I love Taika Waititi. He is a very talented director, his movies always make me laugh and, as an actor, he also plays great and funny characters. For those reasons, and as a Taika Waititi fan, I was really looking forward to seeing this movie. I thought it would be similar to one of his first films, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, but even funnier and weirder. After all, this is a movie about a little boy who wants to be a Nazi and has Adolf Hitler as his imaginary friend. However, I never thought I would leave the theater with tears in my eyes. But I did. I cried a lot while watching this movie. I also laughed several times, but I knew I was going to do that. What I didn’t know is how emotional and touching this movie would be.
Now, to be honest, this movie is not perfect, and most people won’t believe me when I say that, in my opinion, the script’s comedy aspect was the weakest element in the film. That doesn’t mean that the movie isn’t funny. It is. As I said, I laughed a lot and, as we all know, Waititi’s comedic skills are always on point. To me, there are two problems with the comedy: the first one is that the funniest jokes are in the trailers. That’s obviously not a problem the movie has, but more a problem that the movie has developed. Those jokes are great, but I’ve already heard them, so they don’t have the same impact on me as they did when I first saw the trailers. There are other gags in the movie, but they are not as funny as the ones I already knew.
My other problem with the comedy is that, at a certain point in the movie, something truly shocking occurs and, from that moment on, the movie becomes a very dramatic World War II story, in which the comedy doesn’t really fit. In the third act, after THAT thing has happened, Waititi keeps trying to introduce comedic elements in the narrative, but it doesn’t work. And the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that those elements weren’t really necessary. In fact, even without that characteristic Taika Waititi comedy, the third act is actually my favorite part of the movie. So, let’s talk about the great stuff.
Jojo Rabbit tells the story of a young German boy who discovers a Jewish girl hiding in his house. These events take place during the end of World War II when Germany was about to lose. Waititi focuses the story on the relationship between the girl, whose name is Elsa, and Jojo, creating a very funny and cute dynamic between the kids. The scenes between these two characters, played by Roman Griffin Davis and Thomasin McKenzie, are the best moments in the film and the way you see how their relationship grows is absolutely incredible. I can’t say enough good things about both actors and the amazing job they did with their part, especially the young Roman.
Waititi’s script really shines during these scenes, showing how good he is at writing real people. People with fears and doubts, but also with hearts. Waititi’s characters are funny, yes, but that’s just one of the layers. They are very realistic and relatable, and that’s what I love about him as a filmmaker, even more than his comedy.
One of the greatest elements in this movie is the acting. The whole cast does a great job. Rebel Wilson and Sam Rockwell both have small roles, but they also have great lines. Waititi is also great at playing imaginary Adolf Hitler, even though his role is not as large as I thought it would be. However, Scarlett Johansson is the one who stands out in this film, alongside Roman and Thomasin. One of the reasons why she shines and steals every single scene she’s in is because her character is perfectly written and has the best lines in the movie. The other reason is that she simply does an amazing job with her part, portraying a very kind and caring mother who is also trying to do some good. And that was one of the things I really liked about her character: she wasn’t just “the mom” in the story. She was a complex human being, not only a plot device.
As I said before, I don’t think this movie is a masterpiece. It’s not a perfect movie. But I love it as it is. I think that the good elements of the film are very good, and the bad parts are just not that good, but they are not horrible. Jojo Rabbit is a very touching, funny and entertaining story, with great characters and a beautiful message. This is probably one of my favorite Taika Waititi’s films to date, and I’m sure that, if you like Waititi’s filmmaking style and humor, you will love this movie as well.