Disclaimer: I did not like The Joker, at all.

However, I also think it's absurd to say it's a bad film simply because it borrows from iconic films that came before it. It's even more ridiculous to say it "shamelessly rips them off." So many films do this.

Whether it's a visual nod, an homage, or a tribute, all directors copy and borrow from other films. Tarantino does this relentlessly. Even the Ezekiel speech from Pulp Fiction is lifted from Sonny Chiba's The Bodyguard (aka Karata Kiba).

There are so many great quotes about this from artists and filmmakers...

Picasso: "Good artists borrow. Great artists steal."

Jim Jarmusch: "Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery - celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: 'It’s not where you take things from - it’s where you take them to.'"

This is not a cinematic crime.