That’s the point though, to glorify their romance destroys the point of the movie. The whole point is that for dirt like Arthur, there is no happiness. The downtrodden outcast who lashes out, doesn’t get his comeuppance.
that's funny cause the first one was clearly inspired by Taxi Driver....in this one they kind of tried to do it's own thing but it just feels like there wasn't a clear direction of the story just like three different movies smash into one or at least three different ideas and any of them end up being fleshed out
Right out of the beginning of this review im extremely disappointed. So basically they used all of gagas shots as harley as promotional material and didnt even show it in the film? So weird
yeah they baited every single gaga fan to watch the movie and now they are so mad lmao i don't even know what to say, like why would u put all the scenes that arent into the movie in the trailer.
I enjoyed the first movie and am interested in the sequel but making it a musical kinda shows an excessive egotism, imo. Nobody wants to see a musical set in a superhero world. Will probably go and see it though, more in hope than expectation.
just saw this crap, it was a huge mistake to turn this into a musical, coz they hired lady gag me to the movie, this script shouldve never been filmed, wtf was this crap ! we don't wanna see the joker break out in song, much less harley quinn, this was so dull and pathetic, waste of time too
Imposter syndrome is a mental disorder. Misinformation is dangerous. This is why people are afraid to talk about their mental health. They're treated like liars when they're telling the truth and struggling because of it. The world like you people to to educate yourself and do better.
Went to the fan screening at universal’s imax tonight (sold out a massive imax theater), and when the movie ended not a single person clapped. And the mumblings of people walking out were “it looked stunning, but what a mess”. There’s some great ideas at play here but the plot just doesn’t pull through for act 3. Also, they genuinely did Gaga dirty.
Dudebros rarely like musicals so it was a bold choice considering their target demo lol. Idk why they made a movie for me and the fringe enjoyers but I appreesh it
@@nailinthefashion “Dudebros”…. I was literally in show choir. I fucking LOVE musicals, but it was clear that Todd Phillips had no clue how to direct one. Musicals are suppose to add to the story, not take you away from it.
@@OfficialWeAreForever that's awesome. But you aren't the norm of the DC target demo, that's exactly my point. Idk why they attempted to make a film for us musical enjoyers. we are fringe numbers of their usual audience lol. I like that they experimented but man, it could have been so much more grand.
It Has cause it makes sense like all the musical aspect are gonna be in their heads sooo and besides Arthur already dances and singing a little in the first one soo it makes sense
That is such dumb logic. Being a musical does not mean it is bad. if it was going to be bad as a musical, it would be bad if it wasn't. "But you can't do this" "It shouldn't be like this". People that think like you are the ones are ruining art and film making. In art and filmmaking, there shouldn't be any restrictions or control by any audiences, corporations or studios.
RUclips smart. They took away the countdown when you can skip a commercial so you sit and wait and watch the damn thing and ‘SKIP’ never comes. Sneaky.
i was soooo excited for this and left the theater feeling very conflicted and very upset over the ending. felt like a lot of the movie was a waste of time because the musical numbers (which i enjoyed quite a bit in their own way) had no effect on the real story and that was also the only place you got to really see arthur be joker, and all of Lees best moments, but... they weren't real so at the end of the day do they really even matter ? and i agree that Lee was a totally flat character and i will probably leave more fleshed out thoughts in the spoiler video but yeah... idk. this was kind of all over the place and didn't really have much going on
Grace your tone, we could tell you wanted to love this movie so much and you didn’t bad talk the film you just honestly shared what the film should have been. Thanks for your honest review
But isnt that weird? I mean, she liked Transformers One and says its a good film but she doesnt recommend it? This is the opposite. How can you not like a movie but recommend it? x.x.
@@carlosrodrigoaguirre1788how can you recommend something while not liking it yourself? YOU RECOMMEND SOMETHING TO SOMEONE ELSE, SO IT DOES NOT MATTER AT ALL IF YOU LIKED IT OR NOT, it’s about who ur talking lmao, gen alpha is cooked
@@indoorplant2392 - so, for example, I go see any movie and find it enjoyable and I think its an actual good movie, is it ok to tell people to skip it? I know the audience has all sort of different taste but, in my silly head, if I happen to find a good movie, I try to recommend it. Then its up to the people watching it or not.
@@packedentertainment2866 omg wait i didn’t mean it like that💀 i meant that because she rarely ever does stuff like this it’s cool that she’s letting her inner fan out like she did the look well. sorry if it came off that way i definitely didn’t mean that as a diss🥲
@@hdfilmsthingsdon't worry, they're just pessimists. I got what you meant, she's a happy, classy, adult goth. Its a perfect way to start spooky season along with her Agatha All Along witch look too
just saw this crap, it was a huge mistake to turn this into a musical, coz they hired lady gag me to the movie, this script shouldve never been filmed, wtf was this crap ! we don't wanna see the joker break out in song, much less harley quinn, this was so dull and pathetic, waste of time too
Did you watch the movie because it seems like most commenting didnt get the ending. Fleck is NOT the real Joker. It all makes sense now. I mean Bruce is a kid in the first movie. Fleck would be in his 70s when he becomes Batman. Harvey Dent is in his 20s in this.
That’s what I’m thinking…Todd Phillips wanted to make sure to be RESPONSIBLE with these characters because in the real world we have people with mental health issues doing these mass shootings…you don’t want to praise that kind of behavior even if it is fictional. Btw I haven’t seen this movie yet but I am curious to watch it. I watched the first one and while I did like it, it was disturbing.
Went to a fan screening last night, was surprisingly a pretty bad theater experience. I enjoyed the movie but a lot of people in my theater seemed bored. These two guys kept taking pictures with their flash on, they also yelled at the screen twice. Eventually I went and told the employees at the front counter and they had security talk to them, the two guys ended up walking out halfway through the movie. The couple next to me was on their phone for a good portion of the movie. I was shocked that people were behaving that way at a FAN screening
@@AnonymousGrogu I agree. Wasn’t my favorite movie of the year by any means, but it held my attention. Was just disappointed and shocked by my audience’s behavior
ugh. fans can easily ruin a theater experience. i can see why some would look at their phone, especially if perhaps they accompanied someone more interested but taking pictures, with the flash on? ugh.. 🤦♂️
I don’t even want to know what you mean by that…the thing is lady Gaga especially in her younger years definitely fits Harley Quin even more than Margot Robbie but the musical didn’t need to happen
@@GiveonKing doesnt matter when the dumbass director decided to strip everything away from the base character. These "Adaptations" might as well be shitting on an IP to make money
@@GiveonKingchill out. Margot was/is still the perfect Harley. Her & Gal Gadot literally embodied their characters & are easily some of the best comic book castings ever & should never be recasted. If there’s only one thing the DCEU got right … it’s them 2 being casted in their respective roles.
@@packedentertainment2866 she played Harley well but that isn’t originally how Harley Quinn is portrayed. Also gal gadot can’t act. She is good looking and looks the part but it ends there.
Wow, you look incredible. I actually thought the movie was really good. I liked the musical aspect more than the courtroom drama. The Arkham scenes were perfect.
@@dcmastermindfirst9418funny, i dont see OPs comment as a comparison? Is You defence of the film really “yeah but so did x and x”, instead of a real pro argument for the film? Ridiculous.
@@dcmastermindfirst9418no? Only mcu movies. The x-men movies have always been darker, more artistic & more mature (minus origins Wolverine). The x-men movies are art. The mcu movies are mindless blockbusters that you turn your brain off to
@@packedentertainment2866 I love how you bring up origins wolverine but leave out the equally shit, dark phoenix, apocalypse, X3, and new mutants. The rest of Fox x-men outside of Logan are all pretty mediocre imo
Maybe audience tests changed the final cut? If it was a movie that some people didn't like, then taking their suggestions might not make them like it, but make everyone not like it. Or maybe after the anti-woman, anti-fans killed _The Marvels,_ they lost their nerve and edited her out?
@@whitepaint7870 the why pick Gaga to begin with, you are just setting up for disappointment and from what grace talks about the film, I'm not sure guys will like it
The main reason I was looking forward to this was to see where Harley took the story; I will go see it anyways just because, but probably won't repeat view. (Bummer, as I am that odd individual who actually really likes musicals) Why bother putting Gaga in it and have people get on board with it and then cut her role down? That's just plain dumb. 😮
Yeah, he probably wanted to bait her audience, but didn’t want to alienate the audience for the Joker at the same time. Filmmakers of superhero movies do this a lot, tbh.
Well, no matter what they intend when they shoot the script it's gaga's version that they have to adjust to. Every decision will hinge around what is her best angles and which lines she does a better job on may influence what is cut or kept. I would say she has some part in this Harley's creation.
Well that doesnt correlate with what Grace said. Apparently a lot of her scenes were cut from the movie. If youre still not sure about Gaga as Harley go watch the Marry the Night music video.
@@bcluett1697Gaga’s performance in this is good, it’s really the entire plot and script that is the issue. In fact, all of the actors involved did the best they could with the material given. This is entirely the fault of the director.
Saw it earlier, spoilers ahead At the end of the film audiences watch as Arthur returns to prison. Harley has left him, and Arthur is seemingly coming to the conclusion that he isn’t the Joker. This leads to an Arkham inmate approaching Arthur now that he’s back behind bars. During the course of their interaction, said inmate begins telling Arthur a joke. But before Arthur can reach the punchline, this unknown inmate stabs and kills him. What is more, the killer then uses his knife to carve a wide smile on his own face, revealing that he is the “true Joker”
That's because the studio is full of idiots who don't like listening to the fans. They could've greenlit a Batman Beyond movie with Michael Keaton or heck even Ben Affleck, but instead we got this.
He wants to ruin the character of Arthur, which is completely understandable. After all, there're plenty of people IRL who publicly claim their admiration for this insane clown.
No, he was just forced to make a movie or accepted a pet. He said all I needed to say with the first movie and I think he was just trying to say f*** y** to the studio. Here's the movie, you know whatever and I guess he felt like he needed to give Lady Gaga musical parts when she could have just been an actor I don't know I haven't seen the movie, but it seems like a miss and it's really unfortunate because he said all he needed to say with the first movie, it didn't need a sequel, just say no, and then someone else will get to. Do it and then maybe they'll f*** it up, maybe even worse, maybe not, but at least you won't be the one f****** it up. Tod phillips why didn't you just say no
@@KnarfStein I get that, but it still sounds like a dumb direction to take the story. I shouldn’t have to be told to the face that I shouldn’t idolize THE JOKER!
just saw this crap, it was a huge mistake to turn this into a musical, coz they hired lady gag me to the movie, this script shouldve never been filmed, wtf was this crap ! we don't wanna see the joker break out in song, much less harley quinn, this was so dull and pathetic, waste of time too
Todd Philips just needed to stop pretending something he wasn't. He ain't some auteur. He could rely on Taxi driver in the first one. Just make what the audience wants to see instead of some abstract concept.
He could do both, just gotta be done right and with the right team. I like DC being bold and experimental, but I like seeing what the fans want to see.
Well he didn't really want to make a second one but the studio forced his hand. He definitely made sure there couldn't possibly be a third one though lol
while taking a harsh stance on disenfranchised men is valid, the perspective of those disenfranchised men is also valid. I think trying to settle things and take said men down a peg is going to doom this movie
I don’t think everything these so-called disenfranchised men are going through is valid I think accountability is a good thing, but it needs to be done in the right way. Perhaps it wasn’t. Like they say when you’re used to having a higher status, equality feels like oppression.
The movie will fail because it's pretentious and takes too many liberties with the characters, to the point where they're unrecognizable from their comicbook counterparts, even for elseworld standards.
@@Mr.MReturns only issue with that assessment is that i really dont think the first film's success had anything to do with its commitment to comic accuracy
I feel like Todd didn’t want to do this movie and tried to pull a Spielberg when the studio pressured him to do an ET sequel so he wrote ET nocturnal nightmare so that ET was a villain and he knew they would never make it. So I think Todd tried something similar by making this a musical and thought that it would make it too bizarre for the studio to make it
OMG! Just got home from Date night with my GF, when I heard her Scream. I run to her n she is like Grace just uploaded the Joke 2 review. Now here we are at 2:30 am in the living room watching this, we are so excited.
@@BeyondTheTrailer Hi Grace this is Diana, Nicolas gf. Love your channel n thank from saying hi to me. Due to my work I don’t have social media app ur account on my device so I use Nico’s, so I normally don’t get to chat with as myself much n just comment as him. We love watching u n thanks for all your hard work and great informative content. PS: Thanks for telling Nicolas about the Organic Makeup 💄 you been using, He got me some from my BD a few months back, n now I have been only use those. BTW: I use similar Glasses as you 👓.
I remember watching your videos and reading your superbia comics when I was in highschool. Definitely long time fan, and I really enjoyed your nuanced take on this film! I feel like when people speak their mind honestly about media is refreshing and I love hearing it. It's been a while since I've listened to the channel but I loved the makeup and the honest review of the movie! Keep it up Grace!
I havent seen the film yet, but I think what Phillips should have done is build more and more towards the musical numbers towards the climax (max two sequences) mirroring the hallucinatory aspects of his relationship with harley, and how that turns them both to madness in different ways. They could’ve left the official soundtrack for Gaga to put together, and gotten an incredible composer to enhance the film with a musical quality in all the dialogue leading up to it.
Im still going to see the film. I really like Gaga’s rendition of “That’s Life”. But I’m really sad about how they’ve apparently portrayed this version of Harley. How do you cast Lady Gaga as THE Harley Quinn and mess it up?!?!?!
Not many people "idolized" the joker character. They just empathized with this tragic origin story instead of straight up denouncing it because it was a man becoming a villain. The idolization part comes from people trying to paint a narrative and strawman portions of the audiences they detest.
The story should have been a continuation of the ending of the first. Joker being free and causing havoc with his tribe. Having him in jail or court is setting him back and seems redundant. He was the antihero we wanted winning and not caught by law enforcement.
I really liked it. This movie highlights the public's misunderstanding of mental illness and how no one truly cared about Arthur-only his Joker persona. Those he believed cared for him turned out to be indifferent, and he pushed away the one person who genuinely tried to help, all in a desperate attempt to gain the love he never had. The musical scenes fit perfectly, illustrating his delusions. In my view, everything was spot on. It was tragic, dark, and hollow, much like Arthur's life.
Actually I can confirm..... Gaga is in the movie throughout. Lots of songs too. What got cut is her PLOT. It's like they kept 80% of her songs, and 60% of her scenes. But some of Harley's story is just...missing. You'll SEE her a lot... you just won't really understand her fully by the end.
"...he decided to use the sequel to are down tare the character down". Joker was never meant to be an idol for people to stand behind, he was a warning of what happens when society doesn't take care of it's most vulnerable. Todd's Joker doesn't compare anything to comic book Joker, why would Harley be anything like the comic?
I liked it. It was an interesting take. The ending was a mistake. Everything needed a pinch of Ledger and Robbie. Next time we see these characters, they have to be a little more traditional.
Sounds like it. Which is unfortunate because I was really hoping it would surpass D&W at the box office. We should still go see it though to make up our own opinions
It’s hard to understand for people but I think they needed to make sure they didn’t idolize them. It’s a realistic setting about a REAAALLY toxic relationship.
Based on your review, I wonder if Todd Philips was "convinced" to undo the effects of the first Joker with this sequel. The first movie really rallied together all the underdogs against the "system"
When I Saw Beetlejuice 2 In Theatres, They Had A Joker 2 Kinda Preview In Front Of Beetlejuice 2 Even Though It Was A Preview I Noticed That The Line That Lady Gaga Said In That Movie “ Let’s Give The People What They Want “ Got Cut Out Of That Preview For Some Strange Reason I Don’t Know Why That Was, But It Was Just A Preview Of The Movie Itself.
I didn’t have a problem with the music, but I did have a problem with it being a trial movie. As soon as we got out of the trial it picked up soooo well and I wish we got was more out of that because that’s when you can see Arthur, Harley, and the public’s true intentions and I think we could’ve gotten more of that and it felt a lot more like the magic the first one had. what do you think?
Frank Herbert was mad at the audience who loved Paul Atredies & he wrote Dune Messiah in a nerd rage to tear Paul down. It wasn't a success & whereas the first Dune book is extraordinarily popular... the Dune series is not popular at all
Love the makeup! I saw the film last night and enjoyed it. I think people will come around to the singing when they realize that the songs occur when they are in the fantasy. The songs are jarring the viewer out of reality, that’s why it seems to stop the film dead in their tracks I do agree that the film is about tearing Arthur down, not as idolized as in the first one.
Yes there are disenfranchised men, but it's because they're confronted with the fact they don't get to be at the top while everyone else is pressed, socially and financially, to be secondary to them. I don't think catering to this type of soreness is what needs to happen. Bolstering men doesn't have to come at the cost of others, but unfortunately, that's what these "disenfranchised men" want to see. A lot of young men are gravitating towards modern day conservatism, and it's partially because women will no longer cater to them (for example) and they would very much like to have that female indentured servitude labor back in the home. We can't go back to creating culture catering to desires like this, and should not go back just to make some box office cash.
Bolstering other groups shouldn't come at the cost of men either though, people need to stop making this a "us vs them" thing. Plenty of men have legit real grievances and wrongs done to them by the system, just like plenty of women, Black people, immigrants, LGBTQ etc... have, we are all people
Lawrence Sher’s cinematography in these two movies is wild to me, the framing of Joker and the color palette is one part One for the Heart and one part The Dark Knight Returns. So much of the film looks immediately iconic.
Around the first trailer release Lady Gaga was celebrating how there are 13 musical numbers in Joker 2. Trying to hype up the movie…I immediately felt a pit in my stomach. Im sadly going to skip this movie. It was one of my most anticipated of 2024 😢😢😢
I feel my thoughts on the film mainly align with yours. There was a lot I enjoyed about the film, there was just more that I wanted out of it. I wanted more actual Harley and Joker, more scenes from them like the fire scene where they got out together. Didn’t love the whole Harley essentially becoming an abuser thing, but still loved what Gaga brought to the film despite what she was given (loved your Wanda comparison). I enjoyed most of the music but would’ve cut like 4-5 songs. Can’t wait to discuss the ending! Thanks for your review! ❤
This is another prime example of why modern creatives should not have FULL control on a project or at the very least should have a producer or the studio to tell them no. Todd Phillips might’ve funnily enough just pulled a Megalopolis with it being all artsy but a total mess and the fact the studio approved this in its final form is just insane. The fact that Looney Tunes Back in Action and Showdown in Little Tokyo had more studio interference than Joker 2 just goes to show that WB is a complete joke of a company. no pun intended
Joker 1 was overrated tbh... There's nothing about the character that's says "joker" except the clown suit... It seems like a random guy with mental issues... Even after he became "the joker" there was none of the personality of the joker
The story of Joker seemed very thinly constructed while the characters were so hyperreal that there was major disconnect between what the characters said and how the story progressed.
Get better taste in movies then. “Overrated”? Your favorite films must be multiverse of madness, the marvels, green lantern, black widow, Eternals, the original version of Justice League & x-men origins Wolverine.
@@packedentertainment2866 ur in ur feelings because I didn't like a movie that you think is the greatest thing ever? grow up...WHO CARES? you like what you like, and I don't....life goes on
It should have been a Bonnie and Clyde, but it never really goes there -or anywhere at all.
This is a PERFECT IDEA! Should of been their reference for this movie
Just watch Venom 2 (Let There Be Carnage)
That’s the point though, to glorify their romance destroys the point of the movie. The whole point is that for dirt like Arthur, there is no happiness. The downtrodden outcast who lashes out, doesn’t get his comeuppance.
Fr. They should’ve emulated the last episode of season 2 of Harley Quinn when Harley & Ivy are running from the world
that's funny cause the first one was clearly inspired by Taxi Driver....in this one they kind of tried to do it's own thing but it just feels like there wasn't a clear direction of the story just like three different movies smash into one or at least three different ideas and any of them end up being fleshed out
Right out of the beginning of this review im extremely disappointed. So basically they used all of gagas shots as harley as promotional material and didnt even show it in the film? So weird
yeah they baited every single gaga fan to watch the movie and now they are so mad lmao i don't even know what to say, like why would u put all the scenes that arent into the movie in the trailer.
Wait, for real? That's kinda dirty.
The thumbnail lmfaoooo grace. Highlight of my night!
Girl looks horrified 😂
Watching the review now hoping it's not a terrible movie with such a facial expression.
She’s funny with her facial expressions.
no
I love the makeup! It's going to be a fun October for Grace :)
😂 I was like, oh nooooooo 😮
Grace! My boyfriend meeting you at the premier and being featured in this video has been monumental, we love you!!
Lmao exactly what I imagine grace fans to be 😂
@tokekage2150 Why are you watching her then?
The sequel no one asked for seemed poised to get the reception Warners doesn’t want.
I agree that it should have been a standalone film. No way the studio was NOT going to follow a billion dollar film.
The first movie was no Citizen Kane either.
I enjoyed the first movie and am interested in the sequel but making it a musical kinda shows an excessive egotism, imo. Nobody wants to see a musical set in a superhero world. Will probably go and see it though, more in hope than expectation.
I disagree, Joker 2 could've been awesome, but Todd got too cute and pretentious.
just saw this crap, it was a huge mistake to turn this into a musical, coz they hired lady gag me to the movie, this script shouldve never been filmed, wtf was this crap ! we don't wanna see the joker break out in song, much less harley quinn, this was so dull and pathetic, waste of time too
Just a note, Imposter Syndrome is not a mental disorder. We definitely should not treat a common phenomenon and feeling as a mental illness.
100%
Correctisimo! Caught it right away.
Imposter syndrome is a mental disorder. Misinformation is dangerous. This is why people are afraid to talk about their mental health. They're treated like liars when they're telling the truth and struggling because of it. The world like you people to to educate yourself and do better.
Went to the fan screening at universal’s imax tonight (sold out a massive imax theater), and when the movie ended not a single person clapped. And the mumblings of people walking out were “it looked stunning, but what a mess”. There’s some great ideas at play here but the plot just doesn’t pull through for act 3. Also, they genuinely did Gaga dirty.
They did the joker even dirtier. Basically spit on him throughout the entire movie and then threw him in the trash. Hated it.
@@evanpaszamant1291 mumbling was probably fans discussing that cameo/Easter egg at the end
I never clap at the ending of any movie, so that criticism doesn't hold much water for me.
@@TechWeLove people in my area rarely clap. The only time I heard people clap was Avengers Endgame, Dune 2, and Stars Wars episode 7
why would people clap?
People in my theater started clapping when joker told Harley to “stop singing”…… I think unanimously this is how we all felt
Dudebros rarely like musicals so it was a bold choice considering their target demo lol. Idk why they made a movie for me and the fringe enjoyers but I appreesh it
@nailinthefashion let's rise those standards my friend
@@nailinthefashion “Dudebros”…. I was literally in show choir. I fucking LOVE musicals, but it was clear that Todd Phillips had no clue how to direct one. Musicals are suppose to add to the story, not take you away from it.
@@thiagoaires ???
@@OfficialWeAreForever that's awesome. But you aren't the norm of the DC target demo, that's exactly my point. Idk why they attempted to make a film for us musical enjoyers. we are fringe numbers of their usual audience lol. I like that they experimented but man, it could have been so much more grand.
Joker 2 Folie A Deux
Joker 3 Menage A Trois ?
With Poison Ivy
there will be no Joker 3 hahaha.
Harley, Selina Kyle & Ivy❤@@IScottTheScotch
How it ended, there is no joker 3
@@e3vL1 Great.
This movie had no business being a musical...
It Has cause it makes sense like all the musical aspect are gonna be in their heads sooo and besides Arthur already dances and singing a little in the first one soo it makes sense
@@superbatusPL What?
Make sense or don’t make sense making the whole film a musical is not the move now im worried
this movie shouldve never been made
That is such dumb logic. Being a musical does not mean it is bad. if it was going to be bad as a musical, it would be bad if it wasn't. "But you can't do this" "It shouldn't be like this". People that think like you are the ones are ruining art and film making. In art and filmmaking, there shouldn't be any restrictions or control by any audiences, corporations or studios.
RUclips smart. They took away the countdown when you can skip a commercial so you sit and wait and watch the damn thing and ‘SKIP’ never comes. Sneaky.
Only way now is to close the video and reopen from watch history if you watching on Mobile, is relatively quick and I refuse to let them win
Get RUclips Premium then 😂
i was soooo excited for this and left the theater feeling very conflicted and very upset over the ending. felt like a lot of the movie was a waste of time because the musical numbers (which i enjoyed quite a bit in their own way) had no effect on the real story and that was also the only place you got to really see arthur be joker, and all of Lees best moments, but... they weren't real so at the end of the day do they really even matter ? and i agree that Lee was a totally flat character and i will probably leave more fleshed out thoughts in the spoiler video but yeah... idk. this was kind of all over the place and didn't really have much going on
Grace your tone, we could tell you wanted to love this movie so much and you didn’t bad talk the film you just honestly shared what the film should have been.
Thanks for your honest review
Wow. Almost every point was negative but Grace still recommends it. I have no idea how I will like it when I catch it this week.
The film is good and when you see the film, you’ll see the review is balanced but she’s helping you manage your expectations
But isnt that weird? I mean, she liked Transformers One and says its a good film but she doesnt recommend it?
This is the opposite. How can you not like a movie but recommend it? x.x.
Grace is all over the place hahahah
@@carlosrodrigoaguirre1788how can you recommend something while not liking it yourself? YOU RECOMMEND SOMETHING TO SOMEONE ELSE, SO IT DOES NOT MATTER AT ALL IF YOU LIKED IT OR NOT, it’s about who ur talking lmao, gen alpha is cooked
@@indoorplant2392 - so, for example, I go see any movie and find it enjoyable and I think its an actual good movie, is it ok to tell people to skip it? I know the audience has all sort of different taste but, in my silly head, if I happen to find a good movie, I try to recommend it.
Then its up to the people watching it or not.
THE CLOWN MAKEUP IS SO GOOD GRACE. idk why but it totally fits your vibe i love it
That's her usual make up
iT tOtAlLy FiTs yOuR ViBe
“It totally fits your vibe” is not the compliment you think. Sounds like a diss.
@@packedentertainment2866 omg wait i didn’t mean it like that💀 i meant that because she rarely ever does stuff like this it’s cool that she’s letting her inner fan out like she did the look well. sorry if it came off that way i definitely didn’t mean that as a diss🥲
@@hdfilmsthingsdon't worry, they're just pessimists. I got what you meant, she's a happy, classy, adult goth. Its a perfect way to start spooky season along with her Agatha All Along witch look too
I knew this would be a mess of a movie smh
The idea sounds so nuts you would think Todd had something up his sleeve
Damn lmfaoooo
Its unfortunate to hear about how harley quinn is portrayed in this movie because she was one of the biggest reasons i wanted to see this.
Yeah you would go watch the movie because of that smh
@@marlondavis9450 ? I don’t really remember the first joker and i like Harley Quinn…
Margot Robbie is still the best Harley Quinn, I'd recommend watching any of the Suicide Squad movies over Joker 2.
@@Mr.MReturns i have seen them as well as the animated series.
@@Mr.MReturnsGaga Harley is the best
Joker 2 should have just been about him being the Clown prince of crime 🤦🏾♂️
That could be joker 3 with the real joker
just saw this crap, it was a huge mistake to turn this into a musical, coz they hired lady gag me to the movie, this script shouldve never been filmed, wtf was this crap ! we don't wanna see the joker break out in song, much less harley quinn, this was so dull and pathetic, waste of time too
@@thauen I don't think anyone would want to use their time to watch that after what happened
Did you watch the movie because it seems like most commenting didnt get the ending. Fleck is NOT the real Joker. It all makes sense now. I mean Bruce is a kid in the first movie. Fleck would be in his 70s when he becomes Batman. Harvey Dent is in his 20s in this.
@@thauen THANK YOU! Seems like most didnt get the ending. It was speculated after the first movie Fleck wasnt Joker. Harley also ditches him.
They can’t have the young viewers idolizing them, much less the disturbed adults. That’s why it made sense to me.
That’s what I’m thinking…Todd Phillips wanted to make sure to be RESPONSIBLE with these characters because in the real world we have people with mental health issues doing these mass shootings…you don’t want to praise that kind of behavior even if it is fictional. Btw I haven’t seen this movie yet but I am curious to watch it. I watched the first one and while I did like it, it was disturbing.
Went to a fan screening last night, was surprisingly a pretty bad theater experience. I enjoyed the movie but a lot of people in my theater seemed bored. These two guys kept taking pictures with their flash on, they also yelled at the screen twice. Eventually I went and told the employees at the front counter and they had security talk to them, the two guys ended up walking out halfway through the movie. The couple next to me was on their phone for a good portion of the movie. I was shocked that people were behaving that way at a FAN screening
I enjoyed the movie quite a bit
@@AnonymousGrogu I agree. Wasn’t my favorite movie of the year by any means, but it held my attention. Was just disappointed and shocked by my audience’s behavior
ugh. fans can easily ruin a theater experience.
i can see why some would look at their phone, especially if perhaps they accompanied someone more interested but taking pictures, with the flash on? ugh.. 🤦♂️
wow! that sounds awful.
I expect that, with this project. They want their dark, gritty, somber clones
I saw it last night and already forgot about it. The movie is no good.
Just want to point out as a mental health professional, imposter syndrome is not a diagnosis
I was going to say… wait, did I miss an update??
🙄
Then it's another made up diagnosis. Lol
Your tone death encyclopedia-based knowledge is part of the problem.
@@kamuilasia5813lmao imagine having to force yourself to believe in something just to convince yourself you like a film.
Oh so THAT'S what Todd Phillips meant by "a different Harley".... hmmm....
I don’t even want to know what you mean by that…the thing is lady Gaga especially in her younger years definitely fits Harley Quin even more than Margot Robbie but the musical didn’t need to happen
@@GiveonKing doesnt matter when the dumbass director decided to strip everything away from the base character. These "Adaptations" might as well be shitting on an IP to make money
@@GiveonKingchill out. Margot was/is still the perfect Harley. Her & Gal Gadot literally embodied their characters & are easily some of the best comic book castings ever & should never be recasted. If there’s only one thing the DCEU got right … it’s them 2 being casted in their respective roles.
@@packedentertainment2866 she played Harley well but that isn’t originally how Harley Quinn is portrayed. Also gal gadot can’t act. She is good looking and looks the part but it ends there.
@@packedentertainment2866 Gal Gadot?? LOL Be serious. Margot is a great Harley tho
Wow, you look incredible. I actually thought the movie was really good. I liked the musical aspect more than the courtroom drama. The Arkham scenes were perfect.
Aw thank you so much for the support!
@@BeyondTheTrailerthe movie was a 9.5/10 for me and my friends!
@@BeyondTheTrailerkudos for encouraging fans to make premiers “events” again with hype and dress up
Joker Folie a Deux is pure style over substance.
That's literally every marvel movie
@@dcmastermindfirst9418funny, i dont see OPs comment as a comparison? Is You defence of the film really “yeah but so did x and x”, instead of a real pro argument for the film? Ridiculous.
@@dcmastermindfirst9418no? Only mcu movies. The x-men movies have always been darker, more artistic & more mature (minus origins Wolverine). The x-men movies are art. The mcu movies are mindless blockbusters that you turn your brain off to
@@packedentertainment2866 I love how you bring up origins wolverine but leave out the equally shit, dark phoenix, apocalypse, X3, and new mutants. The rest of Fox x-men outside of Logan are all pretty mediocre imo
Most movies are
Hiring a female writer wouldn't have solved anything, in fact it would definetly have made it worse.
Wdm they cutt Gaga the whole reason am watching is gaga
I thinking maybe they wanted to appeal to a more male audience.
Maybe audience tests changed the final cut? If it was a movie that some people didn't like, then taking their suggestions might not make them like it, but make everyone not like it. Or maybe after the anti-woman, anti-fans killed _The Marvels,_ they lost their nerve and edited her out?
@@whitepaint7870 the why pick Gaga to begin with, you are just setting up for disappointment and from what grace talks about the film, I'm not sure guys will like it
Right??
There was plenty of Gaga
Ugh Mindhunter is probably still the best Netflix original 🔥🔥🔥
Mind hunter is average.
@@Hat_With_A_Hat_On you're average.
I only watched it this year and really hope for a miracle season 3 to happen. So good.
This film will flop. Idk whose dumb idea it was to make this into a musical.
The guy who directed The Hangover part 3.
i dont think its gonna flop there no competion big movies this october venom is the last movie of october
I watched it. It's not a musical.
Arthur sometimes has day dreams of him and or Harley singing. It's just 25% of the film
@@e3vL1 i dont understand why people hate musical aspect in this film
@@angelicacate3451I don't think people hate musicals. They just dont like a musical in a gritty mature themed movie
The main reason I was looking forward to this was to see where Harley took the story; I will go see it anyways just because, but probably won't repeat view.
(Bummer, as I am that odd individual who actually really likes musicals)
Why bother putting Gaga in it and have people get on board with it and then cut her role down? That's just plain dumb. 😮
Yeah, he probably wanted to bait her audience, but didn’t want to alienate the audience for the Joker at the same time. Filmmakers of superhero movies do this a lot, tbh.
somehow it feels like gaga’s character is a self insert even though she had no part in creating the character
omg kinda true
Well, no matter what they intend when they shoot the script it's gaga's version that they have to adjust to. Every decision will hinge around what is her best angles and which lines she does a better job on may influence what is cut or kept. I would say she has some part in this Harley's creation.
Well that doesnt correlate with what Grace said. Apparently a lot of her scenes were cut from the movie. If youre still not sure about Gaga as Harley go watch the Marry the Night music video.
@@bcluett1697Gaga’s performance in this is good, it’s really the entire plot and script that is the issue. In fact, all of the actors involved did the best they could with the material given. This is entirely the fault of the director.
Saw it earlier, spoilers ahead
At the end of the film audiences watch as Arthur returns to prison. Harley has left him, and Arthur is seemingly coming to the conclusion that he isn’t the Joker.
This leads to an Arkham inmate approaching Arthur now that he’s back behind bars.
During the course of their interaction, said inmate begins telling Arthur a joke. But before Arthur can reach the punchline, this unknown inmate stabs and kills him.
What is more, the killer then uses his knife to carve a wide smile on his own face, revealing that he is the “true Joker”
So what you are saying is this is Ed Wood bad?
I'm still wondering why they decided to make a sequel to a movie that didn't need one... common Hollywood trend
Money grab
That's because the studio is full of idiots who don't like listening to the fans. They could've greenlit a Batman Beyond movie with Michael Keaton or heck even Ben Affleck, but instead we got this.
Just like Gladiator 2 which I maintain is the most pointless unnecessary sequel to ever be made.
$Bn
billion$$ movie-
I have no idea why this movie even exists. It’s like Todd Phillips wanted to ruin the reputation of the first movie.
He wants to ruin the character of Arthur, which is completely understandable. After all, there're plenty of people IRL who publicly claim their admiration for this insane clown.
Probably exists because the director wanted to make it
No, he was just forced to make a movie or accepted a pet. He said all I needed to say with the first movie and I think he was just trying to say f*** y** to the studio. Here's the movie, you know whatever and I guess he felt like he needed to give Lady Gaga musical parts when she could have just been an actor I don't know I haven't seen the movie, but it seems like a miss and it's really unfortunate because he said all he needed to say with the first movie, it didn't need a sequel, just say no, and then someone else will get to. Do it and then maybe they'll f*** it up, maybe even worse, maybe not, but at least you won't be the one f****** it up. Tod phillips why didn't you just say no
@@KnarfStein I get that, but it still sounds like a dumb direction to take the story. I shouldn’t have to be told to the face that I shouldn’t idolize THE JOKER!
just saw this crap, it was a huge mistake to turn this into a musical, coz they hired lady gag me to the movie, this script shouldve never been filmed, wtf was this crap ! we don't wanna see the joker break out in song, much less harley quinn, this was so dull and pathetic, waste of time too
Joker sequel deconstructing joker and crapping on the fans of the first, no thanks
I love how Grace just gets it
Todd Philips just needed to stop pretending something he wasn't. He ain't some auteur. He could rely on Taxi driver in the first one. Just make what the audience wants to see instead of some abstract concept.
He could do both, just gotta be done right and with the right team. I like DC being bold and experimental, but I like seeing what the fans want to see.
That seems to ALWAYS be the problem with comic book movies that don't work.
Lol nobody wanted a Joker movie and look how that turned out
I think the Gunn universe will do fine at giving the audience what it wants
Well he didn't really want to make a second one but the studio forced his hand. He definitely made sure there couldn't possibly be a third one though lol
while taking a harsh stance on disenfranchised men is valid, the perspective of those disenfranchised men is also valid. I think trying to settle things and take said men down a peg is going to doom this movie
I don’t think everything these so-called disenfranchised men are going through is valid I think accountability is a good thing, but it needs to be done in the right way. Perhaps it wasn’t. Like they say when you’re used to having a higher status, equality feels like oppression.
What is the valid perspective of these disenfranchised men?
I'm a man, enlighten me please.
🙄@@dorino9057
The movie will fail because it's pretentious and takes too many liberties with the characters, to the point where they're unrecognizable from their comicbook counterparts, even for elseworld standards.
@@Mr.MReturns only issue with that assessment is that i really dont think the first film's success had anything to do with its commitment to comic accuracy
I think it will become a cult classic with time
I feel like Todd didn’t want to do this movie and tried to pull a Spielberg when the studio pressured him to do an ET sequel so he wrote ET nocturnal nightmare so that ET was a villain and he knew they would never make it. So I think Todd tried something similar by making this a musical and thought that it would make it too bizarre for the studio to make it
OMG! Just got home from Date night with my GF, when I heard her Scream. I run to her n she is like Grace just uploaded the Joke 2 review. Now here we are at 2:30 am in the living room watching this, we are so excited.
What an awesome story! Please say hi to your GF for me!
That’s so cute, you two are relationship goals! 😭
@@BeyondTheTrailer Hi Grace this is Diana, Nicolas gf. Love your channel n thank from saying hi to me. Due to my work I don’t have social media app ur account on my device so I use Nico’s, so I normally don’t get to chat with as myself much n just comment as him. We love watching u n thanks for all your hard work and great informative content.
PS: Thanks for telling Nicolas about the Organic Makeup 💄 you been using, He got me some from my BD a few months back, n now I have been only use those. BTW: I use similar Glasses as you 👓.
very weird.... lol
Thank you Grace for recognising disenfranchised men. Your make up looks awesome by the way.
It feels they wanted to do a bad movie to not do another sequel 😭
I remember watching your videos and reading your superbia comics when I was in highschool. Definitely long time fan, and I really enjoyed your nuanced take on this film! I feel like when people speak their mind honestly about media is refreshing and I love hearing it. It's been a while since I've listened to the channel but I loved the makeup and the honest review of the movie! Keep it up Grace!
I havent seen the film yet, but I think what Phillips should have done is build more and more towards the musical numbers towards the climax (max two sequences) mirroring the hallucinatory aspects of his relationship with harley, and how that turns them both to madness in different ways. They could’ve left the official soundtrack for Gaga to put together, and gotten an incredible composer to enhance the film with a musical quality in all the dialogue leading up to it.
Im still going to see the film. I really like Gaga’s rendition of “That’s Life”. But I’m really sad about how they’ve apparently portrayed this version of Harley. How do you cast Lady Gaga as THE Harley Quinn and mess it up?!?!?!
It has always fascinated me how audiences have idolized this character. Truly.
Same here. That is why i want to believe this movie will deconstruct that aspect.
If you’re confused you need to rewatch and actually think about the movie beyond it being a “Joker” movie.
Not many people "idolized" the joker character. They just empathized with this tragic origin story instead of straight up denouncing it because it was a man becoming a villain. The idolization part comes from people trying to paint a narrative and strawman portions of the audiences they detest.
The story should have been a continuation of the ending of the first. Joker being free and causing havoc with his tribe. Having him in jail or court is setting him back and seems redundant. He was the antihero we wanted winning and not caught by law enforcement.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I legitimately don’t know how “Joker causes havoc” for a whole feature film would have made audiences satisfied either, in my opinion.🤔
@@Yakita60they are children lmao
@@Yakita60you mean like The Dark Knight?
I cannot believe u saw this 🍿. Joker as a musical does not make sense a definite skip .
I literally postponed sleep to watch this. Grace is appointment TV. And the thumbnail AAaah! I'm so hype to watch. 🥳
That’s not a good thing but ok…
@@meneedmoney what? staying up late. we've all done that before. It's not a big deal
I really liked it. This movie highlights the public's misunderstanding of mental illness and how no one truly cared about Arthur-only his Joker persona. Those he believed cared for him turned out to be indifferent, and he pushed away the one person who genuinely tried to help, all in a desperate attempt to gain the love he never had. The musical scenes fit perfectly, illustrating his delusions. In my view, everything was spot on. It was tragic, dark, and hollow, much like Arthur's life.
Really gutted to hear Gagas Harley role has been cut down soo much to barely anything was really looking forward to it. Damn.
Actually I can confirm..... Gaga is in the movie throughout. Lots of songs too. What got cut is her PLOT. It's like they kept 80% of her songs, and 60% of her scenes. But some of Harley's story is just...missing. You'll SEE her a lot... you just won't really understand her fully by the end.
@@rafaelmanzo9497how much screentime does she have?
"...he decided to use the sequel to are down tare the character down". Joker was never meant to be an idol for people to stand behind, he was a warning of what happens when society doesn't take care of it's most vulnerable.
Todd's Joker doesn't compare anything to comic book Joker, why would Harley be anything like the comic?
I liked it. It was an interesting take. The ending was a mistake. Everything needed a pinch of Ledger and Robbie. Next time we see these characters, they have to be a little more traditional.
weak movie , atleast to me . Joker 1 i liked . Joker 2 i did not liked that much . i liked to see your No Spoilers review of this movie , Grace
Its funny how a big budget disappointment of a sequel that will make everyone mad is the most joker thing ever.
Your "more please sir 😢" always CRAAAAAACKS ME UP Grace 😭😭😭
Sounds like a flop
Sounds like it. Which is unfortunate because I was really hoping it would surpass D&W at the box office. We should still go see it though to make up our own opinions
It’s hard to understand for people but I think they needed to make sure they didn’t idolize them. It’s a realistic setting about a REAAALLY toxic relationship.
OMG GRACE'S MAKEUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Based on your review, I wonder if Todd Philips was "convinced" to undo the effects of the first Joker with this sequel. The first movie really rallied together all the underdogs against the "system"
When I Saw Beetlejuice 2 In Theatres, They Had A Joker 2 Kinda Preview In Front Of Beetlejuice 2 Even Though It Was A Preview I Noticed That The Line That Lady Gaga Said In That Movie “ Let’s Give The People What They Want “ Got Cut Out Of That Preview For Some Strange Reason I Don’t Know Why That Was, But It Was Just A Preview Of The Movie Itself.
Todd just needed to spend a weekend repeating his Sweeney Todd DVD. Joker 2 should have been like that.
I didn’t have a problem with the music, but I did have a problem with it being a trial movie. As soon as we got out of the trial it picked up soooo well and I wish we got was more out of that because that’s when you can see Arthur, Harley, and the public’s true intentions and I think we could’ve gotten more of that and it felt a lot more like the magic the first one had. what do you think?
Frank Herbert was mad at the audience who loved Paul Atredies & he wrote Dune Messiah in a nerd rage to tear Paul down. It wasn't a success & whereas the first Dune book is extraordinarily popular... the Dune series is not popular at all
LOL GRITTY CLOWN MAKE UP IS HARD TO APPLY!
Love the makeup! I saw the film last night and enjoyed it. I think people will come around to the singing when they realize that the songs occur when they are in the fantasy. The songs are jarring the viewer out of reality, that’s why it seems to stop the film dead in their tracks
I do agree that the film is about tearing Arthur down, not as idolized as in the first one.
I'll pass
Hi grace, who do you think ruined their sequel the most?
Todd Phillips or Patty Jenkins ?
Yes there are disenfranchised men, but it's because they're confronted with the fact they don't get to be at the top while everyone else is pressed, socially and financially, to be secondary to them. I don't think catering to this type of soreness is what needs to happen. Bolstering men doesn't have to come at the cost of others, but unfortunately, that's what these "disenfranchised men" want to see. A lot of young men are gravitating towards modern day conservatism, and it's partially because women will no longer cater to them (for example) and they would very much like to have that female indentured servitude labor back in the home. We can't go back to creating culture catering to desires like this, and should not go back just to make some box office cash.
Bolstering other groups shouldn't come at the cost of men either though, people need to stop making this a "us vs them" thing. Plenty of men have legit real grievances and wrongs done to them by the system, just like plenty of women, Black people, immigrants, LGBTQ etc... have, we are all people
This is such a biased, hurtful take.
Unfortunately, your toxic point of view is on the rise in society nowadays.
Only 5% of men have ever been in top, the rest are destroyed harder than women are.
Female supremacist right here.
its a movie, touch grass
Lawrence Sher’s cinematography in these two movies is wild to me, the framing of Joker and the color palette is one part One for the Heart and one part The Dark Knight Returns. So much of the film looks immediately iconic.
I hate musicals with passion, being honest, I don't wanna watch this movie because of that 😔
Ok.
@@packedentertainment2866 ok..
@@JS-uc3qf cheerleader?
@@packedentertainment2866 you don't like it?
@@packedentertainment2866Your excused
I hate musicals but please grace do not stress me out with these reviews 😭😂 this is the movie of the year for me already
Around the first trailer release Lady Gaga was celebrating how there are 13 musical numbers in Joker 2. Trying to hype up the movie…I immediately felt a pit in my stomach. Im sadly going to skip this movie. It was one of my most anticipated of 2024 😢😢😢
As soon as I heard it was a musical, I was turned off. 😢
OMG THE MAKEUP SUITS YOU SO MUCH!!!! I LOVE THIS! 😮😍😱
GRACE COSPLAYING AS HARLEY QUINN!
Who was this made for? Certainly not the same crowd that helped the original get to a billion dollars.
LOL GRITTY CLOWN MAKEUP!
My biggest down for the movie is that Harley Quinn never appears, they used gaga for the musical and press 🤬
Grace do you think will end up being another WW84?
I feel my thoughts on the film mainly align with yours. There was a lot I enjoyed about the film, there was just more that I wanted out of it. I wanted more actual Harley and Joker, more scenes from them like the fire scene where they got out together. Didn’t love the whole Harley essentially becoming an abuser thing, but still loved what Gaga brought to the film despite what she was given (loved your Wanda comparison). I enjoyed most of the music but would’ve cut like 4-5 songs. Can’t wait to discuss the ending! Thanks for your review! ❤
Lol Nolan catching strays meant for Todd Phillips? 😂
It's not like that hasnt been said before lol
OMG IM SO EXCITED FOR THE MOVIE!! ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES OUT ON MY BIRTHDAY! 🎉 Love your reviews Grace ❤
This is another prime example of why modern creatives should not have FULL control on a project or at the very least should have a producer or the studio to tell them no. Todd Phillips might’ve funnily enough just pulled a Megalopolis with it being all artsy but a total mess and the fact the studio approved this in its final form is just insane. The fact that Looney Tunes Back in Action and Showdown in Little Tokyo had more studio interference than Joker 2 just goes to show that WB is a complete joke of a company. no pun intended
I’m very sad to hear that it’s not looking so good. I just want Gaga to get a win so bad.
Well if Todd intended to make a bad movie, wouldn’t mean she’s bad in acting, I heard it’s Ight. Seems more like a Todd self sabotage.
I screamed when I saw the thumb!!
I am weak.
It’s sad they cut Gaga so much because her acting was phenomenal!
I think I remember Todd Philips being hesitant to make a sequel. Perhaps he rightly knew he did not quite know how to top the first one.
02:00 Jared Leto Joker needs justice!! I still wanna see ALL the footage we never saw of SQ #releasetheayercut
Fr! Thank you! Like, the DCU isn't even really out yet. Just release Ayer's original version already.
i was already on the fence but this confirmed i should watch The Wild Robot instead and wait for this on Max
Perhaps "Folie a deux" refers to the people who idolized Joker in the first film...
Insanely disappointing. Absolutely hated it
Joker 1 was overrated tbh... There's nothing about the character that's says "joker" except the clown suit... It seems like a random guy with mental issues... Even after he became "the joker" there was none of the personality of the joker
The story of Joker seemed very thinly constructed while the characters were so hyperreal that there was major disconnect between what the characters said and how the story progressed.
Get better taste in movies then. “Overrated”? Your favorite films must be multiverse of madness, the marvels, green lantern, black widow, Eternals, the original version of Justice League & x-men origins Wolverine.
@@packedentertainment2866 ur in ur feelings because I didn't like a movie that you think is the greatest thing ever? grow up...WHO CARES? you like what you like, and I don't....life goes on
@@packedentertainment2866 ooo someone's butthurt.....lol😊
@@lanalan4157 we all know that comment didnt make you laugh or smile, your trying to hard to show us a reaction that isnt real
Thanks queen! Believe me, I was waiting for this.
Doesn’t know how to write female characters means they don’t write them how you want😂😂😂 fucking hilarious
“When’s the movie gonna start..?
Oh..it’s over?
Awe poop..”
I’m of the opinion it didn’t need a sequel, so i might just pass on seeing it completely now 🙃
Love that you put together costume for review like this and agatha!
Grace ive been waiting for this all day! Lets go!
I thought was a perfect movie 🎦 ❤love it
A 19 minute review with NO SPOILERS?! OK!