Hmmm.

Rating: 5/10 (17 December 2019)

I'm usually quite decisive when it comes to rating films, but Jojo Rabbit has me in a bit of a quandry. I enjoyed the touching storyline of 10-year-old 'Hitler youth' Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) befriending Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), the Jewish girl he finds hiding in his home. And I enjoyed the general irreverent tone and quirky satire. But I didn't laugh. Not once. And since I believe this is intended to be a comedy, I can't say that it is a complete success. A rating of 5 feels a little unfair, since the film is an undeniably unique and visually impressive experience, but at the same time it seems like a reasonable score for something that has left me feeling unsatisfied as a whole.
I definitely wish that Roman Griffin Davis and Archie Yates (who plays Jojo's friend Yorki) hadn't filmed an introduction for the preview I attended: it made it harder to accept them as their characters, which, to be honest, wasn't that easy in the first place because neither is particularly convincing. The adults are far better, with Stephen Merchant as a nasty Gestapo officer Deertz almost making me smile, and Sam Rockwell shining as Captain Klenzendorf, a disillusioned soldier who isn't as bad as he first seems. Director Taika Waititi mercilessly mocks Adolf Hitler, who appears to Jojo as an imaginary friend - he's fun (but not funny). Scarlett Johansson is extremely likeable as Jojo's loving mother, and even Rebel Wilson, who I normally can't stand, was bearable as cruel Nazi Fraulein Rahm.
5/10. I might like it more on a second viewing. Then again, I might dislike it more.