‘Joker Rising’ Movie Review

Fans are awesome. But I think, as a rule, fans who make films not for profit must be truly spectacular. They produce impressive works of art out of their own pockets and expect no compensation other than the satisfaction of doing justice to their idols. These efforts speak volumes about fandom. Their love glows more genuinely through the limitations of their own small budgets rather than those of big studios. While some projects may be a bit rough around the edges, many devotees prefer it that way. Sometimes a pretty, polished film just doesn’t feel right.

The guys at Smoking Alien Productions, a non-profit movie studio, have created an 80-minute feature that delves into the world of Batman and firmly holds its own among most theatrical releases. A rough cut of the film, Joker Rising, is available on YouTube for a limited time. It is an origin story that shows how a young man, Cyrus (Dylan Hobbs), becomes The Joker in the city of Gotham, which seems hopelessly pinned under the seedy thumbs of drug lords and pimps (Easter eggs abound). This review is really spoiler-free, but if you don’t mind a more in-depth look at this interpretation of what makes The Joker tick, then read on.

Aside from the fact that Gotham looks suspiciously like Los Angeles, the tone of Rising is spot-on. Not only does the atmosphere of the city reek of the sort of gritty crime you might encounter in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, but the characters also fit snugly into this world by virtue of their tragedy-stricken pasts. Writer/director Alek Gearhart’s thoughtful script and guidance provides ample explanation for Cyrus’s transformation into the infamous Joker. Scenes in the first half of the film, for instance, are bathed in daylight while the latter half unfolds in nighttime scenarios as the story digs deeper into Gotham’s underbelly and Cyrus’s insanity matures into that of The Joker.

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Interestingly, the crux of Gearhart’s film occurs with the introduction of Harley Quinn, played by the superb Katie Young. “Nighttime” seems to commence with Harley’s introduction; she marks the beginning of Cyrus’s descent into psychological chaos. Young’s natural acting ability overshadows Hobbs’s sometimes-artificial performance and therefore suits Gearhart’s needs perfectly — it’s kind of brave to make love the thing that sends Cyrus over the edge. It’s also smart to take advantage of the ridiculous craziness of love for plot purposes and even genius when we see how it pushes Cyrus to embrace an alternate persona.

My primary issues with Joker Rising have to do with music decisions and voiceovers. Classic songs such as “Son of a Preacher Man” during montage scenes do nothing but break my suspension of disbelief and remove me from the world of the film. Montage scenes are lazy methods of storytelling in the first place, and voiceovers are always a bit of cheat; they allow viewers too-easy access into characters’ minds and simply tell rather than show. I’d much rather digest the actions of characters than hum “Preacher Man” — against my will — for hours following.

And here’s an idea: larger focus on interesting photography rather than just shots of characters in the first half could go a long way to polishing the film’s rougher edges. I want time to breathe, to think, and take in the scenery. Sure, there are some decent shots of clown dolls (foreshadowing of Joker) and cigars (repressed homosexuality?) later on, but instead of exorbitant drug use, why not some gritty close ups of paraphernalia? Or some of the makeup that eventually makes Cyrus into The Joker? Perhaps the guns and bullets that give some of these characters their power or the money that drives all the greed? Ideas are plentiful.

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Also, I know that this is technically a Batman film, but let’s be honest. The Batman doesn’t really belong here. He doesn’t contribute to Cyrus’s transformation, and his too-brief martial arts scene seems shoddy and distracting. It probably would have been better to replace him with Gotham’s crime-fighting element, but I know all of these things cost a lot of money…

Given Smoking Alien’s meager budget of three grand, Joker Rising is a cinematic feat. Costumes and makeup are treated with care, Young’s standout performance wrenches decent emotion from the audience, and the directorial vision works for the most part. It’s exciting to think that this movie could be the first in a trilogy of Joker-oriented fan films that make an indelible mark in the genre and even on the larger body of film. We’re entering an era now, especially with companies such as Kickstarter, in which we fans can demonstrate our devotion like never before. We can offer feedback on projects we care about and support the creators we trust in. We can even become creators with all this support and collaboration. It’s time, really, to show the world just how crazy-brilliant we can be. So let’s go insane with love.

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