Defender Films

Next Goal Wins (2023): Taika Waititi Misses the Goal

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Next Goal Wins” is directed by Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit) who also appears in the film as the character “American Samoa Priest.” The film also stars Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs, X-Men: First Class), Oscar Kightley (Sione’s Wedding, Hunt for the Wilderpeople), Kaimana, David Fane (Sione’s Wedding, Love Birds), Rachel House (Moana, Soul), Beulah Koale (Hawaii-Five-0, Dual), Will Arnett (The LEGO Movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), and Elisabeth Moss (The Invisible Man, Mad Men). Based on the 2014 documentary of the same name, this film is about what happens when an arrogant coach and one of the world’s worst soccer teams come together with the hopes of making the latter do something they are not necessarily known for doing. Scoring goals and winning.

Taika Waititi is one of those Hollywood personalities that I can respect, but I think he also has his moments of taking said personality too far. I think he has a knack for humor at times, even if I think his “Thor” movies are inferior to Kenneth Branagh’s 2011 MCU installment. In recent years, I thought “Jojo Rabbit” has proven he is both a great storyteller and just about as good of an actor. His portrayal of Adolf Hitler in that film was one of the best of the year. In 2021, one of my favorite films of the year, “Free Guy,” starred Waititi as Antwan, the greedy executive who serves as the film’s antagonist. No disrespect to Ryan Reynolds, there is an argument to make that Waititi stole every scene he was in. He had this swagger to him that I was not expecting out of a character of this nature. I cannot imagine anyone else playing the character. That’s how good Waititi was in the film.

His latest film prior to this one, “Thor: Love and Thunder” got a thumbs up from me, but perhaps just barely. I think the film did an alright job mixing comedy and drama together, but the comedy sometimes becomes too silly to the point where it almost tarnishes the more dramatic elements. I was also not a fan of when Waititi publicly and perhaps mockingly called out his distaste for how the VFX turned out. I am all for recognizing your own faults, but when you are trying to sell a movie, I don’t think mocking a great span of the people who made it is the best move. It would be like if I were a delivering a Domino’s pizza, handing it off to the customers, and leaving them off by saying I worked for Papa John’s and I think the people over there usually put more care into their pies. That’s why I went into “Next Goal Wins” with lukewarm expectations. How did the movie turn out? Well, I’ve seen worse this year. But the way I saw this movie is the way most of my country sees soccer. A snoozefest that makes me wish I were watching something else.

I appreciate the concept of “Next Goal Wins” because it is not just an underdog story, it is one that celebrates failure in a such in an embracing manner. It reminds me a bit of “The Disaster Artist,” one of my favorite A24 movies that goes into the making of “The Room.” Similarly, there was another sports film I saw last year called “The Phantom of the Open,” where an unlikely man participates in professional golf, much to the dismay of those involved with the sport. “Next Goal Wins” recognizes the lowest points of both its protagonist coach and the team he has to reluctantly oversee. Unfortunately, when the reluctant coach is put together with the below par group of athletes, the on-screen chemistry is iffy at best. There are certain matches between the coach and the team. Not to mention, there happen to be certain relationships throughout the film that are well developed, but the movie spends most of its time devoted to one tired comedy gag after another. The film may call itself a comedy, but it is subjective as anything deemed artistic. I failed to find it funny. Sure, maybe I had a couple laughs here and there during the film. But I would not be able to tell you what it that got me to laugh. Overall, I found a good portion of the film forgettable and that is not a word I was expecting to use out of a picture like this. If you know me in real life, perhaps one of my weaknesses, though I personally call it a strength, is my resistance to take some things seriously. Everything is a joke to me. That is almost the mentality that Waititi takes to heart throughout “Next Goal Wins,” and it only hurts the final product. Between “Thor: Love and Thunder” and now “Next Goal Wins,” Taika Waititi is practically overdoing his comedic efforts to the point where they feel in your face, and therefore unfunny.

This film is not going to win any Oscars. Does it look competent? Perhaps. Is the acting okay? Sure. Does the story make sense? Yes. But the movie is bombarded with negatives to the point where those stand out a lot more than the positives. It does get better as it goes along, because I started off this movie not liking anyone. I thought the coach was not a great center of the story as it started. I found the characters on team uninteresting. It was not an easy task latching onto this film’s ensemble. Michael Fassbender does an okay, albeit far from awards-worthy job with the material given to him, but it is not enough. If I had to guess, it ultimately comes down to direction, because almost every choice in the film comes off either as some semblance of a joke. “Next Goal Wins” is basically what happens when a joke is taken too far. Although in this case, the joke is never offensive, it just lingers much longer than it should to the point where it leaves a bad aftertaste.

I will give credit where it is due because despite the somewhat predictable structure of the film, there are some unexpected and unique creative choices brought to fruition in the film whether it is through writing, editing, or narration. I cannot say I was a fan of all these choices, but despite finding the movie dull, these choices kept some banality out of the final product. And that is kind of what this movie is in multiple ways. A series of halfway marks. I found the story boring, but great in concept. I found the characters to have personalities, but they just didn’t leap off the screen for me. I found the movie to be heartfelt, but it is sullied by bad humor.

But I must add, one of those creative choices becomes a driving force in the climax, and it honestly took whatever fun I was having in the movie, if any, and lessened it to such an unbelievable degree. It resulted in a conclusion that was not as satisfying as it could have been. When it comes to this vision, Taika Waititi is like a class clown, but in this case as I watch him, I am the teacher telling him to stop joking around and focus on his studies. “Next Goal Wins” is far from this year’s worst picture, but it is easily one of the most forgettable.

In the end, “Next Goal Wins,” much like the American Samoa national football team, fails to score any goals. It is not a travesty that will go down in history as one of the most awful pieces of crap Hollywood has ever produced, but I do not know if I will be thinking about this movie in about five years from now. I have not seen all of Taika Waititi’s work, but I think after watching this film, I cannot say I am looking forward to whatever feature film he does next as much as I previously expected. Hopefully he turns things around. I am going to give “Next Goal Wins” a 4/10.

Come to think of it, “Next Goal Wins” might not even the worst sports movie I have seen this year, because “80 for Brady” exists. So congratulations, Taika Waititi! Tom Brady and four elderly women just saved your butt! And yes, if you read that review, you’ll notice the score for “80 for Brady” is higher than what this film got. I wonder if I was too generous on that review. But at the end of the day, they’re just numbers. What can I say?

“Next Goal Wins” is now playing in theaters. Granted, none of them are near me at this point. But if you live in a certain market, it could be playing near you. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! My next review is going to be for the brand new Alexander Payne-directed film, “The Holdovers!” I have been looking forward to this movie for quite some time, and having seen it, I cannot wait to share my thoughts with you all. Also coming soon, I will have my thoughts on “Napoleon,” “Godzilla Minus One,” “Ferrari,” “The Boy and the Heron,” and “Dream Scenario.” If you want to see this and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Next Goal Wins?” What did you think about it? Or, what is your favorite Taika Waititi movie? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!

Jojo Rabbit (2019): Hitler Can Be Fun

Posted on by Jack Drees

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“Jojo Rabbit” is directed by Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok, The Hunt For the Wilderpeople), who also plays the character of Adolf Hitler in this movie. Alongside Waititi, the film stars Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, Alfie Allen, and Sam Rockwell. This film is about a young boy living in Nazi Germany by the name of Jojo. We see him at the start of the movie, trying to become part of Hitler’s force. However, he is eventually revealed to be wimpy compared to those around him, which partially inspires the titular nickname “Jojo Rabbit.” The film also explores Jojo’s life at home, when he eventually finds himself in a situation where he is living with an enemy of many Nazi Germans, a Jew.

I have not seen much of Taika Waititi’s work. Admittedly, as much as it makes me look like a bad moviegoer, the only film of his (specifically, the ones he hasn’t had an acting role in) I managed to see happens to be “Thor: Ragnarok.” Judging from that, Waititi definitely has his own style when it comes to his movies. Granted, judging from the fact that “Thor: Ragnarok” is a Marvel movie, it follows a lot of the beats to fulfill the requirements of what makes one of those films possible. If you ask me, I think “Thor: Ragnarok” is almost the most overrated Marvel movie. It’s good, but I really think they should have toned down on the humor, and the vibe should have fit with a lot of the dark ideas the movie seemed to have going for it. I mean, THE CITY OF ASGARD IS IN DEEP S*IT! Now that “Ragnarok” is in the past, Waititi went on to direct this film, which if I had to be honest, is better than “Thor: Ragnarok.”

Now that I had a week to think about “Jojo Rabbit,” I just realized that this film and “Ragnarok” manage to have something kinda sorta in common that I could not quite grasp at first. Both of them feel like parodies. Granted, “Jojo Rabbit” IS a parody, but that’s not the point. When I watched “Thor: Ragnarok,” I was not able to appreciate the humor that they were trying to hammer inside my head. I thought it was quite unnecessary. But there are various parts of “Thor: Ragnarok,” and I won’t get into them, that might as well be part of a rather effective big budget “Saturday Night Live” sketch. I have not gone back into the past to view Waititi’s earlier work, but it does make me curious as to what he has up his sleeve in the future. How far will he go with the humor? If he goes on to direct “Thor: Love and Thunder,” is he going to make it a pure comedy? I don’t know, but it would at least be interesting to see.

And speaking of long, deep thoughts, this movie managed to do something quite extraordinary and rather unexpected. Once again, this is a parody film. Keep that in mind. But Nazism is one of the most serious subjects that one could talk about or put in a motion picture. As someone who knows the Nazis were objectively evil, I cannot help but point out that this film made Nazis look fun. Based on pure entertainment value, I wouldn’t say that’s an entirely bad thing. I don’t mean any offense when I say this, but between Hitler, a book burning scene, and a few funny moments here and there, “Jojo Rabbit” managed to surprise me immensely.

Keep in mind, for those of you who are thinking this movie is about Hitler, guess what? It’s not. Adolf Hitler in this movie plays an important role, but if you are expecting this to be a movie about Hitler, you MIGHT be disappointed. Personally, the real concept behind this movie is one that I would love to shout from the rooftops. As mentioned, this movie is about a young kid, who goes by the name Jojo. There are various scenes in the film where Hitler appears, but each time, it’s all a figment of Jojo’s imagination. Basically, Adolf Hitler in this film is Jojo’s imaginary friend.

AWESOME.

Staying on the topic of Hitler, Taika Waititi does a really good job at playing him. The movie also somehow did a good job at making him a charming, relatable character. One of the first scenes where I see him talking to Jojo, he talks about how people made fun of him in the past. He then advises Jojo to “Be the rabbit,” which is a suggestion to take a nickname that is seemingly derogatory, but use it to make yourself a better human being.

I will also say that the kid who plays Jojo, otherwise known as Roman Griffin Davis, did a pretty good job. For the record, as I write this review, I have looked at both his Wikipedia page and his IMDb page. According to both sources, “Jojo Rabbit” is the dude’s only acting credit. The only other piece of media, at least according to IMDb, featuring Roman Griffin Davis in some way, shape, or form is an episode of “Entertainment Tonight Canada.” I am not sure how much training or practice Jojo had before taking on this film, but for a first time performance, this was nothing short of a job well done. Personally, despite being a actor of his particular experience level and age range, this didn’t feel like a first time performance, which may be the best compliment I can give.

Overall, the cast of “Jojo Rabbit” completely stands out in the best possible way. Again, I mentioned that despite the evils of Nazism, certain elements of the film made it look like a party, which made the final product particularly interesting. This is why I liked the performance from Rebel Wilson’s character, which I’m glad to say because if you know me in real life, I am not that big of a fan of her. To be honest, her acting job in “Jojo Rabbit” may be the first likable performance I have seen from her. This may be the first movie I liked featuring her too. “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb” comes close, but it just misses the mark.

I think one of the best parts of the movie, even though it ended up going in a direction I did not think it was going to go, is the screenplay. When I saw this film being marketed, I thought it was going to be a full-on satire. Imagine “Spaceballs” but with Nazis. And in a way, I kind of got that, the movie wasn’t as funny as I was originally anticipating it to be. That’s a small problem of mine, but the movie also has a serious plot to it that I can kind of get behind. There is a scene, about two thirds of the way through the movie, that has an enormous amount of tension that I really dug. When I walked into “Jojo Rabbit” I was expecting to laugh myself to death. I cannot say I did that. Instead, this movie managed to bring a surprising smile to my face. I felt utterly alive.

In the end, I had a good old time with “Jojo Rabbit.” It’s probably not the gutbuster I was expecting it to be, but it is still a damn good couple of hours. This is a movie that manages to make Nazis look fun, while also reminding me of their evils and what terrible things they have done. The movie kind of concludes on a surprisingly less than pleasant note. I say that because this film starts out with a clear humorous vibe. It’s kind of wacky and silly overall. Is it perfect? I wouldn’t say so, there are some minor issues. But I think there is enough in the film for me to think to myself that I’d want to watch it again. I’m going to give “Jojo Rabbit” an 8/10. Thanks for reading this review! My next review is gonna be up very soon, which is for the new Amazon movie “Honey Boy.” I was just recently at a free screening at a local arthouse theater for the film, so I will have my thoughts on that very soon. Also, I just saw a new movie this weekend at my local IMAX, specifically James Mangold’s “Ford v Ferrari.” A review for that will soon hit the interwebs, and I am looking forward to sharing my thoughts on it. If you want to see my thoughts on either of these movies, or other content from the Movie Reviewing Moron, be sure to follow Scene Before with an email or WordPress account! If you are on Facebook, be sure to check out my page and give it a like, it really helps me out! I want to know, did you see “Jojo Rabbit?” What did you think about it? Or, what is a movie that you went to see, not to mention liked, that you were expecting to be funny, but turned out to be serious? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!