Adnerb the Movie Nerd

Movie reviews from a middle school teacher's perspective

JoJo Rabbit

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I absolutely loved this movie, but have to admit is very quirky and will not be everyone’s cup of tea.  The story follows ten year old JoJo “Rabbit” Betzler (a fine acting debut by Roman Griffin Davis) as an ultra wannabe Hitler Youth living in mythical Falkenheim, Germany approaching the end of WWII.  Jojo seems kind of lonely, his mother is frequently out and his soldier father has been missing for almost two years.  Jojo despretely wants to become a Hitler Youth and is aided in this undertaking by his imaginary friend – Adolf Hitler himself – played with buffoonish gusto by the writer and director Taika Waititi.  But his efforts fall seriously short and he is relegated to simple tasks under the mentorship of Captain Klenzendorf (Sam Rockwell) and his erstwhile assistants played by Alfie Allen and Rebel Wilson.  Jojo carries on as things start to fall apart, and his dogmatic beliefs are shattered when he meets and eventually befriends a Jewish girl that his mother is hiding.  The movie is full of satire, both serious and humorous.  I loved the ridiculous Nazis characters played by Sam Rockwell and Rebel Wilson as well as the scenes of the absurdity and devestation of war.  Waititi has concocted a mix of the serious historical realities with absurdist comic flights of fancy.  We could take a few lessons from how Jojo’s fanatical belief in everything he has been told, including that Jews have horns and live in caves like bats, are punctured and exploded like a holiday balloon.  I found this movie a little reminiscent of “Moonlight Kingdom,” which I also loved.  Do not be fooled by the humorous undertones of this movie, it is a serious topic and doesn’t gloss over some realities of what happened in German towns (the things depicted did happen, and often) as Hitler’s empire was taken apart.  You may even tear up a time or two.  This is definitely a well-deserving award contender.  See you at the Oscars, JoJo!

1917

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My grandfather enlisted in the Army by lying about his age and was sent to France during WWI.  I never knew this before he died, and don’t know if he ever talked about his experiences.  A relative told me that his company returned with only 14 men walking, my grandfather included.  I feel this movie gave me an accurate picture of what he may have gone through.  This was the most realistic and harrowing picture about WWl I have ever seen.  If you do not enjoy seeing rats eating dead bodies or someone accidently putting their hand through a rotting corpse, you will want to cover your eyes, but don’t let this keep you away from the theater. General Sherman once said “all war is hell,” and the Western Front in the First World War was more hell than most.  But the depiction of the conditions in such an unvarnished way is part of the point – to try to give an idea of what conditions were like, and for many long months. The plot is simple enough, two soldiers Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Schofield (George MacKay) are given a seemingly impossible mission: The Germans have laid a trap and unless the pair can deliver a warning in time, 1,600 men will die, including Blake’s brother. The movie is the story of their incredible and determined journey. It’s not so much about battles and glory; but about willingness to persevere to do what is needed to complete the journey, and the nature of individual courage and comradeship. The cinematography is breath-taking, some of the scenes were shot in one continous roll of the camera making you feel like you, too, were walking with these two intrepid soldiers.  There are appearances by famous names like Colin Firth and Benedict Cumberbatch, but their screen time combined is less than five minutes.  Not to worry, Chapman and MacKay haven enough acting chops to carry this movie.  The action is non-stop, really there is never a dull moment.  I highly recommend this movie and wouldn’t be surprised if it won an Oscar or two next month.

Little Women

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“Little Women” is a classic novel written in 1869 by Louisa May Alcott.  There have been many movie versions made, and I am pretty sure I have seen them all.  I have read the book every few years since I was 12; so it was with a skeptical eye that I approached this latest iteration of a beloved novel.  I LOVED IT.  Greta Gerwig has told a familiar story (keeping very close to the original source material), but has made it seem fresh and new.  The story takes place during the Civil War.  The March sisters are played wonderfully by Saorise Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, and Eliza Scanlen,  They are frequently left to their own devices while Father (Bob Odenkirk) fights in the war and Marmee (Laura Dern) tends to the local poor,  The action picks up when the sisters meet Mr. Lawrence, their gruff but kind-hearted neighbor (Chris Cooper) and his handsome son, Laurie (Timothee Chalamet) – who is destined to love one sister, but marry another.  Meryl Streep is Aunt March, the rich relative who hires Jo (Saorise) to be her “companion” in return for a promised tour of Europe.  There is a an innovation, though, that some people may not like.  The story is told in flashbacks, not in the linear way of the original novel.  This may be confusing if you are not familiar with the book, but I didn’t think it took anything away from the story.  If you are familiar with the story, disregard what some people have been saying in reviews, Gerwig did not change the ending of the book so Professor Bhaer definitely makes an appearance.  All this version does is add the publishing of the book “Little Women,” which is alluded to at the end of the original.  Whether you are a newbie, or know the story backwards and forwards, you will laugh and cry with Louisa May ALcott’s delightful characters brought to new life by Greta Gerwig.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

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I watched the very first Star Wars movie in 1977 when it first came out.  Then it was a completely fresh and new  kind of movie.  In fact, I think it is safe to say that the original Star Wars usuhered in an era of acceptance for serious SciFi that has flourished ever since.  Through it all, I have followed the highs (Luke, I am your father) and lows (Jar-Jar Binks) of the series, including the off-shoot movies like ‘Rogue One’.    So you can imagine my disappointment at the terrible reviews some people have been giving this one.  DO NOT PAY ATTENTION TO THE REVIEWERS!  This was a great and fitting ending for true Star Wars fans.  I loved it!  Yes, some of the action seems simple and innocent, but this is true to the original and I wouldn’t want it any other way.  In this episode, an enemy from the past resurfaces and is, of course, bent on dominating and ruling the galaxy.  The old gang, introduced two episodes ago, are all back.  Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega) and of course, Rey (Daisy Ridley) must work together to help the small but hopeful resistance fight back.  Daisy will find out her bloodline in a surprising revelation, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) will come to terms with his destiny, and many old favorites will be featured including Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian.  There will be some deaths, expected and unexpected, as well as a few pleasant surprises including a new droid named D-O.  I thought this movie ties everything up and it is a fitting conclusion to 40 years of being happily and fully entertained.  An era has come to en end, but in a great way.

Jumanji:The Next Level

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It may not be as good, or charming, as the original, but ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ is a pleasant little romp to take your mind off of the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping.  Nerdy college student, Spencer, is feeling down in the dumps, and it seems, missing the fun and excitement of being Dr. Smolder Bravestone, and decides to repair the broken Jumanji game.  You know what’s going to happen next… Our main favorites are all back: The Rock, Jack Black, Karen Gillian (my fave) and Kevin Hart.  Of course they get sucked back into the game again, only this time around their “avatars” are inhabited by different characters.  This can all be explained by the fact that the game was smashed, put back together, and is working, but malfunctioning. Bethany is left behind, at first; but it turns out she has to find Alex (Colin Hanks/Nick Jonas). He will get them into the game.  The Rock is inhabited this time by Spencer’s grandpa Eddie (Danny de Vito), while Jack Black is Fridge the Jock.  Kevin Hart is Eddie’s buddy Milo (Danny Glover). Eddie and Milo are injected in the story as old friends who hadn’t see each other in years when Eddie resented Milo for retiring from their successful restaurant business.  Spencer ends up in the body of Awkafina while Bethany gets to be a horse.  Are you confused?  Well there is more confusion to come when the characters find some’ magical water’ in the game that make them all switch avatars yet again!?!  The plot really doesn’t mattter, it has something to do with a jewel, Game of Thrones’ Rory McCann (The Hound), and a flying horse.  I enjoyed the addition of Awkafina, she is hilarious.  However, I wish that the writers had kept everyone in their original avatars, the new ones were not as endearing.  All in all, a decent, if not great, adventure movie!