JUST NOT FUNNY

The Dark Knight is out and ticket sales are through the roof. Critics are gushing over Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker, calling it an Oscar winning performance. Audiences applaud the director for “refreshing” the famous super villain, giving him a greasy, psychotic flavor.

Well ... after seeing this movie twice, I must loudly disagree! This is NOT the Joker. Certain fundamental elements are missing from his character. And since I'm a collector of Joker comics and memorabilia, I feel the need to geek out about this. Bear with me.

APPEARANCE: This time around, the Joker is not bleached white, he’s in face paint that ends at his chin. He’s not smiling, his mouth is mutilated. His hair is barely green at all. No gags. No props. Any possibility for a living, breathing clown among us is gone, replaced by a knife victim with nothing to lose. Personally, I think he looks like The Crow with a makeup malfunction.

But the clown persona is vital on a deeper level. It's what released the Joker from a "normal" life, and transformed his criminal behavior to the ranks of super villainy. Just as Batman dons the mantle of a bat to terrorize criminals, Joker embellishes on his hilarious disfigurement for comedic effect. It's part of the joke!! A symbol of innocence, fun, and merriment committing unspeakable acts.

With that said, I will admit these superficial changes do NOT necessarily ruin the portrayal. I could probably deal with the face paint if it weren’t for the omission of other crucial elements.

CHARACTER: While it’s true that the Joker is a stark raving madman, there is an obsessive method to his behavior which gives him his charm. He is a delicate balance between sophistication, aggression, and child-like glee. His disfigurement leads the Joker to fully own the persona of a man constantly smiling. It seals his fate, but it also points his madness in a specific direction.

Joker 2008 is merely vicious and cold blooded. He’s a sociopath using clown masks to identify his gang. Any humor by him is quirky, awkward, and sarcastic. Heath Ledger shows us a starved wolf when he should have aimed for a hyena.

CAPERS: Crime is a time to celebrate for the Joker. When he crafts a heist into a humorous scenario, he is announcing himself, signing his name to the deed. Comedy is how he shows off. Suffering and death are his version of the punch line.

The current Joker's crimes, while clever and interesting, are not funny. ARE - NOT - FUNNY. Not even to him apparently. That signature juxtaposition between humor and tragedy is missing. He's a terrorist menacing a major city, that's all. Other villains in the Batman universe could have planned them just as easily (the Penguin springs to mind.)

Sorry guys ... I just can’t get into him. No disrespect to Heath Ledger of course. I do find it interesting that he died soon after the creation of this movie, and of a chemical overdose to boot. Hardcore fans of the Joker might understand what I mean by that.