Ranking The Joker Performances

*MikeandRaph87* · 09-21-2014, 07:21 PM

I wanted to share this article ranking the different Jokers we have seen in the other media. A couple are absent as its narrowed to top 5. What do you think of this list in accordance to your own?

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansit...news/?a=105840

I agree with the list with one exception. I would place Romero second and drop each down by one. I also agree for the most part with the reasoning behind why the writer placed them the way he did. Thoughts?

Edit:Now it should work. I think the problem was the link was copied from another site that was linking it opposed to directly hyperlinking it.

*Redeemer* · 09-21-2014, 07:36 PM

the link will not load for some reason

*chrisdude* · 09-21-2014, 09:15 PM

I think his reasoning is fair. I agree that Hamill is the best (I should say that the animated series is my favorite portrayal of the character, but there's more to that than voice acting), and that Nicholson was fantastic. Romero, too. Ledger fit his universe, but I'd lean towards a more animated performance. I'd put Romero over Ledger.

So,
Hamill
Nicholson
Romero
Ledger

But, really, they're all great. Unlike Batman, the Joker has consistently been done justice. And that's cool.

Gorilla Grodd · 09-21-2014, 09:27 PM

It's a pretty good list. I would still put Ledger over Nicholson though. It seems to me like the new trend is to rate Ledger lower. Likely because people have just grown so weary of the WhySoSerious uber fanboys that were everywhere the years following TDK. Now that it's died down a bit I've noticed a lot of people who I can vividly remember praising the Ledger performance and saying it blew Nicholson out of the water now changing their tune to "I never thought it was all that great."

*XERO* · 09-21-2014, 10:20 PM

Eh, I still prefer Ledger's Joker over Nicholson's.

Partially cuz I don't like Nicholson that much, anyway.

*shuriken* · 09-22-2014, 05:26 PM

^^Can I ask why, I think Nicholson is awesome.
Anyway I like Nicholson Joker, Ledger Joker, Mark Hamil Joker, Romero Joker and John DiMaggio Joker in that order.
A little song, a little dance... Batman's head on a lance.

*XERO* · 09-22-2014, 06:21 PM

Spurs/Lakers rivalry, mostly. lol Just bad memories of his close up face whenever the Spurs would lose against them. Haha.

Other than that, he's great at what he does. He was badass in The Departed. But even without the backlash from me, I still think Ledger was a better Joker, and not just because he died.

~~Leo656~~ · 09-22-2014, 08:37 PM

The "problem" with Nicholson's Joker is simply that he wasn't playing The Joker, he was doing Jack Nicholson in Clown-Face. Which is fine, and extremely fun to watch in the context of that movie, but that's the "problem": He wasn't really playing the role. Which is why I have a bit of a problem with people who say he "completely nailed it"... he really didn't. Ledger's Joker was a completely different "type" of Joker, much more in line with the comics, but regardless of that, the fact that he completely immersed himself in the role and actually "acted" gives him the edge for me.

People can argue all day long about which Joker they prefer to watch, and that's a matter of taste, but the fact is that Ledger actually "became" a character and Jack didn't. Past that, Ledger's Joker is more in line with the sadistic nihilist from the comics rather than a self-aggrandizing performance artist, so I prefer Ledger. They each work fine in the context of their own movie, though; it's not that Jack isn't fun to watch. That doesn't change the fact that his role in that movie required as much "acting" as your average Tony Danza role; they even named Joker "Jack"! How on-the-nose can you get?

I never really bothered to "rank" them, though, as everyone who played the part did it differently so it's tough to say who was "better". Romero, for example, was perfect for the 60s Joker, when the character really was just a silly clown, but his performance seems silly and over-the-top to most people nowadays. It's like every generation gets its own Joker that works best in that time and place. Ultimately, for me, The Joker is someone people - including the audience - are supposed to be afraid of, not root for. So I prefer a darker take. When it comes down to Jack vs. Heath, ultimately Jack is just too much "fun".

The only one I really didn't care much for was John DiMaggio in "Under The Red Hood". Seemed a little flat.

09-21-2014, 07:21 PM	#1
MikeandRaph87 Jedi Master Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: JLA Satellite Headquarters Posts: 11,189	Ranking The Joker Performances I wanted to share this article ranking the different Jokers we have seen in the other media. A couple are absent as its narrowed to top 5. What do you think of this list in accordance to your own? http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansit...news/?a=105840 I agree with the list with one exception. I would place Romero second and drop each down by one. I also agree for the most part with the reasoning behind why the writer placed them the way he did. Thoughts? Edit:Now it should work. I think the problem was the link was copied from another site that was linking it opposed to directly hyperlinking it. __________________ Michelangelo: This looks like a job for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Raphael: Sheesh, Mikey this ain't a cartoon! Last edited by MikeandRaph87; 09-21-2014 at 08:08 PM.

09-21-2014, 07:36 PM	#2
Redeemer Technodrome Technician Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: third earth Posts: 4,737	the link will not load for some reason __________________ GT:Reedeamer *THE TECHNODROME REDESIGN 2015* http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=51594

09-21-2014, 09:27 PM	#4
Gorilla Grodd Thug Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Gorilla City Posts: 65	It's a pretty good list. I would still put Ledger over Nicholson though. It seems to me like the new trend is to rate Ledger lower. Likely because people have just grown so weary of the WhySoSerious uber fanboys that were everywhere the years following TDK. Now that it's died down a bit I've noticed a lot of people who I can vividly remember praising the Ledger performance and saying it blew Nicholson out of the water now changing their tune to "I never thought it was all that great." __________________

09-21-2014, 10:20 PM	#5
XERO Hybrid Theorist Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Alamo City Posts: 8,185	Eh, I still prefer Ledger's Joker over Nicholson's. Partially cuz I don't like Nicholson that much, anyway. __________________ "Travel at the speed of light... then hit the nitro!"

09-22-2014, 05:26 PM	#6
shuriken Second City Shinobi Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chi-town Posts: 4,182	^^Can I ask why, I think Nicholson is awesome. Anyway I like Nicholson Joker, Ledger Joker, Mark Hamil Joker, Romero Joker and John DiMaggio Joker in that order. A little song, a little dance... Batman's head on a lance. __________________ Some things are better left unsaid. This isn't one of them

09-21-2014, 09:15 PM	#3
chrisdude Foot Elite Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: North Carolina Posts: 2,708	I think his reasoning is fair. I agree that Hamill is the best (I should say that the animated series is my favorite portrayal of the character, but there's more to that than voice acting), and that Nicholson was fantastic. Romero, too. Ledger fit his universe, but I'd lean towards a more animated performance. I'd put Romero over Ledger. So, Hamill Nicholson Romero Ledger But, really, they're all great. Unlike Batman, the Joker has consistently been done justice. And that's cool.

09-22-2014, 06:21 PM	#7
XERO Hybrid Theorist Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Alamo City Posts: 8,185	Spurs/Lakers rivalry, mostly. lol Just bad memories of his close up face whenever the Spurs would lose against them. Haha. Other than that, he's great at what he does. He was badass in The Departed. But even without the backlash from me, I still think Ledger was a better Joker, and not just because he died. __________________ "Travel at the speed of light... then hit the nitro!"

09-22-2014, 08:37 PM	#8
~~Leo656~~ Banned Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: nWo Country Posts: 27,703	The "problem" with Nicholson's Joker is simply that he wasn't playing The Joker, he was doing Jack Nicholson in Clown-Face. Which is fine, and extremely fun to watch in the context of that movie, but that's the "problem": He wasn't really playing the role. Which is why I have a bit of a problem with people who say he "completely nailed it"... he really didn't. Ledger's Joker was a completely different "type" of Joker, much more in line with the comics, but regardless of that, the fact that he completely immersed himself in the role and actually "acted" gives him the edge for me. People can argue all day long about which Joker they prefer to watch, and that's a matter of taste, but the fact is that Ledger actually "became" a character and Jack didn't. Past that, Ledger's Joker is more in line with the sadistic nihilist from the comics rather than a self-aggrandizing performance artist, so I prefer Ledger. They each work fine in the context of their own movie, though; it's not that Jack isn't fun to watch. That doesn't change the fact that his role in that movie required as much "acting" as your average Tony Danza role; they even named Joker "Jack"! How on-the-nose can you get? I never really bothered to "rank" them, though, as everyone who played the part did it differently so it's tough to say who was "better". Romero, for example, was perfect for the 60s Joker, when the character really was just a silly clown, but his performance seems silly and over-the-top to most people nowadays. It's like every generation gets its own Joker that works best in that time and place. Ultimately, for me, The Joker is someone people - including the audience - are supposed to be afraid of, not root for. So I prefer a darker take. When it comes down to Jack vs. Heath, ultimately Jack is just too much "fun". The only one I really didn't care much for was John DiMaggio in "Under The Red Hood". Seemed a little flat.