarly, not good, despite its ballsiness to try to slip it by Disney.

Only the actors and quick, cutaway gags are worth mentioning.

"The People's Joker," at a glance, might seem like just another entry into the already crowded realm of superhero cinema. Yet, it stands out as a bold, campy, and unapologetically queer narrative that not only pokes fun at but also pays homage to the rich tapestry of Batman lore. Directed, cut, and performed by Vera Drew, who brings her personal trans experience to the forefront, the film is a multifaceted parody that dares to reimagine the Joker's origin story through a trans lens, earning it a solid 7/10 stars from me.

This film takes a deep dive into Batman and DC references, cleverly intertwining them with a coming-of-age and coming-out story that resonates deeply with its audience. Its humor is sharp, sometimes verging on controversial, yet it never loses sight of its heart-the struggle and empowerment of embracing one's true identity against societal norms. With a mix of media, including animation and green-screen effects, "The People's Joker" has a unique visual style that complements its audacious narrative. It's a testament to Drew's vision, creating a world that's both familiar to fans of the Batman universe and refreshingly new, especially for those yearning for representation beyond the heteronormative superhero narrative.

While it might not cater to all, especially those wedded to a more traditional portrayal of superhero tales, the film shines as a beacon for those who find solace in its queer empowerment theme. From the DIY aesthetic to the parade of parody songs that accompany the journey, "The People's Joker" invites its audience to look beyond the cape and into the heart of its protagonist, making it an important addition to the superhero genre. Despite some critics arguing it tries to tackle too much at once, its ambition is commendable, offering a narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.

Whether you're a fan of the genre or not, "The People's Joker" deserves a watch for its creative courage and its message of self-acceptance and empowerment, capturing the essence of what it means to step out of the shadows and into the light of one's own truth.