Why Was Leto's Joker Poorly Received?

[Carabas]

He was bad. Over acting. he turned Joker into a basic mafia guy with horrible tattoos. "I'm an idea"... LOL

Nicholson's was an actual mafia guy with a purple suit. Who overacted.

Joker as a figure involved in organised crime, a gangleader, is a perfectly valid and even comicbook accurate interpretation of the character.

[Rakzo]

Jack Nicholson didn't really overact, he was just... Jack Nicholson. He pretty much was himself during the whole movie.

I always considered that Nicholson's Joker was naturally funny with some legitimately threatening moments while Ledger's Joker was naturally threatening with some legitimately funny moments. Two perfectly acceptable portrayals of the Joker that are still different enough to be considered unique.

Leto's Joker on the other hand, was all over the place which is mostly because of his really forced performance. Overall, the guy was pretentious AF.

[geomon]

1. Yes his screen time was limited and they cut a lot of stuff with him out of the film. There is more of him in the extended cut, which is a much better film than the theatrical cut in my opinion.

2. He didn't kill a guy for calling her hot. He killed him for calling her a bitch. He disrespected her in his eyes and in The Joker's eyes, only he gets to do that.

3. The Joker forced electro shock therapy on her. Seems pretty fucked up to me. That and driving the car into the water to escape Batman, knowing Harley couldn't swim, knowing Batman would have to rescue her so he could escape. Those are just the two that stood out to me. Keep in mind, Suicide Squad is not a Harley Quinn solo movie, don't expect much insight into her life or dealings with The Joker.

I know it's an impossible task but I really wish people wouldn't compare Jokers (or Batmen for that matter). They are all different, based on different iterations of the character. Even the comic book versions of Joker are different from era to era. As a comic book fan and as a movie fan, and most importantly, a Batman fan, I've come to the understanding that you have to divorce yourself of any preconceived notions you have about seeing your preferred version of your favorite character on the big screen. If it happens, great. If it doesn't, then you're still able to appreciate the character and performance that you're given.

Leto's Joker on the other hand, was all over the place which is mostly because of his really forced performance. Overall, the guy was pretentious AF.

What exactly does that mean, that he was "all over the place"? Could you give me an example?

[Rakzo]

What exactly does that mean, that he was "all over the place"? Could you give me an example?

Basically tried to be too much and achieved too little.

[FishyZombie]

I thought he was the worst part of an already poorly made movie. Everything about him just screamed "try hard." Nothing about him was funny, compelling or scary. Honestly if it weren't for the green hair, I'd just assume he was random pimp. I've seen enough screen time with him, to know I that I think he sucks and want him as far away from Ben Affleck's movie as possible. Harley and most of the rest of the squad were pretty cool all things considered. Also, Leto was a complete ass to his co-stars, sending them used condoms and what not. I'm sure he's a talented actor, but ffs. Honestly his Joker is just the embodiment of everything wrong with the DCEU, thinking edgyness for the sake of edgyness will make up for lacking substance.

[Rogue Star]

How can you blame limited screen time when it's a SUICIDE SQUAD movie and Joker's appearance was really only supposed to be a cameo anyway? If you ask me, he was lucky to even get as much screen time as he did. I personally would have saved him for a Batman solo movie.

LOVE THAT AVATAR. ( ☆u☆)

On the Joker, he was a side character so he did okay as a side character. If people want the Joker to shine, he needs to be the main antagonist.

[Flash Gordon]

Really terrible writing and make up/design. Bad acting, sure- but that's far from the grit of it. He came off as this weirdly pretentious actor in this big mess of a Hot topic commercial.

[Troian]

I think it's because he was too hyped and Ledger's legacy really set the bar. Then as expected, not too much screen time to flesh him out and people are let down.

[t hedge coke]

The real and solid answer: It wasn't to those people's tastes. That's it.

I think it was a fine, if unexciting performance. My issues, as they are, are with his behavior during the making of the movie. He wasn't "getting into character," he seems to have legitimately been using the role to indulge in harassment and playing with his ego. If any of the women, or any black dude did half the crazy shit he and some of the other white guys got up to... somebody would've been blacklisted, arrested, or heck, shot by security before they were done making the flick.

I do think people are underrating Nicholson's Joker, though, maybe because we've got so used to it over the decades. He's not really the same guy pre and post dip in the chemicals, and he does ham it up a lot. He was already a nut; the dip just gave him a big excuse to let fly. Nicholson and Keaton really were showing some acting chops in that movie, in ways I'm not sure the movie actually called for, but good on'em anyway.

[Awsyme]

He was billed as a major character in every trailer because they were well aware of how popular he is.

His actual appearance was minimal and added almost nothing to the plot.

Worse... he felt like a 'pimp my gangster' version of the character. The DC film universe had made a serious attempt to create a fairly accurate (if older) batman. Then suddenly his villain is a much younger, tattooed, club...owner? Or something?

And then of course there's Ledger's genius take on the character. As a result, Leno's entire schtick felt like he was doing everything he could to NOT be one of the greatest cinematic villains of all time.... Which was a poor call.

[Awsyme]

The real and solid answer: It wasn't to those people's tastes. That's it.

I think it was a fine, if unexciting performance. My issues, as they are, are with his behavior during the making of the movie. He wasn't "getting into character," he seems to have legitimately been using the role to indulge in harassment and playing with his ego. If any of the women, or any black dude did half the crazy shit he and some of the other white guys got up to... somebody would've been blacklisted, arrested, or heck, shot by security before they were done making the flick.

I do think people are underrating Nicholson's Joker, though, maybe because we've got so used to it over the decades. He's not really the same guy pre and post dip in the chemicals, and he does ham it up a lot. He was already a nut; the dip just gave him a big excuse to let fly. Nicholson and Keaton really were showing some acting chops in that movie, in ways I'm not sure the movie actually called for, but good on'em anyway.

Agree about Nicholson's btw. His hammy bits aren't particularly good - but when he dials it down he's great. Sinister, violent and intelligent.

[Ianbarreilles]

His lines were cringeworthy....,

[Lightning Rider]

I thought he was fine. I find it weird that his performance put so many people off because he really wasn't that different than any of the other jokers we've seen in terms of mannerisms, voice, and expression. He had a madness to his look that I hadn't seen in any of the other jokers and he was entirely consistent with how I imagine the Joker acting. I didn't know what he was going to do next at any moment. Ledger's performance was great, especially given the movie he was in, but he's not really what I think of when I think of the Joker; he was guttural, grimy, and scowling more often than smiling. Nicholson was downright whimsical. Both valid interpretations I enjoyed but Leto, in the small amount we saw him, did nothing to suggest he wasn't the Joker.

[Rod G]

I thought he was fine. I find it weird that his performance put so many people off because he really wasn't that different than any of the other jokers we've seen in terms of mannerisms, voice, and expression. He had a madness to his look that I hadn't seen in any of the other jokers and he was entirely consistent with how I imagine the Joker acting. I didn't know what he was going to do next at any moment. Ledger's performance was great, especially given the movie he was in, but he's not really what I think of when I think of the Joker; he was guttural, grimy, and scowling more often than smiling. Nicholson was downright whimsical. Both valid interpretations I enjoyed but Leto, in the small amount we saw him, did nothing to suggest he wasn't the Joker.

I have to say, you may have something there.

[Lightning Rider]

Also, like much with the DCEU, it seems people's preconceived notions played a huge part. Too much "method acting" hype from Leto and overexposure in the movie's marketing made everyone expect an iconic Ledger like performance from what turned out to be a supporting role.

I've also heard people complain the Joker shouldn't be a gangster. Which of course goes against how the Joker regularly operates in the comics. But what's fresh in everyone's mind is Ledger's grungy homeless nihilist Joker. So people say "Joker shouldn't be that guy in the club", or "Joker shouldn't be a hip-hop gangster." DC characters always have a lot of "should" and "shouldn't be" attached to them by people who frankly don't know enough to be pigeonholing and restricting characters like that.