Jojo Rabbit review: Taika Waititi tackles Adolf Hitler in oddball comic style

Jojo Rabbit is a Second World War film like no other. Though hardships are frequent, a goofy, bizarre Hitler brings levity to an otherwise devastating situation. The young stars are also incredible in bringing a childish innocence to desolation.

Jojo Rabbit is nothing like your usual film set during the Second World War.

Jojo, or Johannes ‘Jojo’ Betzler (played by Roman Griffin Davis), is a lonely, German boy living with his single mother, Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) in the later years of the Second World War.

With his father fighting in Italy, and his mother regularly at work, Jojo finds solace in his new favourite obsession: Hitler and Nazism.

He joins Hitler Youth and hopes to join the revolution – only until he discovers his mother is hiding a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their attic.

Jojo must decide whether he still believes in all of the propaganda he has been given, of course turning to his imaginary friend – a goofball version of Hitler played by Taika Waititi – for help.

Griffin Davis is absolutely astonishing as Jojo – an incredible talent from such a young actor and is perfectly matched by McKenzie as Elsa.

The pair have a brilliant chemistry which leaves you wanting more of their discussions about whether Jews live in caves and can read minds (all of which are lies fed to Jojo by his ridiculous Hitler youth leaders.)

Between Jojo’s discussions with Elsa, the audience also meets the motley crew running Hitler Youth, including Sam Rockwell as Captain Klenzendorf, who is determined to “go out in style,” Alfie Allen as Finkel, his young assistant who clearly wants to get pretty close to his captain.

Then there’s Fraulein Rahm (Rebel Wilson), who calls for her teammates together round the fireside and hear stories of how Jews forced her family members to do unspeakable things, none of which were to do with their own follies, of course.

With Johansson playing the sympathetic mother with a strong sense of playfulness and keeping-it-together-ness, this film is an absolute triumph.

Until Waititi’s Hitler waltzes onto the screen.

This film has absolutely everything going for it with an impeccable cast all performing their roles with empathy and a good helping of silliness – so why add an outlandish Hitler to the mix?

Each character has jokes, has serious, heartfelt moments as well as their own moments of learning, which feels like it is going full circle.

While Waititi’s Hitler was not completely terrible, it was just unnecessary, and by Waititi giving himself constant jokes, it detracts from the funny moments performed by other actors – which were generally funnier than his one-liners.

There is one moment, near the end of the film, which gives licence to Hitler’s presence, even in a silly version we see him as.

However, because there are enough off-the-wall, bizarre moments from the other characters, who we get to know well, Hitler’s presence just seems like an attempt to rack up points in a joke-athon.

Jojo Rabbit is truly brilliant, with moments of real heartbreak as characters are forced to confront the truly horrific aspects of war (one scene between Jojo and his mother springs to mind which really leaves you reaching for tissues.)

But to include a Hitler jester was one step too far – perhaps Waititi should have kept behind the camera and in the writer’s room.

Jojo Rabbit comes to cinemas on January 3, 2020