Waititi’s latest film, Klara and the Sun, was panned by critics and had a weak opening
Taika Waititi has created further distance between himself and whatever fanbase he has left. After his new movie, Klara and the Sun, received negative reviews, the New Zealand-born actor/director went on a tangent on social media, calling critics and their opinions “irrelevant”.
Angry Waititi
The film, an adaptation of British-Japanese writer Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel of the same name, scored a 28% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, while the audience score was 78%. However, the worldwide opening weekend didn’t go as planned either, raking in $1.8 million against a budget of approximately $20–44.3 million.
Waititi says he hasn’t yet read the reviews, yet claims to be irritated by them, calling them “Irrelevant. Out of touch. Obsolete. In the bin.” Feedback is a necessary part of becoming a better filmmaker and improving your craft. That doesn’t seem to be the case for the What We Do in the Shadows actor.
The Criticism
Critics accused him of inserting humour in places that undermine the serious themes present within the film, something he has been known to do throughout his career; given that he began in comedy, it’s not surprising.
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called it a “sentimental and laborious mess,” while Tim Robey of The Telegraph said it was “excruciatingly misjudged and hard to take seriously.”
Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent was more particular about her criticism, saying that “to take Ishiguro’s story and rob it of its central character’s incisive, observational nature, is to inhabit this strange and prescient world while keeping its eyes glued firmly to the floor.”
More to Worry About
The elephant in the room this time is small, and it isn’t the fact that he himself has directed Klara and the Sun, but that the studio greenlit it in the first place. It isn’t exactly the most original of stories, given that A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) and Bicentennial Man (1999) exist, as well as peripherally similar works such as Her. As a potential movie punter scanning the listings, I would avoid a film such as this.
His best work, arguably Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Jojo Rabbit, fits within the remit of his personal brand, and any growth towards alternative genres feels forced and incompatible with whatever it is he’s trying to do. My greatest fear is: what on earth is he going to do with Judge Dredd, and will he butcher it like other adaptations?
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