Jojo Rabbit Movie Review

JOJO RABBIT-

With films like WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (including the excellent TV series), HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE, and THOR: RAGNAROCK under his belt, you know that I am a fan of Taika Waititi. This guy writes, directs, and acts like God's gift to the art of cinematic comedy. His characters are down to earth and relatable, his style is a breath of fresh air, and his sense of humor makes me giggle like a teenager. What I am saying is that Mr. Waititi has my attention, especially after seeing JOJO RABBIT.

He could've just done a few things right before and fizzled out after that, but this guy even makes Nazi's funny. The Genius of JOJO RABBIT is that even when I found something to complain about (which I certainly looked for), I realized that what I perceived at first to be a negative, was actually important to the progress of the film and characters. For example: I at first thought that the contrast between comedy and serious drama was poorly switched between. However, when I thought more on it, I noticed that Jojo's fantasy world needed occasional shocks to bring him back to reality. It makes sense when Hitler is dancing next to you and people are being hanged in the middle of the street. War is ugly, and from a child's perspective, some fantasy makes it all easier to take. That's what makes the humor in JOJO RABBIT so hilarious to see. Making fun of the stupidity of racism and blind acceptance of authority just works so well here.

This movie is hilarious! I giggled and laughed out loud over ninety percent of the time. The performance of young Roman Griffin Davis as Jojo, is impressive. There was not a single time that I saw him as a child actor in the role. He sells his character very effectively. Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen (who barely says a word), and Stephen Merchant are all fun to watch as they take their roles to sidesplitting heights. Even Archie Yates as Jojo's young friend (who reminded me of Piggy from LORD OF THE FLIES), was funny to see. Scarlett Johansson added a level of stability with her role as Jojo's mother. Taika as Hitler... well let's just say that you can tell that he had a lot of fun playing him. He played him as if he were a child finally allowed to do something naughty for the first time, so he just hams it up for all it's worth. To speed things up, I'll just close this out by saying that the original score, selected soundtrack, cinematography, costumes, and set designs all fit the part most convincingly. I would expect that JOJO RABBIT should get some recognition during awards season. Of course, this is no longer the time of Mel Brooks (who got away with edgy humor), so it's hard to say how critical the creampuffs of today will judge this film. Well coming from me, I say that you need to get out there and support this year's best comedy. Das an order, ya!

Jojo Rabbit (2019)
PG-13 | 1h 48min | Comedy, Drama, War | 8 November 2019 (USA)
A young boy in Hitler's army finds out his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.

Director: Taika Waititi
Writers: Taika Waititi (screenplay), Christine Leunens (novel)
Stars: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson