Who was the better Joker?

[Swyftstar]

Gotta go with Hamill. It's a shame that he was tied to a kids cartoon, because the darkness that Ledger nailed is still there in Hamill's version, but it had to be toned down for kids. Thankfully you get to see a lot more of that darkness in the games.

The level of insanity that Hamill's version portrays is so damn funny too. I watched an episode recently where he sets himself up as a judge, and then randomly uses a rubber chicken as a gavel as the scene ends. And then there's Harley Quinn, who is an awesome character.

He got to be a bit more menacing in the movies Mask of the Phantasm and Return of the Joker. In those, you really did believe that he was a psycho and would kill anybody for any reason at the drop of a hat. So, I have to go Hamill too. TV series, animated movies and two games. He is what I think of when I think Joker.

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

Mark Hamil.


I liked Ledger's Joker as an alt or even new character(mabye call him the killing joke) but as far as the Joker goes I will side with Mark Hamil.

 

[FolkLikePanda]

Cesar Romero = DAH BEST!

But to be fair I preferred Ledger's Joker, but Good ol' Jack and Marks' Joker's were good.

 

[Kyrian007]

I'd say at least one mention has to be made to the actor who's portrayal of a different character altogether inspired Bob Kane to create The Joker. Besides if you can find a copy of 1928's "The Man Who Laughs," Conrad Veidt's performance not only resulted in the creation of the joker; but was really amazing considering he could not talk (silent movie) and he could not move his mouth (character's mouth branded and sewn into the famous "joker grin."

But as far as Ledger, Jack, and Mark... I'd agree that it's apples and oranges.

 

[Bobic]

In fact, I would go as far as to say that the entire film has been hyped up due to his death. Neither are anything spectacular.

Can we please stop this line of logic? People like different things, that's fine, but don't go around saying that peoples opinions are wrong and that they only like the movie due to factors outside the actual movie. Lot's of people think it was an awesome movie, they were not tricked into liking it by his death, they genuinely enjoyed it. Just because you didn't think it was all that doesn't make everyone else wrong, don't try to find excuses for them, they don't need excusing. Again, people like different things.

 

[Elate]

I like all of them.. I guess my favourite would have to be Hamill's from the Arkham games, but each had their perks..

Hamill's was creepy and psychotic.
Ledger's was pretty much insane.
Nicholsons's was more traditional "man pushed to his limits." which despite what people say, I think suited the back story.

captcha: call me, and I had just gotten that out of my head...

 

[Garrett]

As far as the movies go? Jim Carrey. Oh, wait, I forgot that him playing The Joker is just a figment of my imagination. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted Jim Carrey to play The Joker. Why? Because he would be PERFECT for this role. I had my hopes rised with Batman reboot but then it was squashed and I was like "Fuck!".

If I have to choose between Nicholson and Ledger, then Nicholson. Ledger's (or maybe it should be said Nolan's) Joker wasn't THE Joker. He had his intelligence, his careful planning, even his motive was similiar but he forgot his character.

Overall, Mark Hamil by far. He left others in a dust.

Captcha: you are here. Really? Damn, you must be a psychic captcha

 

[deathninja]

Romero, Nicholson and Ledger all managed to play a Joker that 'fit' whatever vibe Batman had at the time, but I always felt Hamill's Joker had the perfect blend of humour, psychopathy and malice.

 

[thesilentman]

Every single one of Nolan's 'Batman' films felt more like "Nolan's dark gritty action hero series" and he just slapped on a Batman label to attract a larger audience. The Joker didn't feel like The Joker at all - I'm not saying Ledger is a bad actor, he was amazing, but the sort of personality they wrote in for The Joker in The Dark Knight felt like... well... this:

"I'm a murderous maniac with no clown elements to me at all, I just laugh now and then and put on some make up. But wait, I'm saying deep philosophical things! Maybe I'm not insane, maybe I'm just being completely honest! WOOAAAH! BE IMPRESSED AUDIENCE, THIS IS SO DEEP." He didn't feel like The Joker or anything like The Joker, just a maniac who took thought about human behaviour for a few minutes.

Ledger hits the exact right spot between killer and clown perfectly, and hell, Nicholson was pretty good in his own right too.

I've never read a comic (played Asylum/City though), so could you explain about 'not being the Joker'?

The reason that it worked for Nolan was that it just felt more threatening. Someone who doesn't give a shit about the world is always an interesting character, especially in the way TDK was set up.

"shrugs" To each his own then.

 

[nathan-dts]

Heath wins for me; he got the crazy perfectly.

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

Between the two I'd also say Ledger, but overall my favorite is Hamill's Joker, he's the Joker as the Joker is meant to be, especially in the Arkham Games.

 

[cerebus23]

Gotta go with Hamill. It's a shame that he was tied to a kids cartoon, because the darkness that Ledger nailed is still there in Hamill's version, but it had to be toned down for kids. Thankfully you get to see a lot more of that darkness in the games.

The level of insanity that Hamill's version portrays is so damn funny too. I watched an episode recently where he sets himself up as a judge, and then randomly uses a rubber chicken as a gavel as the scene ends. And then there's Harley Quinn, who is an awesome character.

He got to be a bit more menacing in the movies Mask of the Phantasm and Return of the Joker. In those, you really did believe that he was a psycho and would kill anybody for any reason at the drop of a hat. So, I have to go Hamill too. TV series, animated movies and two games. He is what I think of when I think Joker.

Yea mask of the phantasm is about as good as it gets with hamill and the joker. highly recommend people check it out if they think hamills joker was never edgy enough.

problem with ledgers joker is he was always edgy and menacing, there never was any let up, joker could be playful one minute and then ripping the eyeball out of some innocent bystandard the next, ledgers joker missed that element. tho he was wonderfully menacing when he was on screen.

nicklsons joker was nicklson playing the joker end of story, nicklson plays nicklson best, was a few other actors that tried to do the same deal but their careers went sounth in a hurry.

 

[Dragonclaw]

Every single one of Nolan's 'Batman' films felt more like "Nolan's dark gritty action hero series" and he just slapped on a Batman label to attract a larger audience. The Joker didn't feel like The Joker at all - I'm not saying Ledger is a bad actor, he was amazing, but the sort of personality they wrote in for The Joker in The Dark Knight felt like... well... this:

"I'm a murderous maniac with no clown elements to me at all, I just laugh now and then and put on some make up. But wait, I'm saying deep philosophical things! Maybe I'm not insane, maybe I'm just being completely honest! WOOAAAH! BE IMPRESSED AUDIENCE, THIS IS SO DEEP." He didn't feel like The Joker or anything like The Joker, just a maniac who took thought about human behaviour for a few minutes.

Ledger hits the exact right spot between killer and clown perfectly, and hell, Nicholson was pretty good in his own right too.

I've never read a comic (played Asylum/City though), so could you explain about 'not being the Joker'?

The reason that it worked for Nolan was that it just felt more threatening. Someone who doesn't give a shit about the world is always an interesting character, especially in the way TDK was set up.

"shrugs" To each his own then.

As a loooongtime comic fan The Joker was almost always more about the gag than the overall crime or the body count. It was supposed to be fun first and foremost...THEN terrifying. To that end I felt Ledger was great...but backwards. For 50+ years the Joker was really much more like the Cesar Romero and Mark Hamill incarnations. That doesn't knock TDK, but I admit I much prefer the more lighthearted take.

 

[regalphantom]

I'm going to say that Ledger did the best job with the Joker on screen, hands down. Not only was the role brilliantly played, but there was something in Ledgers mannerisms that was truly disturbing, something which really made Nolan's Joker come alive. I'm not going to say that the Dark Knight was better than Rises, and I do feel that the entire second movie was over-hyped by Ledger's death and merely because it included the Joker, but I do feel that of the live actions performances, Ledger was the best, hands down.

 

[Doclector]

Mark Hamill.
Yeah, I know he wasn't there, but I've only seen him and Ledger.

While Ledger is good and creepy, he really lacks in the funny department. That's big for me when I'm talking about the Joker. Hamill's Joker is scary as all fuck at times but has made me laugh out loud on many occasions.

Agreed. Jack nicholson was mostly laughs and not enough scares. Heath ledger was scary as hell, but was rarely funny, being charismatic in place of it.

Mark hamill is the perfect balance.

 

[Diddy_Mao]

I want to say Heath Ledger because his portrayal of the character was such a perfect fit for Nolan's incarnation of the Batman.

On the other hand, everything I hate about Nicholson's Joker isn't really his fault...it's Tim Burton's.

To the best of my knowledge Nicholson never had a sit down with Burton and said

"Y'know what Tim? I think there needs to be several prolonged scenes where I dance around like a fucking idiot while Prince plays in the background. Why Prince? Well I'm wearing a lot of Purple...Purple Rain...it makes perfect sense right? Also. Have me be the one who kills Bruce Wayne's parents and ruin all the mystery surrounding my back story."

So yeah, given what he had to work with I think Nicholson did a spectacular job as the Joker.

If forced to choose I'll go with Ledger just because the character was written better.

 

[teebeeohh]

ledger
because someone that insane is much more scary in a world where we don't have superman to pull our asses out of the fire.

 

[Chairman Miaow]

In fact, I would go as far as to say that the entire film has been hyped up due to his death. Neither are anything spectacular.

Can we please stop this line of logic? People like different things, that's fine, but don't go around saying that peoples opinions are wrong and that they only like the movie due to factors outside the actual movie. Lot's of people think it was an awesome movie, they were not tricked into liking it by his death, they genuinely enjoyed it. Just because you didn't think it was all that doesn't make everyone else wrong, don't try to find excuses for them, they don't need excusing. Again, people like different things.

I never said people were wrong if they liked or loved it, and I get that some people do. But I also believe that a lot of the hype surrounding how awesome his performance and the film was were because of his death. Don't put words in my mouth.

 

[FalloutJack]

Here's the story. Jack Nicholson gets credit for a proper start of it (as no Joker UNTIL HIM was any good), then Mark Hamill gets credit for truly giving the man style and a voice, and then Heath Ledger does a brilliant channeling of the man...but the Joker kills him in a closet.

They're ALL badass. Mark Hamill is probably just the most famous.