JOJO RABBIT (2019) – My rating: 9.7/10

Jojo Rabbit is a comedy-drama written and directed by Taika Waititi and is based on Christine Leunens’s book, Caging Skies. The title character, Jojo Rabbit, is a ten-year-old who lives in Nazi Germany nearing the end of WWII. Jojo has created an imaginary friend, who happens to be his version of Adolf Hitler. After the Academy Awards were announced, Jojo Rabbit was re-featured at many major theaters — I’m more than ecstatic for that decision. I’m just going to say, WOW!

Johannes “Jojo” Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis) is a ten-year-old boy living in Nazi Germany during World War II with his mother, Rosie (Scarlett Johansson). His absent father is supposedly serving on the Italian Front but has lost all contact with his family. Jojo’s older sister Inge has recently died of influenza. The nationalistic Jojo often talks with his imaginary friend, a supportive but childish version of Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi). Jojo and his best friend Yorki (Archie Yates) attend a Deutsches Jungvolk Hitler Youth training camp, run by the one-eyed Wehrmacht Captain Klenzendorf (Sam Rockwell). When Jojo is ordered to kill a rabbit by one of the older Youth members, he tries to release it and runs off crying. After a pep talk from his imaginary friend, Jojo returns and throws a Stielhandgranate without permission. It bounces off a tree and explodes at his feet, leaving him with facial scars and a slight limp. After Jojo recovers, Rosie asks Klenzendorf, who was demoted after the incident, to make her son feel included despite his injuries. Jojo had been exempt from field training and placed in the back office where he performed small tasks such as spreading propaganda leaflets throughout the town, as well as collecting scrap metal for the war effort. Alone at home one day, Jojo discovers a teenage girl who was his late sister’s former classmate, Elsa Korr (Thomasin McKenzie), living upstairs.

I thought Jojo Rabbit was a children’s film and didn’t bother to see it. Not only is Jojo Rabbit not strictly a children’s flick, but it is also an anti-Hitler Satire, like none I’ve ever seen. There are so many surprises in this film, I’m reluctant to tell any parts of the story, as it may spoil it for you. Out of the eight other movies nominated for best picture Oscar, Jojo Rabbit is my pick. It’s really that good. Between Roman Griffin Davis, Taika Waiti, Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell, this film shows how brilliantly outstanding these actors are. The scenery allowed me to feel the effects of war-torn Germany. By no means, was Jojo Rabbit a comedy, assassinations of their citizens, the public hangings of bodies, bombs constantly exploding and routine inspections of neighborhood homes for hidden Jews are just some of what reminded the audience of the seriousness, sadness and horrific acts of the holocaust. As of January 20, 2020, Jojo Rabbit has grossed $23.9M, US and Canada, $20M internationally, for a worldwide total of $43.9M. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 80% based on 361 reviews, with an average rating of 7.52/10. The website’s critics consensus reads: “Jojo Rabbit’s blend of irreverent humor and serious ideas definitely won’t be to everyone’s taste—but either way, this anti-hate satire is audacious to a fault. Find out who is living upstairs and what happens to Jojo’s commitment to being a Nazi. I promise you will not like Jojo Rabbit in the beginning but by the end, you will love it. Brilliantly presented, you’ve not seen anything like this movie. Check It Out!

[JOJO RABBIT is Oscar-nominated for BEST: Picture, Supporting Actress, Costume Design, Film Editing, Production Design and Adapted Screenplay — TOTALLING 6 OSCAR NOMINATIONS]

 

LOGAN (2017) – My rating: 8.7/10

Logan turns out to be a fantastic farewell to this third and final film solely focusing on Wolverine while opening up a host of possibilities as it says hello to a new chapter of young mutants. While I’m sad to see X-Men, as I knew it, fade into the sunset, I realize, we all get old. Today’s action films are so physical, it’s a wonder super heroes like Tony Stark last as long as they have. As you can see, the likes of Spiderman, Superman, Batman and Catwoman have all changed actors with many more to come. Logan (Hugh Jackman) happens to be a picture of beauty as far as the body goes however, we can’t account for what’s inside. While still looking good, he is now out of the action hero game, probably taking on roles more suited to his age. I must say, he did a fantastic job parting as Logan. Not only did he manage to keep up with the new young talent he also managed to look great doing it. The story was great, the acting was extraordinary and the special effects were spectacular. A little too much killing for my liking but that hardly seems to be a problem these days. I did feel some of the killings were unnecessary, as it would have been nice if some of the nicer people had lived, I’m just saying.

The final sequel is set in 2029.  James “Logan” Howlett, formerly known as Wolverine, (Hugh Jackman) has aged greatly because the adamantium fused to his bones has started poisoning him and impeding his healing factor, due to his body progressively growing weaker over the years. He spends his days working as a chauffeur and hustling prescription drugs in Texas. He and albino mutant Caliban (Stephen Merchant), who can sense and track other mutants, live in an abandoned smelting plant across the border in Mexico, where they care for Professor Charles Xavier’s (Patrick Stewart), who is suffering from a neuro-degenerative disease, which causes him to lose control of his telepathic abilities to a devastating effect. Charles is on major medication, and has to be looked after at all times, as well as kept hidden from society because of his superior brain power. Every time Charles misses taking his medication, he goes into seizure that caused catastrophic results, killing hundreds of people. This is why Logan solicited the help of Caliban, who is a mess himself. To make a bad situation worse, Logan reluctantly takes on an 11 year old girl Laura/x-23 (Dafne Keen) who is being sort after by cybernetically enhanced Donald Pierce, (Boyd Holbrook), Chief of Security for Transigen, an organization of cybernetically enhanced enforcers called The Reavers.  Logan’s story get very involved from this point, as Laura was made from his DNA so she is technically Logan’s daughter.  If you are an X-Men fan, Logan is a must see — if you are an action hero fan, Logan is still a must see.  All in all you will love this sequel, it’s history in the making and well played by all.