Hunt for the Wilderpeople Review

New Zealand’s place in cinema history is of a varying level of success. For most audiences when they think of New Zealand and cinema in the same breadth they think of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Poor New Zealand, with an interesting variety of small home grown films the only thing they seem to be remembered for is a film series set in a fantasy world with orcs and dragons. The cinema that’s actually most Kiwi in its make up however are films such as Vincent Ward’s Vigil, Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures, Lee Tamhouri’s Once were warriors, the Bruno Lawrence starring The Quiet Earth and for the more recent viewer, the works of Taika Waititi.

After an impressive directorial start with Eagle vs Shark and Boy, Waititi went on to some semblance of mainstream success with the hilarious What we do in the shadows, Waititi will apply his skills to further mainstream success in the Marvel universe with next year’s Thor: Ragnarok. Before that comes Hunt for the Wilderpeople, a film which features young orphan Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) turn up at his new foster home way out in the bush, the home of the lovable Aunty Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and the curmudgeonly Uncle Hec (Sam Neill). When tragedy strikes Ricky and Hec end up on the run from the authorities deep in the bush.

The greatest strength of Waititi’s film is the incredible balancing act it does of handling the sometimes slapstick comedy with some genuinely touching, mature and emotional moments. In terms of the comedy this is easily the most laugh out loud comedy of the year, and its humour is so wide and varied, from exceptional dead pan laughs such as a pastor’s sermon, to wonderful broad slapstick and mania. There’s not a single character in the film that isn’t a wonder once they’re on screen, and the great pleasure is the number of them that appear. The strongest comedy support comes in the shape of the brilliant New Zealand child authorities officers Paula (Rachel House) and Andy (Oscar Kightley), they’re brilliant as the delusional Kiwi Laurel and Hardy double act, particularly House who nails that hysterical level of self-importance.

What’s also amazing is how Waititi’s vision seems to claim New Zealand back from the version we’ve been sold in The Lord of the Rings, he shows us every aspect of the bush through every season and appears to shoot it in every conceivable way, you do get the aerial shots of tree lined mountains but there’s also dark, sparse, oppressive scenery shots that call to mind the treatment Vincent Ward gave New Zealand in Vigil, in what is essentially a fun comedy this is really impressive.

                Sam Neill is a reliable as any actor in the business and here he manages to deliver one of his best performances to date, the ark of his character from complete beardy curmudgeon to a beardy but empathetic curmudgeon by the end is incredibly subtle and wonderfully played. Then there’s the newcomer Julian Dennison, his role is as difficult a tightrope to walk as Matthew Broderick’s was in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, if Dennison plays it just the wrong side of annoying then the film doesn’t work, fortunately he is a complete and utter delight provoking the biggest laughs and some genuinely affective moments.

                As life moves on after the behemoth that was The Lord of the Rings films, its films like this that New Zealand needs to be known for, funny, charming, touching and just an absolutely cinematic delight. (5 Stars)