2 out of 10 for me.
I feel like this movie was just trying to encapsulate the doomer generation using the joker as a common, relatable archetype. In light of the rumor following the Aurora shooting, I find this to be in poor taste.
One point off for for hardly following the comic books save for the ending which felt forced. That scene appeared as an after thought, tenuously reminding the audience that this is part of some overarching series.
One point off for loosely following the DC universe. I understand that this movie is a one-off, and I am supremely thrilled, but this is worse than reconning. This movie doesn't serve any purpose 'cept for sowing the seeds of confusion.
One point off for taking hours of life crapping on this guy before reaching the breaking point. Repetitive and excessive.
One point off for turning the joker into taxi cab meets v for vendetta. This has been done to the death, no pun intended. In this Era of endless remakes of remakes emulating the effects of the movie Multiplicity, it would refreshing to see a return to the original joker.
One point off for any semblance of resolution at the end. Why was all that necessary? What happened to Sophie?
One point off for being extremely predictable.
One point off for plagiarizing the cop scene from the last droll joker movie.
However, I will give a point for Phoenix' performance though I feel like Jared Leto was snubbed and Hedwig was a better dancer IMHO.
And I will sort of give a point for portraying 70's New York and Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital fairly accurately. Without sounding too cliché, this movie was more a portrayal of the zeitgeist which lends credence to the film's box office success.