Will Heath Ledger's Joker top Jack Nicholson's?

I just got back from watching the Dark Knight and it was one of the finest movies I have ever seen of any genre. I was worried that the acclaim for Ledger's performance was largely due to his death (for the same reason that there are so many Freddie Mercury fanboys), but he deserves every ounce of praise he got. As an actor, Nicholson's accolades outstrip Ledger's by far, but as the Joker, Ledger blew Nicholson the **** away.

I said that Ledger's performance would be better than Nicholson's a while back. I was so totally right in saying that

Originally posted by BruceSkywalker
I said that Ledger's performance would be better than Nicholson's a while back. I was so totally right in saying that

Yes, but some people jump the gun and go off spouting he's a better actor... and I wouldn't go that far. Alas, we'll never know. That's the greatest tragedy of this whole affair.

Jack's a great actor, but a lot of the time Jack is portraying Jack. Heath is the better actor in my eyes & comparing any comic villain to Heath should be punishable by a punch to the balls.

to me, it isnt i believe in heath ledger, its heath ledger has made me believe

Ok, after seeing the Dark Knight, I have to say, Ledger IS a better Joker...

BUT...

That doesn't mean we should demean Jack's performance... He was a great Joker back in the day... And I think just because someone came along that was better than him doesn't mean we should completely erase what came before it...

IA Batdude completely. Ledger got to play a more dynamic version of the Joker in a much better film as well.

I'd never demean Jack's performance, but Heath's is just so much better.

Definitely. But some people go too far; Nicholson's legendary. A god amongst actors. Revered, respected, and casts sheer in awe in others. Ledger never got to that point nor will he ever begin to approach Nicholson's legend.

He may not, but he showed that he had potential to be much better than Jack had he survived, and he showed it with the few films he had.

Originally posted by Da Joker
He may not, but he showed that he had potential to be much better than Jack had he survived, and he showed it with the few films he had.

Right. Like "Ten Things I Hate About You" which devastated anything Nicholson's ever done. 🙄

This shit is ridiculous. Ledger's Joker puts Nicholson's to total shame, but this movie is the only one other than Brokeback Mountain where Ledger ever got critical acclaim. Two versus Nicholson's... dozens?

I admit that comment made Ledger hella overrated, but he did surpass Nicholson's Joker by a long shot. Ledger could've been better had he gotten to do more films.

Honestly I don't care for Nicholson's Joker.

I always thought he was lame.

I found him to be pretty entertaining. I'm watching him now and I still love the performance. Afterall, had it not been for Nicholson's Joker, we wouldn't have gotten TAS Joker.

Originally posted by Da Joker
Afterall, had it not been for Nicholson's Joker, we wouldn't have gotten TAS Joker.

What?

Explain.

The whole Batman the animated series was based a lot on the Tim Burton movies, specifically dealing with the mood and some character designs.

Thank ya for that explanation.

And what I'm saying is that version of the Joker is thought by many to be the best media incarnation of Mr. J, and I'm saying he probably wouldn't have been that way had it not been for the movies.

Yea I still think Nicholson's Joker deserves a lot of respect even though I prefer Ledger's interpretation a little more as of now. But I do think Jack's Joker was definitely more gimmicky (which I like the Joker to have his own gadgets besides just random dynamite and guns and knives. I liked his flower etc) which I think was sort of missing with this Joker though it never would have fit into Nolan's universe.

So it's not based on Nicholson, it's based on Burton's vision.

Hamil's Joker was partly based on Nicholson's Joker.