How I learned to stop worrying and love the DC Films ‘Joker’ movie

Todd Phillips’ Joker was filming in New York City last weekend, which meant that there was one notable paparazzi video that showed Joaquin Phoenix in all his clown-ish glory (which followed a studio-released makeup test). What struck me about the presentation was how comic book accurate it was, right down to the green shirt and orange vest combo. Heck, even Jack Nicholson’s Joker outfit was a yellow shirt and blue vest. Without casting any shade on the likes of Heath Ledger, Jared Leto or Cameron Monaghan (who, by the way, deserves to stand alongside the classic live-action Jokers), there is a kicky thrill in seeing these characters presenting onscreen exactly as they look in the comic books.

So does this mean I’m officially on team Joker? Well, not necessarily. I still think the film is the very definition of unnecessary. And, for that matter, I am concerned that if it ends up being a critically-acclaimed smash that it will dissuade DC Films from offering more varied (in terms of onscreen diversity and just character variety) DC Comics adaptations down the like. But like Walt Disney and Lucasfilm’s Solo: A Star Wars Story (which, box office doom notwithstanding, turned out to be a solid space western), this is the kind of movie that is only raising alarm bells because it looks like a needless