"Jojo Rabbit" Review - Blazing Nazis

Lately, we have seen comedians come out of the woodwork to say that you can’t do comedy like you used to, which is mostly untrue. There are plenty of great comedians who are breaking new ground in comedy that don't go attacking certain people or races. On that note however, the lack of satire in film in today’s age has always saddened me. You surely see a lot of it on TV with SNL and other short form sketches, but Hollywood has avoided those kind of films for a while now. My assumption is because that kind of area for any kind of director is such risky territory. You have to find a right balance of comedy and thought-provoking themes while also being extremely careful not to go too far. I can’t imagine how difficult that entire process is; even for someone like Taika Waititi and Fox Searchlight.

This crazy risk known as “Jojo Rabbit” came through full stop in the absolute greatest ways. It’s easily one of my favorite films of the year. Everything from the comedy to the heartwarming WWII story is crafted to perfection and even better, makes you want to go see it again and again. It’s accompanied by some fantastic German versions of popular songs and an eerie score by Michael Giacchino, as well as lots of colorful and spooky cinematography.

One thing that is so fantastic about Taika is every film of his is different. He gave us a mocumentary, an action packed superhero film, and now an anti hate satire. The one common factor that doesn’t go away is his witty and outrageously funny comedy brought through his tremendous screenplay as well as all the other brilliant child actors, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, and even himself! It takes a special kind of cast and delivery to bring out the hilarious words on the script to the big screen, and this ensemble cast throws every line of dialogue right into your funny bone like a knife.

Taika Waititi is truly the master of the house though being the director, writer, and star. Like I said, this movie is different than his other works, and I mean it. "Jojo Rabbit" also has so much heart coupled with meaningful thought-provoking dialogue. Yes, it’s hilarious, but it also is heart-turning, sad, as well as scary at some points of the film, which is really the main reason why it stands out to me. This is a comedy that doesn’t just go for the jokes; it goes for all three acts. When you leave the theatre, you will remember so much about it. Talking to your friends about Jojo Rabbit will truly be an entertaining time. If you don’t want to talk about nazis or freedom of speech, you can talk about “that” grenade scene or the best f-bomb use in a PG-13 movie ever. The possibilities of word of mouth are endless.

So bravo to one of the most brilliant comedians of our time. He’s more than just Korg; he’s a one of a kind genius. As he said at the Q&A last night that I saw after the movie; “The fact that we have to make movies about why you shouldn’t be a nazi in 2019 is just stupid.”

Two Nebs Up!