Which Is The Best Cinema Format To See Joker: Folie À Deux?
by Benny Har-Even · ForbesDescribing 2019’s Joker as a breath of fresh air somehow seems wrong considering its disturbing air, but in a world where superhero movies are starting to blur into one another, director’s Todd Phillips take on the origins story of the Crown Prince of Crime was engrossing different.
This weekend the sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux is hitting theaters with Joaquin Phoenix reprising his role as the Joker joined this time by Lady Gaga as Harlequin. The decision to make the movie primarily a musical was certainly made to ensure that it once again offered something different and, from early reviews, it seems to be a decidedly divisive decision—time will tell if it’s the right one.
If you’re planning on heading to a theatre to see it, which is the best format to see it in?
With music playing such a premium role it would make sense to want to seek out something better than a regular screen with conventional surround sound and Dolby Atmos will give you that extra sense of drama. You’ll find this in premium larger format screens, such as Superscreen in the UK and Regal RPX, Cinemark XD and AMC Prime in the USA.
An even better choice will be a dedicated Dolby Cinema screen, that not only offers Dolby Atmos but also the best image, thanks to the increased color gamut, the deepest black levels and the greatest dynamic range widely available.
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You’ll also find Joker: Folie à Deux available in ScreenX and 4DX. The former offers more image down the sides of the screen and the latter provides a mix of water, wind, scent and strobe lighting in a moving seat. I’m a fan of 4DX with the right movie, but the sound is just decent so I wouldn’t choose it for Joker: Folie à Deux as my first choice.
The ultimate format for Joker: Folie à Deux, however, has to be IMAX. Filmed on Alexa 65 and Alexa Mini LF digital cameras, most IMAX screens will show the movie in expanded 1.90:1 aspect ratio; taller than the standard 2.20:1 ratio used in non-IMAX screens. If your nearest IMAX theatre has been upgraded to a laser projector then you’ll get an even better experience, with a bright 4K image with better contrast. IMAX speakers offer a dynamically rich and powerful sound, which is exactly what you’re looking for with a movie such as Joker 2. Many IMAX-laser systems will also have a 12-channel sound system with even better sound so get to one of those if you can.
The ultimate version of the movie, however, is in IMAX 1.43:1, with 54 minutes of the 2 hr 19-minute runtime in that expanded format. This means you’ll get even more image than the 1.90:1 version at the top and bottom of the screen –increasing the impact of what you’re watching.
To see it in this version you’ll need an IMAX theatre equipped with a 1.43:1 full frame aspect ratio screen and either an IMAX dual-laser or IMAX 70mm projector. There are 26 of the former worldwide and just 11 of the latter—see the links on the IMAX website for details. If you’re lucky enough to be able to get to one of these I’d make the effort as even if the musical movie turns out not to be to your taste, you’ll at least be singing the praises of the presentation.