Dervitive Trash

Rating: 3/10 (15 February 2020)

I cannot understand at all where the hype for this film is coming from. There is absolutely nothing in this film that has not been done better elsewhere. There is no reason for this film to exist, as far as I'm concerned. The style is seems to riff on Wes Anderson, to the point where he should probably be asking for a royalty. Except it comes across as a "poor man's" version of it.
And there is a Disney war propaganda cartoon made in 1943 called "Der Fuehrer's Face" that captures the exact same essence of "JoJo Rabbit" - the absurdity of the Nazi beliefs and Hitler as the buffoon - and does a better job of it. Not many people nowadays have seen that old short, but "JoJo Rabbit" basically rips it off (particularly the "Heil Hitler" gags). I enjoyed that short cartoon far more then I enjoyed JoJo Rabbit and recommend you check it out.
I could perhaps forgive the derivative nature of the film if it was actually clever or funny, but it is neither. The humour is all one-note low brow slapstick. And there is a confusing juxtaposition at play between absurd and completely unrealistic comedy while ALSO trying to insert entirely serious (and old as dirt) messages about war and fascism. The two work together like oil and water.
I am coming to the conclusion that the only reason this film got so much attention from the Academy Awards was that it was this years "woke" choice - a film where the message trumps the filmmaking. Not recommended at all.