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JoJo Rabbit

JoJo Rabbit, screenplay and directed by that guy who's name I can't pronounce from New Zealand that did Thor Ragnarok. Overall, I liked it. There were many ways a dramedy about Nazis could go horribly wrong, but he managed to navigate the storm.

Spoiler warning: if you haven't seen the movie, I casually mention significant plot points you don't see in the trailers. You have been warned.

Things I liked:
* Focusing on the shoes of the hanged + the shoes of Rosie paid off well.
* Stephen Merchant's nigh-inhuman, face-splitting grin. Perfect for Gestapo, reminded me of that guy from Raiders of the Lost Ark.
* Took a predictable story arc -- JoJo's maturation from follower to independence -- and made the journey enjoyable.
* WT's antics as Hitler: his dancing as JoJo raced through the forest; his swimming at the pool; diving out the window; all bundled up, fully clothed, in JoJo's bed. It added just the touch of absurdity the narrative needed to remind us not to take this version of Hitler too seriously. Oh, and shouting at Rosie when JoJo says "she can't hear you" -- kept the tone perfectly.

Things I didn't like:
* Classic war scenes -- explosions, the unnatural silence of overloaded ear drums, the soldiers getting shot down. Yes, spiced by the humorous German shepards and child soldiers, but left me feeling "do we need to see another outtake from Saving Private Ryan?" Of course, if everyone had gotten the "war is bad, Nazis are bad" message, the world wouldn't be in the situation it is now.
* The loose threads. Was Col.K Rosie's brother? An old school chum? How did JoJo's dad get mixed up in all this? Did he ever make it home? Yeah, the story focused on JoJo, and those are things he wouldn't know or experience, and he couldn't really relate to them, so I understand why they were left out.
* The language JoJo's fat little friend used. It was far too mature, too 20th century sitcom working man urbanite, to be coming from a 10 year old in 1940's Germany. It took me out of the moment a bit.

JoJo had less cringe humor and more heart than What We Do In The Shadows, and the comedy was much better timed than WT's jokes in Thor Ragnarok.

Viewed: 4 January 2020 at Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline. The popcorn was buttered but not overly fresh.

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