JOJO RABBIT

Roman Griffin Davis    Taika Waititi    Thomasin McKenzie          Scarlett Johansson     Sam Rockwell     

Rebel Wilson     Archie Yates     Stephen Merchant     Alfie Allen

     What an ingenious anti-war film!  Taika Waititi has invested all of his creative energies into putting viewers into the mind of a child to take the journey from hope and hero worship on to despair and disillusionment, then full circle to hope, in a most unusual coming-of-age story set in Germany during the end of WWII.

     It begins (significantly, with a Beatles song “I want to Hold Your Hand” in German) with Jojo (incredibly portrayed by Davis in his first film), a gung-ho young German attending a youth camp for Nazi training.  He’s so into it, he has his [imaginary] friend Adolph Hitler (Waititi) by his side, bolstering him up when he’s discouraged and urging him on to a promising future as the bravest of Nazis.  There are signs, however, that Jojo might be too tenderhearted, and that’s how he gets his nickname, Jojo Rabbit.  (Jeers on all sides from his trainers and fellow recruits—except for one Captain “K” (Rockwell) who, uncharacteristically among Nazi soldiers, seems to have some empathy for him.)

     Jojo’s kooky-on-the-outside mother (Johansson) has a way of supporting her son while at the same time glossing over his stated fears.  In a way, she entertains him out of these concerns, but always with an underlying steadfastness that proves her worth.  She’s a mysterious character who appears to have important things going on, but Jojo doesn’t really know where she is when she’s gone from home.

     Which, because he is alone, is how he discovers an extra person in the house, “Elsa” (McKenzie) named, for purposes of subterfuge, after his dead sister, a young Jewish girl Jojo’s mother is hiding.  Jojo’s and Elsa’s interactions provide a context for Jojo to spout out all that he has heard of Jews (having never met one) and a framework for Waititi to illustrate how stereotypes vanish when actual people meet actual people, the distance shrinking as they become friends.

     Seldom have anti-war movies covered the scope of Jojo Rabbit.  It portrays the internal experiences of a young Nazi in training ushering us on through his figuring out “Jews”, his encountering primal fears of home searches, his observing people he trusts of glossing over facts for humanitarian concerns, and his discovery of who important people in his life really are, including his mother and his ever loyal friend, Yoki (Yates).  But beyond all of that, it has its comedic moments, e.g., reverse psychology is rephrased as “backwards mind power”, and the name of Jojo’s “book” about Jews he is writing is entitled, “Yoo-hoo, Jews”).

     I thoroughly enjoyed Jojo Rabbit, and hope that viewers will grasp all the underlying messages in it about children and about war.  It’s a satirical spoof, a heart-warming drama, a comedy, and horrifying picture of the costs of war.

Jojo Rabbit is not to be taken lightly, although it is a comedy, along with being a satirical spoof and heart-warming drama.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THOR: RAGNAROK

Chris Hemsworth     Tom Hiddleston     Cate Blanchett     Mark Ruffalo     Tessa Thompson

Anthony Hopkins     Benedict Cumberbatch     Idris Elba     Jeff Goldblum     Karl Urban

     Thor has seen rocky times in two previous versions (Thor, 2011; Thor:  The Dark World, 2013), but in the hands of the gifted director Taika Waititi, Thor:  Ragnarok is deemed much more successful.  Additional factors contributing to quality are the writers (Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost, and original Marvel comics); the diverse, finely talented cast; the imaginative cinematography by Javier Aguirresarobe; and the special and visual effects. 

One of the distinctions of this action film is the inclusion of emotional elements (sibling rivalry, family issues, friendship, loyalties, humor) and depth of story, along with the stronger roles given to women, more so than almost any other action film, except for Wonder Woman.  Cate Blanchett as Hela and Tessa Thompson as a Valkyrie have special powers and hold their own in physical combat with the men. 

    In searching for the Infinity Stones, a holdover from the Avengers franchise, Thor (Hemsworth) is captured by the fiery demon Surtur (voice of Clancy Brown) who prophesies the end of Asgard (Odin’s realm) in an apocalypse called Ragnarok.  Thor is not about to let that happen, and escapes the demon, thinking he has prevented Ragnarok from happening.  But his father Odin (Hopkins) is missing, so he enlists the help of Dr. Strange (Cumberbatch) in locating him, which he does with a number of flashy demonstrations.  Thor talks to his father, and learns that his sister Hela (Blanchett), who has been in prison, will be released, will be claiming the crown, and will implement Ragnarock as the Goddess of Death.  It turns out that she has higher ambitions than her father, with wishes to control the whole world.  Thor decides to take her on, and goes to Asgard.

     But the black-clad Hela with a gorgeous body and an antler headdress is formidable, and not only does Thor lose his hammer, he is banished to the world of Sakaar, ruled by the weird Grand Master (Jeff Goldblum).  He finds his brother Loki (Hiddleston) already there, and sees that he has gained the confidence of the Grand Master.  The brothers are as competitive as always, and Thor winds up being made a gladiator scheduled to fight the current champion—none other than The Hulk (Ruffalo).  Thor is delighted to see him, but soon discovers that Bruce Banner is no longer present, and The Hulk fully intends to destroy him.  Eventually, Thor, Loki, the Valkyrie, and The Hulk wriggle out of the confines of Sakaar, and rally the support and arms they will need to thwart Hela’s ambitions.

     Back on Asgard, the people are unhappy with Hela’s merciless rule and destructiveness, and under the leadership of Heimdall (Elba), attempting to avoid Hela’s soldiers and escape to a safer place.  Thor and his team of “Revengers” will be fighting the battle of their lives when they arrive.

     Balancing out the action scenes are many allusions to a wry kind of humor.  Calling their team the “Revengers” is one; the Grand Master insisting on calling Thor the “Lord” of Thunder, rather than a god, rankling Thor, is another; and key people refusing to join the Revengers because they “don’t want to get into a family squabble” still another example.  Many of these jokes were sprinkled throughout the action sequences late in production, increasing the run time twenty minutes, but Waititi considers it well worth it.  I would agree.

Thor:  Ragnarok easily entertains with adventure, challenges, family fights, and humor. 

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS

            
Jemaine Clement     Taika Waititi     Jonathan Brugh     Cori Gonzalez Macuer     Stuart Rutherford     
 

I’m not much of a fan of vampires, but I really chuckled during What We Do in the Shadows, a mockumentary about four vampires who are flat mates in Wellington, New Zealand.  I was a fan of HBO’s Flight of the Conchords for a two years, with Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie.  Now, Clement and Taika Waititi (writers, directors, producers, and stars of this production) have created a similar show in terms of its wit and dry—sometimes black—humor. 

            We get a clue right from the beginning when the story opens with an alarm ringing at 6:00 (pm), and a hand reaching out of a casket to turn it off.  This is Viago (Waititi), the more fastidious mate, who will awaken the others for a flat meeting.  It seems that Deacon (Brugh) hasn’t washed the dishes for five years, and that is his assigned chore.  Vladislav (Clement) sides with Viago in pressuring Deacon to do his job, stating that it’s embarrassing to bring guests into the apartment with the dishes, splattered with blood, piled up to the ceiling.  Deacon’s defense is that the guests are going to be killed anyway, so what the f---, but Viago and Vlad are insistent.  The fourth mate is Petyr (Ben Fransham) who is 8,000 years old and lives in the basement in a crypt.  He has just bitten Nick (Macuer), turning him into vampire who will be a thorn in the flesh for the others throughout the rest of the story, his main problem being that he blabs to everyone about being a vampire.

            Another funny vein throughout the story is that the vampires—who normally want to have their identities hidden—have agreed to have a documentary made about them, so a camera is following them everywhere.  Of course, Nick brings this up when they tell him to stop bragging.

            Excitement builds as everyone is looking forward to the annual Unholy Masquerade in the Cathedral of Despair, but Vlad goes into a rage when someone else is announced as the guest of honor.  He stays home to pout while the others take off in splendid costumes.  (Since they can’t see their images in a mirror, they have to consult the others about what to wear).  Once again, Nick creates a problem by bringing his human friend Stu along, endangering his life, of course.  This creates a stir at the gala when the vampires realize they have a human in their midst, whereupon in strides Vlad in full costume ready to take on the special guest with whom he shares a chaotic past. 

            When things get truly out of hand, the mates, who have developed a fondness for Stu despite their normally cold hearts, make a hasty departure, only to encounter werewolves lying in wait for them.  This transitioning from one situation to another, each with its dilemmas and contradictions, makes for an entertaining, delightful show. 

A spoof about vampires with its own charm.

Grade:  B+                        By Donna R. Copeland