Once again, popular movies are pulled from the Amazon Prime Video subscription program. This time it hits two controversial DC comic book hits with “Wonder Woman 1984” and “Joker”. Although you will still find these with the streaming provider in the future, they can no longer be streamed without extra costs for Prime customers. So if you want to get your own impression of the films without spending money, you have to be quick now, because both titles are only included in the Prime subscription for a few days.
“Wonder Woman 1984” – stream only until February 17, 2023
“Wonder Woman 1984”: For some, the sequel to Patty Jenkins’ successful DC film “Wonder Woman”, which was surprisingly expensive, is a successful sequel that convinces mainly with its fast action sequences and accurate humor inserts. Especially Chris Pine, who as Steven Trevor has to find his way in a new era and a world that is alien to him, knows how to play his comic powers skillfully here.
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To the others, the comedy blockbuster is a narrative mess, notable mostly for its questionable character drawing. The “non-theming” of Trevor Scott’s body takeover – he slips into the body of an innocent stranger when he returns – also bothered many viewers, as this “body theft” is not critically addressed in the film and even has ugly undertones (diana & trevor night together) resonates.
Pro or con? Comic fans should definitely see the movie. Because whether you find the title terrible or worth it, this sequel is always exciting! If you want to get a glimpse of “Wonder Woman 1984” for yourself, you can stream the DC blockbuster for free on Amazon Prime Video until February 17 with a subscription.
“Joker” – stream only until February 19, 2023
The Hangover director Todd Phillips is making a comic book adaptation of the Joker? What had sounded like a tired joke before its release turned out to be a real success story shortly after its theatrical release, as the DC adaptation with a relatively small budget and an excellent Joaquin Phoenix in the lead role, which even became the Oscar-winning film surprise hit of 2019. The movie ended up grossing over $1 billion at the box office, making it the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time.
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But despite the financial success, the film remains a hot topic in the trade press. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, almost 69 percent of the reviews are positive, on Metacritic it looks even worse, because here the film only gets 59 out of 100 points, which sounds like a mediocre movie experience.
Harsh judgment in FILMSTARTS criticism
“Joker” was really badly rejected in FILMSTARTS critique. Our chief critic Christoph Petersen only gave Todd Phillips a meager 2 stars out of a possible 5 and advises readers to stick with legendary director Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver” and “The King Of Comedy”, which clearly aren’t the best for the movie Godfather stood. The conclusion states:
“The retro look is expertly implemented and a visibly emaciated Joaquin Phoenix gives it all again – and yet this “Joker” turns out to be quite a bust. For a major Hollywood studio to take such a gamble is a once in a lifetime opportunity occurs in 100 years, and it could have been so much more.
In any case, comic book enthusiasts cannot ignore this hot potato. You just have to see “Joker” to have a say in the heated discussions. You can currently stream the film at no additional cost with a subscription to Amazon Prime Video until February 19, 2023.