8.5 / 10
(rotten tomatoes: 80%)
I’m not gonna lie, I have been putting off this review since this was a tough one. My first impressions aside, this movie actually won me over in the end. Looking back, it was well done and had plenty of humor to make it fun to watch. It's a spoof and nothing to take seriously.
Film Style -
Had a childlike sense of humor, and Wes Anderson sort-of flare. It was kind of like a Moonrise Kingdom mixed with colorful shots and lackadaisical dialogue. Colors really popped and had a tasteful eye for videography.
First Impressions -
My first impressions from the trailer, didn’t make me want to like this film. My hesitations being that it appears to be a whimsical spoof on Nazi Germany. Luckily this movie doesn’t necessarily promote it, but then it again it is "an anti-hate satire".
Characters -
Now let’s address the gigantic, pencil-mustached elephant in the room, Adolf. This was certainly not the same evil dictator that we know from the war, but more of a feminine-charged, comedic character who just wants to hear how Jo Jo’s day went. The comedic representation of Adolf had an after-school special sort of take to it. Great comedic acting, but then again I didn’t really want to laugh at first.
The characters were quirky and full of depth. Scarlett was great (when is she not??). Jo Jo’s character is lovably skittish – just like a rabbit. Unfortunately, he is highly susceptible to the party and their leader. It’s Jo Jo's happy-go-lucky personality that makes it conflicting to root for him when he is a part of something so terrible. I appreciated the philosophical perspective, envisioning how people can be brain-washed to do terrible things.
Not sure that the world needed this one right now, however I don’t really think that this sort of film could’ve been made until now. I guess you could say that it all started with Charlie Chaplin and Mel Brooks, with how freely they would poke fun at an absolute tragedy in human history. At the end of the day, I appreciated that this movie didn't necessarily celebrate the Nazi party but more or less makes it so ridiculous that it’s absurd.
//tl ; dr //
Date Flick? – Possibly, but not my first recommendation.
Great Flick? – Yeah, my first impressions aside, it won me over in the end.
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