Jakarta. Todd Philipps made a daring decision to make the sequel of the famous 2019 anti-hero film, “Joker”, a musical. 

“Joker: Folie à Deux”, which is now out in Indonesian theaters, gives a fresh twist to the typical DC Comics movie. The 138-minute movie replaces the usual heavy fighting with lots of singing, singing, and some tap dancing. 

Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix is back as Arthur Fleck popularly known as the clown-inspired villain Joker. After causing chaos in the first movie, Joker now awaits at Arkham Asylum as he awaits trial for his murder spree as Joker. While institutionalized, he stumbles upon the love of his life and fellow patient Harleen “Lee” Quinzel or Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga).

The movie is a jukebox musical so it features covers of pre-existing popular songs instead of original ones. Out of all the songs sung in “Joker: Folie à Deux”, Harley Quinn’s cover of Carpenters’ “Close to You” is a personal favorite. Joaquin-Gaga has great chemistry as the mad clown couple and musical duo. Despite not being a singer, Joaquin’s vocal performances have its charms. Given that “Joker: Folie à Deux” is a musical, Gaga makes the perfect cast for Harley Quinn as not only she can deliver in the acting department, but she is also a powerful vocalist.

There are some nice visual touches to the sequel. For instance, “Joker: Folie à Deux” started off with a Looney-Tunes-inspired, animated opening sequence. This sudden splash of nostalgia might catch the audience off guard before the movie returns to the bleak setting of the Arkham. 

Another visually stunning scene is when the guards escort Arthur to meet his lawyer Maryanne Stewart (Catherine Keener) under the heavy rain. The guards around him hold umbrellas -- all in bright colors that make them pop in the dark settings. But the guards do not let Arthur take cover from the rain, leaving the Arkham patient drenched in rainwater. The umbrella scene gives a portrait of the power relationship between the guards and Arthur. The guards clearly have been bullying Arthur during his stay at Arkham, although it makes the audience wonder: do the guards hate him because he is Joker the murderer? Or are the guards bullying him simply because they can?

“Joker: Folie à Deux” shows some interesting dynamics in the Joker-Harley Quinn relationship. Since their first encounter, Harley Quinn has continuously pushed Arthur into embracing his Joker persona. In a sudden visit to Arthur’s cell, Harley Quinn brings makeup so she can turn the former back into Joker. We see Harley Quinn accompanying Arthur in his trials aimed at deciding whether the latter has split personality -- a condition that can save him from the death penalty. 

As the movie nears its end, Arthur admits that it has been him all along --and not Joker-- who goes on the murder spree in the first movie. We then see Harley Quinn leaving Arthur after the big reveal. This is possibly one of the few parts that the large audience might resonate with the movie. Harley Quinn --just like many of his loyalists-- is only into his Joker persona, and not Arthur as a person. Arthur breaks down after realizing what Harley Quinn thinks of him. This might be one of the few moments that the audience can identify with. Because just like Arthur, every one of us craves unconditional love.

As a musical, “Joker: Folie à Deux” might not be the best musical that Hollywood has ever pumped out, although it does not mean it is bad. The musical sequel in general is both a fun and bleak film, but the movie still falls short of the original.

Just like the sequel, the 2019 film is not the traditional action-heavy DC movie. But “Joker” is so powerful that it leaves a lasting emotional impact on the audience. It poses the question of whether Joker’s crimes are justified and makes the audience feel sympathy for the clown supervillain. Let’s not forget Joker's monologue that criticizes the societal system when being interviewed by famous talk show host Murray Franklin (Robert de Niro). Despite not being a musical, the scene of Joker dancing to the rhythm of an eerie string-led theme in the bathroom is still something that sticks in your mind.