While checking the internet, saw that COMIC BOOK RESOURCES announced that DC has signed a new voice for their collaboration with LEGO for a BATMAN MOVIE to be released in February, 2017. Joker’s new voice for the movie will be done by (Hangover) Zach Galifianakis.
And it took me by surprise. WHY?
Well, it is obvious for those of you (me included) who had played the LEGO BATMAN games that the Joker was voiced by Clown Prince veteran Christopher Corey Smith. His voice acting, to my taste, was excellent, being both funny and intense (by this I mean that it sounded as if he “felt” the character and enjoyed it). After successfully voicing the Clown in two video games and a DVD movie I really believed that Cory Smith had become synonymous with the LEGO Joker (much like Mark Hamill became synonymous with the BATS Joker). Or was he really?
On behalf of Mr. Galifianakis I have to say, he is a voice actor on his own right with an extensive resume, especially having voiced The Simpsons’ Lucas Bortner and Puss in Boots’ Humpty Alexander Dumpty , but does he have what it takes to voice Joker? * scratches head* True, this is just a LEGO movie, not the Killing Joke or anything, no biggie…right? Well, yes…but there are voice pairings out there that just do not work (I’m still trying to reconcile Brent Spiner’s voicing Joker in Young Justice which made my head spin, though it was probably most likely due of the poor dialogue that was written for the character to begin with).
I will stop now.
Truth is I have no frame or reference to throw an opinion on the subject. Just wanted to express how I felt about Corey Smith not being a part of this new LEGO Batman movie, but I hate to pass judgement before hearing Galifianakis’ Joker, so… I will just sit back and wait for the first glimpses of his voice acting that will surely start appearing sometime next year. Hopefully it will be a refreshing change….*crosses fingers*
(Original article and unedited picture on COMIC BOOK RESOURCES HERE)
