Nicholson Joker or Ledger Joker?

[Cecropia]

I just saw The Dark Knight this evening and it was entertaining, but I just don't know about the Joker.

I got into Batman comics when I was in grade school.  Loved the Tim Burton movie (the Danny Elfman soundtrack didn't hurt) and I still have a soft spot for it.  I always felt that Jack Nicholson fit the Joker's character very well... he was a sociopath, but a charmer at the same time.  Insane in a goofy sort of way, into the gags but adding to them a lethal twist, and having lots of fun.  His face was wonderful.  But the comics I read were the older ones from the 50's and 60's, and I know that the Joker has come in several different forms.

So seeing The Dark Knight and a Joker who seems quite a bit more insane, a lot more ruthless, a lot more physical, not really laughing all that much, completely reliant on guns, bombs and fire instead of joy buzzers and poison laughing gas... it just didn't seem right.  The one "magic trick" with the pencil was amusing, but hardly a lethal gag.  He wasn't charming any of the other people in the film... in fact, he was always this extreme outcast who was not endearing to others.  It really seemed that his face was painted on, the way the makeup was bleeding at times.

I do think that the schemes of TDK's Joker were much more ingenious than Burton's Joker, but the first movie really was campy in so many ways... the criminals were stylized and not all that menacing, the plot wasn't nearly as complex, etc.  Not to say I don't still love it.

I liked the storyline and complexity of TDK, I guess I wish that Heath Ledger's villain hadn't been the Joker, but someone else.  And I also think that Ledger's Joker was a good fit for the style of his movie, and Nicholson's Joker was a good fit for the style of his.  You couldn't switch them around; neither one would belong in the other's movie.

Have you read the Batman comics?  What do you think?

[Luckybear05]

Aug. 2, 2008 at 1:34 AM

ledger in a heartbeat. You felt it, the sick demonic true joker. comic book to life ... Heath rocked it!  I love Jack but hes got nothin on Heath!

[hiddenpoet]

Aug. 2, 2008 at 1:35 AM

i love the comics to the point where i was disappointed with nicholson's joker, and i'm not hyped to see ledger do the role either.

there's a saying about playing king lear - when you are old enough to take the role, you lack the strength. when you have the strength, you aren't old enough. this is similar to what i think about the character of the joker - someone will either be too into the gags and not sadistic enough coming off as a silly fool nobody would be afraid of unless they already had a clown phobia, or they will be too sadistic and lack the playfulness and dark humor the joker needs to have to be anything but a run off the mill serial killer.

was ledger playing the joker or that zodiac guy?

[Luckybear05]

Aug. 2, 2008 at 1:36 AM

The "magic trick" not lethal... Ok im about to blow it for people but when is sending a newly sharpened pencil threw someones eye into their brain not lethal?

[Cecropia]

Aug. 2, 2008 at 1:40 AM

Well, the pencil was lethal... but I wouldn't call it a gag.  Not really different from a mobster saying he'll do a "magic trick" with someone's fingers.

(Original Poster)

[zandhmom]

Aug. 2, 2008 at 1:43 AM

omg ledger for sure..this was the best batman ever...i liked it because it was darker different the rest of the batmans

[Cecropia]

Aug. 2, 2008 at 8:22 AM

hiddenpoet,

I think you're right... neither of them fit the Joker to a T.  Nicholson was probably not sadistic enough, and Ledger tended towards being nothing more than a costumed anarchist and psychopath.

(Original Poster)