It's clear that the expectations were this film's biggest enemy. As with the first Joker film, this is a decent movie for the most part. Both are generally well-made and both have some very bad and very different types of moments that drag them way down. This one's metatextual elements give it a big boost towards being worthwhile, but it ultimately never sticks the landing on any of the musical performances. (And I thought Lady Gaga did this for a living? Rarely bad, but she's not bringing vital charisma to the role. She needed direction.)

The first film is equally misguided, though that one thrives on its tension and sense of dread, which is totally absent here. If they insisted on getting the ball rolling on a follow-up, I would have thought a riff on One Flew Over would be a more interesting avenue than a courtroom drama—but again, that's judging this film based on expectations rather than taking it for what it actually is. In an industry driven by the fan service factory, I'll take this one over most of the other content slop.