Written by: Taika Waititi (screenplay), Barry Crump (based on the book "Wild Pork and Watercress" written by), Te Arepa Kahi (additional writing)
Directed by: Taika Waititi
Starring: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rima Te Wiata
Rating: PG-13
My rating is simple, Watch It, It Depends, Skip it. Read my previous movie reviews!
Plot
A national manhunt is ordered for a rebellious kid and his foster uncle who go on the run in the wild New Zealand bush.
Verdict
A unique pair of characters make a story we've seen before entertaining enough as a man and his foster son run from the police. This is the type of movie that's usually incredibly bland. This is part comedy with a crazy cast of side characters fueling the adventure and an endearing dramatic duo in Ricky and Hec. Hec is the stereotypical Australian bushman while Ricky is a hip hop obsessed kid.
It depends.
Review
Waititi's previous film was What We Do in the Shadows (2014). As I state in my review, it's understated, hilarious, and incredibly quotable. His next film will be Thor: Ragnarock (2017). That's an incredibly varied group of movies.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a character driven drama. It has quirky characters, and while it's not a comedy, it's funny in the way real life can be funny. Two outcasts are brought together, learning from each other and their situation. It sounds like a tried and true premise. It is, but Waititi creates great characters with a hip hop obsessed kid and his backwoods guardian. They develop a real bond. The movie doesn't tell us this, it shows us.
When foster child Ricky (Julian Dennison) is threatened with being removed from his current home, he comes up with a plan to evade child protective services. His plan is dark and hilarious. He creates a dummy of himself and attempts to burn it, resulting in the barn burning down. He and Hec (Sam Neill) end up in the brush for six weeks, though it didn't seem that long. At this point you know their odd couple pairing will form a friendship. Six weeks is a long time for Ricky to be in the wild when he's used to creature comforts. He seems to handle the situation rather well.
Ricky is a fun character. He's earnest and well meaning, but fully retains the naivete of a kid. The cabin scene when Ricky explains they've been in the woods and the hunters think Hec has been abusing him is hilarious. Ricky is completely obvious.
Ricky and Hec feel real, but all of the other characters are overtly comedic, even the hunters in the cabin. The cop is inefficient at the least and the child protective services agent is well meaning but misguided. These characters would be right at home in an outright comedy, but only feel slightly out of place in this.
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