I can be patient enough to let a slow story develop, but I felt like this movie never really went anywhere. And the musical component didn't work for me. Wicked, playing concurrently in the next theater over, would have been a better choice for Gaga to showcase her vocal talents. Nevertheless, I enjoyed your perspective. It made me rethink my harsh assessment. Maybe I went into it guilty of wanting to see the same movie again but with a partner in crime, and that's kind of silly. Perhaps I'll nudge my rating up a notch to average, but I can't bring myself to call Joker 2 good.