Jojo Rabbit was just goddamn delightful.
Taika Waititi crafts an audacious satire that takes the piss out of the Nazi's from minute one. It also manages to be a sweet and earnest portrayal of a young boy navigating one of the great evils of our time.
This likely won't be to everyone's taste, the jokes are clearly anti-hate, nevertheless, the language may be uncomfortable for some.
The film's goofy portrayal of the Nazi's did initially have me worried that they would be defanged punching bags and nothing more, thankfully I was wrong and the gut-punch the film delivers to remind us is quite effective. It's also signaled very cleverly but maybe a little too overtly I was able to predict what was going to happen just by that one repeated shot.
Jojo is a great character and well portrayed by Roman Griffin Davis, his journey is one that is investing from the very start. He's well supported by his mother (Scarlett Johansson) & a Nazi Captain (Sam Rockwell) among others I don't wish to spoil.
The film is shot in a style that reminds me very much of a Wes Anderson film, this isn't a bad thing in and of itself, but the ease of the comparison does somewhat prevent the film's style from really defining itself as its own thing.
I really loved this film; I think it may make my top ten this year. Go see it, then if you think your kid can handle it, bring them to see it. There's been a lot of talk about putting up walls lately, Jojo Rabbit is in the business of tearing them down.
9/10 Monsters are fantasy, evil is a human creation.