Is this Heath Ledger as The Joker?

Reader Comments

1. david 05/20/2007 @ 8:02pm

   I’m keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that the Batman franchise doesn’t take another dip in the toilet like it did during the post-michael keaton, pre-christian bale period. I am a huge fan of the Nicholson interpretation of the Joker so i’m a little leary about Ledger taking the reigns.

2. Josh 05/20/2007 @ 8:08pm

   I think that image is horrible.  The Joker is not a character that needs to be reinvented, Jack Nicholson’s interpretation was pretty close, I also like the cartoon version, but I’m not feeling the pathos in Heath Ledger’s face.  Ugh, the Joker is a cartoon, not this.

3. Andrew Cunningham 05/20/2007 @ 8:36pm

   Pathos?

4. Kurt 05/20/2007 @ 9:03pm

   Uggg.  I’m not entirely sure, I don’t think Ledger is a great fit for the part (certainly willing to admit that I’m wrong)...but the new Batman Franchise doesn’t do much for me.  Comic book movies in general are actually waning and have been for some time.  I’d rather see Chris Nolan move on to more original projects like The Prestige.

5. thehzhz 05/20/2007 @ 10:35pm

   I’m really digging it.  I like how it’s not over-the-top.  It seems grounded in a type of realism that the Batman Begins had shown.  As long as Ledger can pull off the attitude and Joker’s mannerisms, then Joker should be as creepy and as much of a villain as he was in the comics.

6. Rhythm-X 05/20/2007 @ 11:48pm

   I’d have to see it move to really judge, but that’s a pretty creepy thing to have staring out of Firefox at me.  Nice double homage to ICHI THE KILLER and DEAD PRESIDENTS, if that’s what he was going for.  And I hope it was.  That looks like something you’d see in a movie that’s going to run afoul of the MPAA.

7. Daniel J. Winclechter 05/21/2007 @ 12:10am

   Nicholson’s Joker was simply Nicholson in white makeup. Screw that garbage. This looks amazing, and everything I’ve read about where they’re taking the character is aces. It’s going to be awesome to see him as he really is, a manic homicidal sociopath with a Batman fixation. (Return of the Joker gets points for really pushing his dark edge too.)

   The Dark Knight is going to be THE blockbuster of 2008.

8. kenada 05/21/2007 @ 1:32am

   Creepy...I like it.

9. NOIR 05/21/2007 @ 2:05am

   Wow. Heath Ledger’s Joker looks great. That ‘Ichi The Killer’ shot is giving out the same feel as the Joker in ‘The Killing Joke’.

10. robo 05/21/2007 @ 2:19am

    Ugh, the image just reminds me of Heath Ledger’s Brokeback Mountain character playing with makeup while drunk. He’s a terrible choice and Nolan should have gone with someone else. It’s too bad as the Joker has always been my all time favorite villain, but Ledger is messing things up.

    I think Tadanobu Asano could have pulled off the Joker better than Ledger ever could!

11. Raku 05/21/2007 @ 2:21am

    I think its a good way to go, something different they’re being kinda risky with the character i always envision the joker as clean cut smartly dressed, but when joker’s like this it makes the character seem in the realm of possibility.

12. Raku 05/21/2007 @ 2:26am

    “I think Tadanobu Asano could have pulled off the Joker better than Ledger ever could!”

    Wow!, Now that would be awesome!!

13. chibimaru 05/21/2007 @ 3:00am

    Yes that would be awesome Tadanobu Asano could dress up as a giant teddy bear and still be able to give off more of a chilling joker vibe then Heath Ledger. So talented!

14. quartet4 05/21/2007 @ 8:17am

    Looks alright.  I’d like to see and hear the performance though.  The Joker really needs an evil and sadistic laugh.  Nicholson and Hamill had really good ones.  I wonder if Heath Ledger does…

15. BtoFu 05/21/2007 @ 9:26am

    I think it’s a clever move. We know already from otnemem.com that Nolan understands how useful a tool the website can be - ontnemem certainly being one of the better examples in recent memory of how to make the most of plugging your movie.

    That’s a badass look as well, has an edge about it.

16. Z 05/21/2007 @ 9:47am

    the make-up definitely looks great, i’m all for this take on the joker, except… i’m not so sure heath ledger can pull it off, talented as he is. i’m ready to be proved wrong, but i’m still wary. after the katie holmes debacle of batman begins very confident in the filmmakers’ casting decisions. we’ll see.

17. ARCVILE 05/21/2007 @ 7:24pm

    “I think Tadanobu Asano could have pulled off the Joker better than Ledger ever could!”
    Damn! This would have been PERFECT!!!!!!!

18. DarkmanPoe 05/22/2007 @ 9:14am

    “Nicholson’s Joker was simply Nicholson in white makeup. Screw that garbage.”

    That’s kinda like saying Bale’s Batman was simply Bale in black rubber.  Screw that garbage.

19. professorape 05/22/2007 @ 1:11pm

    creepy looking. i like it so far. seems to fit within the Nolan realism of Begins, if not sink a little more into a more disturbed, askew reality (as seen by the joker).

    it looks a little like his mouth splits open past his lips. that would be a bit gimmicky but creepy if done right.

Post Your Comments

• Next Entry
• Previous Entry