Jojo Rabbit Movie Review
Jojo Rabbit is proving to be one of those movies that you either love or hate and I happened to really enjoy it. I have a lot of respect for Taika Waititi. I think he’s a very solid director and a good actor. He takes on a large task and one that’s been done before (and admittedly been done better than his attempt).
Jojo Rabbit is a WWII satire that follows the life of Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis), a young boy who has been bought and sold on Nazi ideals. His world of Nazi loving is thrown for a loop when he discovers that his mother (Scarlett Johannsson) has been hiding a young Jewish girl named Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie) in their house. I think there were some missed opportunities to really dive into this subject matter and make a real statement. For whatever reason Waititi either chose not to or attempted and fell flat.
I will, however, applaud his performance as Hitler. His chemistry with Davis was amazing and there were several moments where my theater erupted in laughter. I was definitely entertained by this one. It was enjoyable to watch and there were a plethora of comedic moments that got me.
What I liked most about this, was the acting. Roman Griffin Davis blew me away. He had amazing range, awesome comedic timing, and had a crying scene that was one of the most believable kids’ crying scenes I can think of to date. Thomasin McKenzie is one of my new favorites after I saw her in Leave No Trace last year. She doesn’t have a lot to work with here but she is very memorable and makes the most out of her limited role. McKenzie and Davis’ scenes were particularly fun to watch. Two young actors who are doing some of their best work together.
If you want to see an entertaining movie with some obvious laughs then Jojo Rabbit is a good choice for you. If you’re looking for a deep dive, hard-hitting satire of Nazis you should probably go elsewhere.
Film or Movie: Movie
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You’re a fan of Taika Waititi
2. You like satire
3. You want to laugh at Hitler and the Nazis
