A delinquent orphan and his foster father go on the run in the New
Zealand bush.
Review by Joshua Mitchell
Review by Joshua Mitchell
Directed by: Taika Waititi
Starring: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rachel House, Rima Te
Wiata, Rhys Darby
A notoriously troublesome boy named Ricky Baker is sent to live under foster care in the country with an older couple. The husband is a crusty and cranky man named Hector, who is annoyed by the sudden appearance of Ricky. However, due to a series of misunderstandings, Hector and Ricky become the subjects of a manhunt, in which it is believed that Hector abducted Ricky. As a result, Hector and Ricky must attempt to survive in the nearby woods while avoiding human contact.
It's as quirky a comedy as one would expect, containing its share of indie tropes like odd camera-framing, an eclectic score (by Lukasz Buda, Samuel Scott and Conrad Wedde), and the vaguest feeling that Wes Anderson's movies may have been on in the background while the script was being written. The plot also borrows quite heavily from Pixar's Up at times (an older man and a chubby young boy, both marred by tragedy in their own ways, wandering through the greenery with some canine pals; and there's also an exotic bird at one point), but if you're going to borrow, borrow from the best!
Despite its occasional familiarity,
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a fresh and utterly wonderful
comedy. The script (by Waititi) is genuinely hilarious and sometimes quite
smart. Waititi seems to have an excellent understanding of when clichés are
okay to be used and for how long a running gag can be funny for. The jokes
aren't as rapid-fire as one may expect, but almost each one lands. At the
same time, Waititi manages to handle the dramatic elements of the film with
as much care as the comedic ones, resulting in some surprisingly touching
moments.
The performances are all great. Sam Neill is virtually unrecognisable
as Hector (thanks largely to his beard and accent). His frustration with
everyone he meets is handled surprisingly subtly at times, and he has a
surprising gift for comic timing. Julian Dennison as Ricky Baker
gives an above-average child performance, avoiding cloying cuteness while
simultaneously not going in any predictably unlikable routes with his
trouble-making character (though admittedly, this is perhaps better
attributed to the script). In her precious little screentime,
Rima Te Wiata as Aunt Bella is a motherly and extremely funny
presence, and the primary antagonist, Rachel House, provides some of
the best laughs in the film with a highly imitable performance.
Rhys Darby similarly scores big laughs as Psycho Sam, a role that
easily could've been annoying, but ends up as one of the film's
highlights.
Strong contemporary comedies not made by Pixar are hard to come by these days, but Hunt for the Wilderpeople is one of the 2010's most enjoyable films, avoiding snob-appeal without subjecting itself to needlessly juvenile content. It's hard to imagine too many audiences finding themselves alienated by this consistently funny comedy, told in a blissful 101 minute runtime to boot.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople returns to UK cinemas from August 7th and 4K UHD and bluray from August 17th.
Strong contemporary comedies not made by Pixar are hard to come by these days, but Hunt for the Wilderpeople is one of the 2010's most enjoyable films, avoiding snob-appeal without subjecting itself to needlessly juvenile content. It's hard to imagine too many audiences finding themselves alienated by this consistently funny comedy, told in a blissful 101 minute runtime to boot.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople returns to UK cinemas from August 7th and 4K UHD and bluray from August 17th.