Movie Review # 66 JOJO RABBIT Plus some bonus Talking Flick Appearances!

JOJO RABBIT (2019) Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Taika Waititi Written and Directed by Taika Waititi

"Jojo: Nothing makes sense anymore.” Yorki: Yeah, I know, definitely not a good time to be a Nazi.” Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Betzler) and Archie Yates (Yorki) 

I said on the podcast Talkingflick.com several times already how cool it is that Writer/Director Taika Waititi (Ty-Key Why-Tea-Tea) parlayed his Thor: Ragnarok success (853 Million Worldwide) into a film about a Nazi obsessed boy with an imaginary friend: Hitler (and Disney made it!), that’s hutzpah. Obviously, I wasn’t sure if it would work, especially in the PC age, and it goes without saying people are certainly allowed to have their own feelings about what may or may not be acceptable, however I found the film refreshingly original with equal parts heart and comedy. Taika Waititi is quickly becoming a “must-see” director of mine, his previous efforts (Thor: Ragnarok, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and What We Do in the Shadows) are all captivating if not incredibly rewatchable. Hollywood needs original content, it is desperate for it, even if it takes controversial chances in its effort to be original. I tip my hat to an unafraid director and look forward to his next work (Coming Soon from Taika: Thor Love and Thunder and Flash Gordon lol, yes please!).

Writer/Director Taika Waititi brings his unique style to an anti-hate satire film like only he can. Jojo “Rabbit” Betzler (A sweet performance by Roman Griffin Davis) is a German boy, brainwashed into blind nationalism in part by his involvement with Hitler’s Nazi Youth Groups, so naturally this lonely boy, whose father is missing under mysterious circumstances, has an imaginary friend, in this case it’s the man who ruined the name Adolf for everyone, Hitler himself (played in a light and interesting way by Waititi). His mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) has taken in a Jewish girl Thomasin McKenzie (A New Zealand actress last seen in Netflix The King) and when Jojo finds out about it, it turns his world upside down. The movie had to be a hard pitch to Disney of all companies, but I personally applaud it for tackling themes and ideas rarely explored in this kind of recently social media oversaturated, satire scared world. Several co-stars shine and add needed comic-relief to this at times awkward tale. Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards and Gentleman Broncos) as always, shines in his performance as Captain Klenzendorf the reluctant leader of the Nazi Youth Group. Rebel Wilson and Steven Merchant, both mess up the German accent, but add several laughs and young newcomer Archie Yates (who plays Yorki) steals several scenes, I’m looking forward to seeing more of him in the future (get him a Marvel film!). JoJo Rabbit does an impressive job of balancing the horror that was WWII with a lot of really goofy comedic moments, it is an incredibly fine line to walk and at times it produces awkward or guilty emotions, but satire is supposed to do that isn’t it? The film tackles a lot of themes and I found that its main through line, how people change, how that is a messy process, and how it doesn’t happen all at once, works well enough. Jojo’s journey is a mixed bag through the film that at times seems reluctant to push the envelope as much it wants to, however its pushes enough that its hard to criticize it for that. Waititi is a fearless director that really tries to layer JoJo Rabbit with sincerity and sweetness in a similar fashion to his beautiful 2016 film Hunt for the Wilderpeople (perhaps a slightly more complete film), I think it is worth noting that some of the goofball comedy, especially with imaginary Hitler does defang some of the horror that surrounds this time period, but there is enough real tragedy involved that I found it not worth complaining about. I was really uneasy while watching the film enter its third act, not really knowing how it was going to wrap up and worried that if it wasn’t able to end in a satisfactory and honest way, the “trolls” were going to unleash on it, well have no fear Waititi does enough to celebrate life as he dances with the current state of the world and the importance of understanding the past so not to repeat it. SEE IT!!

(The Shawshank Scale 1-10) Waitit’s JoJo Rabbit nods films such as Chaplin’s The Great Dictator and Brooks’s The Producers in the most earnest way. You will skootch around in your seat for the full 108 minutes while your body experiences the full gamut of emotions in what is truly a unique film experience. I give JoJo Rabbit a very solid 6.5 on THE SHAWSHANK SCALE. 

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY RECENT GUEST APPEARANCES ON TALKING FLICK! We cover the lackluster Terminator: Dark Fate and the Timeless thriller The Silence of the Lambs!

Talking Flick on iTunes  (The Terminator: Dark Fate Episode)

Talking Flick on Anchor  (The Terminator: Dark Fate Episode)

Talking Flick on iTunes   (The Silence of the Lambs Episode)

Talking Flick on Anchor  (The Silence of the Lambs Episode)