Get ready for an endless stream of photoshopped gay kisses with Batman and “I wish I could quit you” jokes. Brokeback Mountain star Heath Ledger has been named as the new Joker for the second ‘Batman’ movie. (That’s right, I said second. This is clearly a new Batman cycle we’re “Begin”-ning.)
Fortunately, I never saw Brokeback Mountain, so whenever I think of Heath Ledger I think of “A Knight’s Tale“, which was a fun medieval romp with a classic rock soundtrack and a cast of soon-to-be-stars. (Haven’t seen it? You should.)
Can he play The Joker? Frankly, I thought Jack Nicholson was a terrible choice for The Joker, and I think I was pretty much right. Oh, he did all right, but he wasn’t The Joker. And it’s also partly the script and partly the directing and partly the Prince soundtrack.
My point is that it’s not JUST the actor. I mean, did you ever thinking that BONER would be a good Joker? You know, Boner, Mike Seaver’s friend from “Growing Pains”, as played by Andy Koenig, Walter “Chekov” Koenig’s son? Would you ever pick that goofball to play The Joker? I wouldn’t. And yet, when asked to play that role in what was essentially a SFX demo reel (Sandy Collora’s “Batman: Dead End”) he knocked it out of the park.
OK, it’s not a perfect film, but visually it’s a Joker straight out of Gaiman MORRISON‘s “Arkham Asylum”. (UPDATE: OKAY, I GOOFED, IT WAS LATE AND I’VE HAD A ROUGH WEEK.) The script needs work, especially with the dangling participles, but all in all, that’s the Joker. All it needed was a director and writer willing to portray him that way.
And for the record: I doubt that prior to 1992 1 in 100 people would think Mark Hammill was even capable of being The Joker; these days he’s the Ultimate Joker by which all other actors fall short.
So it’s Heath Ledger. I’m willing to give him a shot, especially given the casting skills on display in the first movie.
9 responses to “Heath Ledger cast as The Joker”
http://www.boltoneveningnews.co.uk/news/boltonnews/display.var.861625.0.batman_model_flies_in_to_a_999_alert.php
Looks like promotion for the film has already started.
> visually it’s a Joker straight out of … “Arkham Asylum”.
> all in all, that’s the Joker
I have to disagree here that Morrison’s ARKHAM ASYLUM represents the “real” Joker. Although this is, admittedly, the popular fanboy opinion.
ARKHAM represents the darkest, creepiest, and most disenfranchised interpretation of the Batman mythos and, in my opinion, should be avoided at all costs. That Joker comes from from the darkest point of comics history.
In my mind, the “real” Joker is best represented in the O’Neil/Adams, Englehart/Rogers runs, stirred together with heaping quantities of THE KILLING JOKE.
My Joker is not a snarling, drooling reptile as depicted in ARKHAM and DEAD END. My Joker is funny and charming. He would fit right in at a child’s birthday party; the children would be laughing along with his clowny antics … then he’d light sticks of TNT on the birthday cake.
Remember it’s Batman that’s the Joker’s dark reflection. Batman is the dark, sinister, creature of the night. Batman is the scary one. Joker should be much lighter … visually, that is.
In that sense, I think Tim Burton and Jack Nicholson got it just about right. Joker is likeable, even … handsome?
For my money, the Joker should be played by Johnny Depp. He’d bring just the right combination of acting chops and box office marketability. And his performance would be somewhere between Willy Wonka and Ed Wood.
Heath Ledger? Sigh. I suppose I’ll still buy a ticket, but I’m none too happy about it right now.
Nicholson’s Joker is a pop icon, and it’ll be nasty shoes to fill. I can already here John Q Public’s reaction to BATMAN 2: THE DARK KNIGHT — “They should have got Jack Nicholson”.
Stephen
P.S. For the record, I’d also be very happy with Jude Law. And in my sketches Joker looks like David Bowie.
From “Roar,” to “10 Things I Hate About You,” to “Monster’s Ball” and yes, “Brokeback Mountain,” Heath Ledger has displayed an amazing range of acting ability. Haven’t seen him do crazy yet, but I think he can do it.
And here comes the obligatory, predictable, bleeding heart, liberal outrage at the “Fortunately, I never saw Brokeback Mountain” comment. But it’s gotta be done if bigotry is to be eliminated from the American psyche. (This is, of course, assuming that you were glad you didn’t see the movie because of two dudes being sexual with each other. If not, boo to me for jumping to conclusions.) The movie’s fantastic, folks, but don’t take my word for it.
i kinda think that this version of the joker is a little bitch. that is to say, his voice sounds very bitchy. i liked jack nicholson’s joker much better.
It still blows my mind that Mark Hamill is the ur-Joker. WTF? What kind of crazy-ass universe do we live in?
And that demo reel was bizzare.
Umm…Gaiman’s Arkham Asylum? You mean Morrison?
Err, don’t you mean Morrison’s “Arkham Asylum”?
Luckily, I’m in the same boat. I’ve seen “Knight’s Tale”, but had no desire to see a film about “a bunch of gay cowboys eating pudding” (see South Park ep. “Chef’s Chocolate Salty Balls). I’ll give him a shot; I just ask that he does a better job than Nicholson.
I know the chances of Mark Hamill being cast as the Joker was an outside chance, but I’d hoped it would happen so much.
The good news is that we’ve come a long way from Ceasar Romero. I can’t believe I never noticed growing up that he didn’t shve his mustache for the role!
I have to agree that – “the O’Neil/Adams, Englehart/Rogers runs, stirred together with heaping quantities of THE KILLING JOKE.” is pretty the definitive Joker.
While I think Jack Nicholson was maybe a little too old and out of shape to be cast in the part, he’s been crazy in every other movie he’s ever made, so why not bring that kind of crazy to The Joker? It worked to a point you have to admit.
It’s a shame that Mark Hamill just doesn’t have the look for the part, he sure has the pipes.
I haven’t seen many Heath Ledger movies. I saw The Patriot, because my wife liked Mel Gibson. When he was sober and sane. We saw A Knights Tale because of Heath Ledger. She hasn’t wanted to see Brokeback Mountain yet. Maybe on DVD. She just might become more of a Batman fan. She really liked Batman Begins. Heath Ledger as The Joker just might work. It just might.