Jojo Rabbit Review: 7 Ups & 2 Downs

3. The Fantastic Ensemble Cast

Though Scarlett Johansson undeniably runs away with the movie, Jojo Rabbit is also blessed with a fantastic ensemble cast of game performers.

For starters, in his first-ever movie role, Roman Griffin Davis makes for a compassionate and endearing Jojo, while rising star Thomasin McKenzie is once again fantastic as embattled Jewish teenager Elsa. As Jojo's friend Yorki, Archie Yates is also a total riot.

On the adult side, Waititi's sporadic appearances as Hitler are about as hilariously bizarre as you'd expect, and immediately invite comparisons to Charlie Chaplin's portrayal of totally-not-Hitler in the 1940 satirical classic The Great Dictator.

Elsewhere Sam Rockwell is a hoot as dispirited Nazi officer Captain Klenzendorf, and Stephen Merchant gets a few hilarious scenes as Gestapo agent Deertz, a character so delightfully, creepily campy he feels pulled right out of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Together these performances help smooth over the film's rougher moments and ensure that, above all else, there's never a dull moment in sight.