'Hunt for the Wilderpeople' Review

In Hunt for the Wilderpeople young foster child Ricky Baker and foster parent Uncle Hec get caught up in a manhunt after a huge misunderstanding getting lost in the New Zealand wilderness. Hunt for the Wilderpeople is written and directed by Taika Waititi and is an adaptation of the book Wild Pork and Watercress authored by Barry Crump.

Waititi proves he's a gifted director worthy of taking on the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok as he shepherds this bonkers concept, meshing a Wes Anderson-inspired peculiar style and tone with what is essentially the barebone concept of Up without managing to rip off either. This film feels totally fresh and unlike most of Hollywood's offerings today and that's probably why I took such a liking to it (It probably would have slipped in my Top 10 Movies of 2016 list or at least the Honarable Mentions if I had seen it last year). 

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a buddy movie that pairs an optimistic child with a grumpy old man, something that could have gone wrong in so many ways. However, Waititi and his two leads strike the right balance so that the kid isn't unbearably talkative or obnoxious and the old man isn't so bitter enough to become unlikable. Waititi cleverly nods his head to blockbusters such as Lord of the Rings and The Terminator while crafting some eccentric characters in his stylized world. Taika Waititi's screenplay is quirky and hilarious with dialogue that had me laughing hysterically and a heartfelt story about family at its core. The lush New Zealand landscape is beautifully captured by cinematographer Lachlan Milne, everything's well cut together by editors Tom Eagles, Yana Gorskaya, and Luke Haigh, and the score from Lukasz Patel Buda, Samuel Scott, and Conrad Wedde is simultaneously outlandish and adventurous. 

Julian Dennison brings a delightful aura to Ricky Baker, starstruck at the idea of being a gangster and quipping some fantastic one liners, that's excellently juxtaposed by Sam Neill's weary and bitter Uncle Hec, who matches the kid quip for quip. Dennison and Neill make quite the pair of runaways, with a kooky dynamic not to be found in any of last year's other releases. Julian Dennison is yet another fantastic child actor from 2016, they seem to be sprouting out just about everywhere, and while this isn't his debut it's certainly a breakout performance that could garner him some more work.

Neill, of Jurassic Park fame, could have easily fallen into the caricature of the rugged man but injects Hec with more humanism than one would expect and delivers one of the more memorable performances of his career. Other performances worth noting include Rima Te Wiata's sweet Aunt Bella, Rachel House's tough social worker, and Rhys Darby's Psycho Sam. Oh, and I can't forget Waititi's hysterical cameo where he delivers a eulogy as the local priest.

In summary, Hunt for the Wilderpeople features unconventional direction and a charming pair of lead characters that make it a delightfully zany nonsensical film that we rarely see these days, not as weird as say Swiss Army Man, but definitely not mainstream either. It's currently available to stream on Hulu and the home media market in general so I advise you check it out sometime!

Film Assessment: A