Jojo Rabbit Movie Review: Taika Waititi Brings Hope With Laughs And Tears
Taika Waititi will lead to believe there is still hope of us, it also tells you right in the face that there is only a slim chance. I recommend you watch it for laughs and a lesson.
Star
Cast:
Roman
Griffin
Davis,
Thomasin
McKenzie,
Scarlett
Johansson,
Taika
Waititi,
Sam
Rockwell
Director:
Taika
Waititi
Language:
English
Duration:
108
minutes
Story:
Written
and
directed
by
Taika
Waititi,
Jojo
Rabbit
is
based
on
Christine
Leunens's
book
Caging
Skies.
The
film
follows
the
life
of
Jojo
Betzler,
a
Nazi
fanatic,
as
he
finds
out
his
mother
has
been
hiding
a
Jew
girl
in
their
attic.
Review:
Jojo
Rabbit
has
been
filmed
from
the
point-of-view
of
a
child,
one
that
wishes
to
join
Adolf
Hitler's
personal
guard,
and
of
course
also
be
his
best
friend.
However,
for
the
time
being,
Adolf
is
his
imaginary
friend,
at
least
the
version
of
Adolf,
a
10-year-old
could
come
up
with.
Johannes
aka
Jojo
has
been
living
with
his
mother
in
Germany
run
by
the
Nazis,
towards
the
end
of
World
War
II.
His
father
who
was
supposed
to
be
fighting
on
the
Italian
front
has
lost
contact
and
his
sister
earlier
died
of
Influenza.
Jojo
wishes
the
best
for
his
fuhrer,
Adolf
and
takes
every
word
by
his
men
as
the
ultimate
truth.
At
the
start
we
see
Jojo
enlist
for
a
Nazi
training
camp,
where
they
are
taught,
Jews
are
vermins
and
have
to
be
extinguished.
As
the
camp
proceeded
he
begins
to
realise,
killing
is
not
something
he
can
choose
to
do.
For
him
following
Hitler
meant
glory,
but
he
didn't
know
the
cost
at
which
it
came.
Away
from
the
camp
back
home,
Jojo
finds
out
about
the
Jew
girl,
Elsa
Korr,
his
mother
has
been
hiding
in
their
attic.
While
he
thinks
about
snitching,
the
counteroffer
to
study
a
Jew
and
save
his
own
life
feels
more
fitting.
For
the
rest
of
the
run
time,
we
follow
Jojo
as
he
makes
up
his
mind,
to
either
follow
the
other
Nazis
or
see
the
truth
for
himself.
Jojo
Rabbit
is
more
about
the
effects
that
war
has
than,
the
war
itself.
The
adults
in
the
film
are
well
aware
they
are
at
the
end
of
the
war
and
are
loosing.
You
can
see
them
give
up
on
their
loyalties
but
only
put
up
a
facade
to
survive.
In
several
scenes,
the
lead
actors,
repeat
'Heil
Hitler'
to
each
other,
and
with
every
repetition,
their
conviction
dies
a
little.
World
War
II
was
fought
on
the
bases
of
information
or
lack
of
it,
and
its
effect
can
be
seen
in
the
film.
False
information
and
lack
of
communication,
about
what
kind
of
species
jews
are
spreads
widely,
and
develops
the
stereotype
that
they
are
vermins.
But
Jojo
sees
the
truth
for
himself
when
he
actually
begins
communicating
with
Elsa.
The
version
of
Jojo's
imaginary
Adolf
goes
through
drastic
changes
from
the
start
of
the
film
to
the
end.
While
he
was
a
supportive
friend
at
the
start,
he
turns
into
a
dictator,
as
Jojo
perception
about
him
changes.
Which
is
also
an
indication
of
how
the
information
war
was
won
and
lost.
From
boosting
Jojo's
confidence
at
first,
we
see
him
become
the
monster
who
would
feast
on
a
unicorn,
alone!
Adolf
shows
his
true
colours
of
a
man
who
is
filled
with
hatred.
Waititi
also
pays
homage
to
a
gay
couple
in
the
film,
to
how
women
were
treated
as
birthing
machines
and
how
most
people
are
gullible
if
you
tell
them
anything
with
confidence.
There
are
all
kinds
of
people
and
their
different
ideologies,
which
are
portrayed
in
the
film.
We
get
to
see
them
make
their
own
decision
and
seal
their
fate
without
regret.
Film's
casting
has
been
incredible,
from
Jojo
to
his
best
friend,
Yorki
who
appears
only
for
a
few
shots,
are
still
a
delight
to
watch.
Scarlett
Johansson
as
Rosie
(Jojo's
mother)
is
an
anti-Nazi.
She
is
not
the
only
adult
we
truly
get
to
meet,
but
her
suffering
and
loss,
is
felt
deeply
with
the
few
scenes
we
get
with
her.
Sam
Rockwell
as
Army
officer
is
the
most
you
bond
with.
He
is
the
wise
man
who
knows
the
right
from
wrong
and
has
the
courage
to
do
the
right
thing.
The
comedy
and
drama
in
the
film
go
hand
in
hand.
Most
of
the
time,
it
is
the
irony
that
makes
you
laugh.
The
screenplay
written
by
Waititi
is
short
and
simple,
without
layering
the
emotions,
we
get
to
see
and
hear
exactly
what
the
maker
wants
us
to
feel.
Jojo
Rabbit
is
not
a
slap
on
the
face
for
the
genocide
and
the
suffering.
It
is
a
reminder
to
the
youth
today
that
we
get
to
decide
the
future
for
the
next
generation.
Are
we
to
become
their
Adolf
or
their
Rosie
who
will
support
them
and
let
them
chose
for
themselves?
With
Jojo
Rabbit,
director
Taika
Waititi
will
lead
you
to
believe
that
there
is
still
hope
for
us.
But
the
movie
also
tells
you
right
in
the
face
that
there
is
only
a
slim
chance
of
what
you
are
hoping
for.
We
recommend
you
watch
Jojo
Rabbit
for
the
laughs,
and
also
a
lesson.