I kinda stopped caring about this film months ago when I realized it's still focusing on Arthur and that the "Joker persona" was not the main plot. I'm in no hurry to watch this. The first one was good but left me wanting more at by the end. This one clearly isn't gonna do that so, oh well. Glad some folks are enjoying it tho. Just not for me, I think. I'm just not interested in the delusions of Arthur or the story being told about his hardships.
"When a village does not embrace a child, that child will burn the village for warmth when he grows" - African Proverb
What I find appealing about the current slate of Joker films ( and everyone has the right to feel as they wish about it, I lean towards mostly free speech absolutism, so people should feel and, for the most part, say what they want) is that it explores the complex narrative behind why someone behaves as they do. Why they react the way they do. That everyone didn't just immediately start out as a villain. That there was a road there, a process, a set of experiences, a litany of personal tragedy and loss, that brought someone to that place. It's not a justification of someone's actions, especially evil ones against innocents, but it's a reminder that people really aren't that simple.
Something I feel many "professional film reviewers" tend to miss is this - IMHO, you can have actual empathy for a question of the human condition without justifying the pathology of the open social terrorism that the Joker archetype inspires. More to point, it's OK to ask how someone got to that place, without trying to gaslight viewers/readers into some kind of purity test which infers that those questions in themselves are some kind of complicity in the matter itself.
The first time I saw Ad Astra, I didn't like it. But it bothered me some later, just to consider some of the dialogue and themes. When I revisited it a 2nd time, I liked it very much. But it's a very specific film geared towards a specific kind of viewer that aligns some certain experiences. People who grew up in great family dynamics and around positive uplifting family support can probably let go of Ad Astra more easily. But those who had problems at home growing up, there are a lot nuances that ask some pretty complex questions in a very quiet way. I get why many people hate Ad Astra, but I also get why some love it.
There are different "flavors" for the Joker character over time. If people don't like the Todd Phillips version, that's OK, they might like the next iteration in a few years time. But I enjoy it. Very few mainstream films will cover the issue of "maladaptive daydreaming" as the Phoenix version of the Joker does. If one has had to see and live through or watch another suffer though deep mental illness, especially someone you love, it's pretty horrible. For many of those people, these Joker films will likely speak to them.
One of the hard truths about real life is no one truly ever wants to talk about crazy. Mental illness is a taboo subject for many. There's a natural consistent aversion to it by many people. So my personal take on this is even if some don't like this version of the Joker or his story, I consider how Phillips and Phoenix are handling it to be actually very brave. You can't raise the level of discussion around real mental health struggles ( I'm not talking about canned virtue signaling nor shock marketing) without knowing you are going to take some hard hits soon after.
Again, I'll say it again, most professional film reviewers are compromised. Most of the larger media outlets and interests behind them are also compromised. Even ones not criticizing these Joker films but their views will be cooked with other subject matter/agendas too. I wouldn't take much stock in what they say. Something that most people don't know about most "known" film reviewers is that many of them despise being film reviewers in the first place. They are often stuck there because they aren't skilled/talented enough to write anything else better ( And yes, to make it fair , I'll throw Critical Drinker and sporadically Ben "I'm A Failed Screenwriter" Shapiro into that category too) If a film carries some interest for you, give it a shot. If you don't like it in the first 10-20 minutes, you can turn it off. This current culture of entitlement and open activism within the ranks of professional film reviewers ( not people here) is just plain exhausting.