Joker 2 Has Everyone Asking The Same Thing About Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn

Gotham, we have a problem.

Todd Phillips' long-awaited musical sequel to his Academy Award-winning, billion-dollar-grossing "Joker" is getting mixed reviews from critics, negative word of mouth from fans of the original, and seems likely to fall far short of the original's box office windfall –- which is bad news given its alleged $200 million budget (Phillips has disputed this number, but some industry analysts are sticking with it).

What's the problem? Film critic Ali Arikan might've put it most succinctly this week when he wrote, "Joker: Folie à Deux" is like if Die Hard 2 was just Nakatomi Corporation suing [John] McClane for broken windows –- with Bruno Radolini singing American standards in between." Meanwhile, /Film's Bill Bria begs to differ, rating the film an 8 out of 10, praising the movie for being "remarkably honest and true to itself," he does appear to be (proudly) in the minority on this one. He's certainly not going to get much support from Lady Gaga's Little Monsters on social media.

Woe betide anyone who runs afoul of a global pop star's fan base. When they sense so much as a minor slight of their beloved, they attack with a rabid ferocity. In the case of "Joker: Folie à Deux," which was at one point eyed as an awards season play for the "A Star Is Born" chanteuse, Lady Gaga's portrayal of Arthur Fleck's maniacally devoted love interest, Harleen "Lee" Quinzel, is getting dinged as lacking. This is once again primarily a showcase for Joaquin Phoenix. Was it always planned as such? It's hard to know for sure at present, but Gaga's backers are singling out moments featured in the trailer that failed to make it to the final cut of the movie as evidence that her performance was compromised because of these deleted scenes.

Are they on to something? Let's look at the evidence.

In the final theatrical trailer for "Joker: Folie à Deux," there's a glimpse at part of a sequence –- maybe even a whole musical number -– that's been slashed from the finished film (fans are also claiming a scene of Gaga in an elevator was cut as well, but, nope, it's in the movie). The scene involves Joker and Lee high-kicking and gesticulating on the courthouse steps, flanked by fired-up bystanders and police. There's also video from the set floating around social media that shows Gaga belting out a song and dancing before the cops file down the stairs from the original "Joker" to apprehend Fleck at the end of the movie. Neither of those scenes are in the movie.

Also not in the movie, Lee planting a kiss on a female observer in the crowd outside the courthouse. This appears to be from a scene where Lee shows up to the courthouse to attend Arthur's trial. Though it's not clear why such a small moment was cut.

The Little Monsters are irate. They view this as incontrovertible proof that the film's creative failings have nothing to do with Gaga, who, perhaps, might've saved the whole movie had Phillips not slashed her role down to basically a supporting turn. Given the evidence, I don't see it. The film's focus is definitely on Phoenix, but at 138 minutes, it's already 16 minutes longer than the 2019 original. It's already a lot of movie — and, in the view of many, too much as is. I'm a fan of Gaga as an actor, but I don't know that she could've singlehandedly fixed what her fans believe is wrong with the film.

Regardless of how the film ultimately performs at the box office, there will likely be a loaded Blu-ray release featuring deleted scenes. There may even be an extended cut (I hesitate to say "Director's Cut" because Phillips seems to have gotten his way with the theatrical version). Only then will we know if Gaga was done wrong by her director.