Vera Drew's unauthorized DC Comics parody film The People's Joker is a bold ambition brought to beautiful life. It's a labor of love and laughter that was raised by a village and carried into the world in all of its imaginative, charismatic, and crowdfunded glory. Wielding the wand of parody is a dangerous game - doubly so in the vein of IPs as omniscient as the Batman franchise - and is a game that this film won.
This film's voice is strong, and never wavering from the many things it has to say about gender, trauma, corporate manipulation, social justice, liberalism, conservatism - the list goes on. Balancing these subjects while also maintaining a consistently funny and entertaining script that is tastefully aware of itself is arduous, though Vera Drew and all who were involved in making this film make it look easy. There's a natural swagger that inhabits this kind of passion project, and it's one that exudes and demands originality, captivation, and a good sense of humor.
I cannot believe how funny this movie is. While many of its jokes rely on the viewers' prior knowledge of certain Batman-related trivia and memes, its style of humor never takes itself too seriously, but forces the viewer to face strong topics and ask hard questions. It's a highly digestible and firm foundation for a worthwhile parody. The chemistry between Vera's charismatic performance, the caricatured cast of villains and heroes, and the viewers themselves is tantalizing. This is coupled with a rotating whirlwind of different artistic mediums, swaying from green-screened sets, animation, stop motion, uncanny CGI, and a mass of other unique visions that culminate in a spectacular showcase of pure talent.
As I reached this film's touching final act and was sadly greeted with the ending card, something within me began to glow. It was apparent to me that I've never quite experienced something like Vera Drew's masterpiece that is The People's Joker, and I fear that I never will again. It gives me great hope for cinema when we are given the privilege of experiencing its most promising, adventurous, and kindred achievements.
This film's voice is strong, and never wavering from the many things it has to say about gender, trauma, corporate manipulation, social justice, liberalism, conservatism - the list goes on. Balancing these subjects while also maintaining a consistently funny and entertaining script that is tastefully aware of itself is arduous, though Vera Drew and all who were involved in making this film make it look easy. There's a natural swagger that inhabits this kind of passion project, and it's one that exudes and demands originality, captivation, and a good sense of humor.
I cannot believe how funny this movie is. While many of its jokes rely on the viewers' prior knowledge of certain Batman-related trivia and memes, its style of humor never takes itself too seriously, but forces the viewer to face strong topics and ask hard questions. It's a highly digestible and firm foundation for a worthwhile parody. The chemistry between Vera's charismatic performance, the caricatured cast of villains and heroes, and the viewers themselves is tantalizing. This is coupled with a rotating whirlwind of different artistic mediums, swaying from green-screened sets, animation, stop motion, uncanny CGI, and a mass of other unique visions that culminate in a spectacular showcase of pure talent.
As I reached this film's touching final act and was sadly greeted with the ending card, something within me began to glow. It was apparent to me that I've never quite experienced something like Vera Drew's masterpiece that is The People's Joker, and I fear that I never will again. It gives me great hope for cinema when we are given the privilege of experiencing its most promising, adventurous, and kindred achievements.