Joe vs. Carole

It seems pretty obvious that a fictional series based on the whole Joe Exotic/Carole Baskin saga would draw directly from the 2020 netflix "Tiger King" documentary series. But the main difference here is that this show is almost a dramatization of the documentary series itself, rather than the actual events.

The show goes about showing almost every event that was covered in the documentary. Almost every story that someone told, it's presented here in some form. Carole off-handedly mentions in the docuseries her throwing a potato at her first husband, here it is in the series depicting her throwing a potato at her first husband. Carole off-handedly mentions in the docuseries buying a big cat at an auction to save it from being killed and stuffed by a taxidermist, here it is in the series her in a bidding war with the taxidermist.

On the positive side, the show goes beyond just the documentary series in many cases, largely in the form of flashbacks of both Joe and Carole, depicting some events the documentary didn't cover, mostly character moments, and Joe's time with his first husband. But the way the film seems to dedicate itself to covering pretty much every event spot for spot that the documentary series does is in some ways fascinating, but probably off-putting for some viewers.

The casting and acting is phenomenal; beyond just having the people look like the people they are depicting, it's very clear that the actors involved put special effort into fully encompassing the people they are playing. Kyle MacLaughlin, playing Howard Baskin, perfectly captures the timbre of Howard's voice, as well as his accent and speaking style. John Cameron Mitchell and Kate McKinnon are almost indistinguishable from Joe and Carole in terms of speaking style.

If you went about watching episodes of this series then alternated with episodes of the documentary series, it's uncanny just how flawless the actors are in capturing everything they can about the people they play.

One of the biggest things that stands out in this series as well is a heavy usage of CG. Literally every animal seen on screen is CG, not just the "dangerous" animals like big cats and alligators, but even sheep are all CG. The CG is not very good, though CG effects are used on John Cameron Mitchell to de-age him for the Joe flashback scenes, and these look much better.

As a whole, this isn't really a necessary series in any real way. It helps for those who are more "visual" learners in terms of establishing the relationships and sequence of events depicted in the documentary series in a more linear fashion (as the documentary had occasional episodes that went off-topic to more deeply cover related subjects, like Don Lewis's disappearance, Doc Antle's zoo, and so on). It's more a fun diversion to see a group of actors perfectly capture the look and sound of the people they are depicting.

To get us excited about a story we already know, a production has to bring something really unique to the table - a new dimension, a brilliant characterisation, an evocative rendering.

The problem with Joe vs Carole is that the version already told had all those elements dialled up to 12 already and there was nowhere new, or at least different enough to transport us, for a dramatisation to go.

The clunky CGI (mind you, props to them for avoiding any real animal use), the slightly surreal use of Queensland, Australia as a Florida substitute, and the fact that every main character is already basically a live-action cartoon, push the whole production into 1990s family adventure territory. If Brendan Fraser had jumped out of a tree I wouldn't have been surprised. But none of this imparts a charming quality; more one of cheapness.

John Cameron Mitchell and Kate McKinnon are fiercely into their characters, but a good impersonation doesn't necessarily make for compelling viewing. Some of the peripheral characters hold up well, particularly Nat Wolf and Sam Keely as two thirds of the tragic throuple, and Brian Van Holt as Joe Exotic's loyal ballast. Kyle McLachlan is consistent as Carole's long-suffering husband.

At the end of it all though, this is a story where truth IS stranger than fiction, and the dramatisation is left with nowhere to go and, frankly, not enough appetite to satisfy given what was served up in Tiger King.

Disappointingly for me, it was, like the documentary, a missed opportunity to promote the unnecessary horror of exotic animals being bred and kept for pedestrian purposes. Yet again, the selfish narcissism of humans overshadows a nasty, cruel industry that could so easily be ended if we chose to put the needs of these animals first for once.

Overall the series mostly just recapped the reality TV show/was visual pablum ... and didn't really add much to the overall Joe Exotic drama ... but I have to say it! John Cameron Mitchell really stands out in the title role! I couldn't see Kate McKinnon as Carole. I just saw Kate playing Carole. But JCM literally BECAME Joe. We had to keep reminding ourselves that he wasn't Joe ... so kudos to him for the role! He smoked it!

What first appears to be a cheap TV series based on actual events depicting a feud between a big cat lover and a backyard animal entertainer abuser, ends up being a fascinating insane journey into the lives of the two protagonists. Yes! I see both Joe and Carole as duel protagonists since they do believe deep in their hearts that what they are doing is righteous!

What gives these character an extra bounce is the insane and outrageous performances by Mitchell and McKinnon. I at first was not convinced, but as you journey deeper into this series, their characters develop to the point where you begin to understand all their quirky motives and actions.

What did throw me askew was the Australianess feel and look about it, with a supporting Aussie cast attempting American accents. The locations almost had that Florida feel (it was shot in the state of Queensland that is somewhat akin to the state of Florida). Once I got over that hurdle, I was able to ride on the backs of Joe and Carole with a zest of cringing enjoyment.

I think a lot of people will agree that Kate McKinnon and John Cameron Mitchell nailed Carole Baskin & Joe Exotic. They got the look and voices down to a T. As far as the show goes. Don't go into it expecting it to be as good as the docu-series. If you do, you're going to be disappointed. The documentary was pure gold, the show, not so much. Dont get me wrong, it's still a decent show. It just doesn't compare to the docu-series. 6 stars.