Hunt for the Wilderpeople - Movie Review

If there's anything I've discovered a lot of and found a lot of enjoyment in this year, it's original, quirky comedies. Taika Waititi is a man who has a very unique vision of comedy, which he's put to great effect in projects like What We Do In The Shadows and his collaborations with the members of Flight of the Conchords. I'm not sure if "New Zealander" is a specific style of comedy, but Waititi's vision is what I immediately associate with that style. along with the work of Jemain Clement. His work is without a doubt hilarious, but this film surprised me in how genuinely heartfelt it could be. Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a truly beautiful film, and a surprisingly human story in the midst of an offbeat, goofy tone. If anything, that tone helps to make the characters feel more grounded.

The film is very much about exploration, of the wilderness and of the relationships between the characters. We follow Ricky (Julian Dennison), a foster child who arrives at his new home to live with Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and her husband Hector (Sam Neill), or Hec. While Bella takes to having Ricky around immediately, Hec isn't as keen, especially due to Ricky's delinquent behaviour. After Bella's sudden death and social services subsequent threate to take Ricky away, the boy runs away to live in the forest on his own. Hec goes after him, prompting a national manhunt to bring the two home again. Even though the central relationship of the film is built on the foundation of conflict between, the chemistry between the characters creates one of the most engaging character dynamics of the year.

The heart and soul of the film lies in the relationship between Ricky and Hec, which certainly gets off to a rocky start. While it was clear from the very one-sided antagonistic figure that Hec represented that a bond would develop between them, I was still surprised by how well that bond develops. It isn't an incredibly drawn-out process; it happens at a very natural rate, prompted by believable events. The bond between them starts out of necessity and desperation, but grows into one based on mutual reliance and understanding. While Ricky wants to believe that he can survive on his own, he knows that Hec has more knowledge of survival in the wild. Even though Hec treats Ricky like a burden, his affection for the boy grows the longer that they're together. The relationship between the two is very compelling, and their fugitive status makes them feel all the more easy to root for.

Sam Neill excels in his role, which is essentially a gruffer, more bitter version of Alan Grant from Jurassic Park. He's very much the expert of the environment around them, and he has no real love for children. At the same time, when he learns to live with Ricky and softens a bit, his character becomes much more sympathetic and fun. Julian Dennison really impressed me, standing toe-to-toe with Neill in all their scenes together, and expertly walking the line between precocious and annoying. A character like Ricky could have easily been irritating, but his intelligence, drive, and comedic timing made him a great protagonist. The film is populated with a series of hilarious characters, from an obsessed child sevices worker to a man living in isolation named "Psycho Sam". Having as many quirky characters as the film does could have made the movie lean a bit too far into goofy territory, but they're used in respectively perfect amounts.

The film almost feels like it was made by Wes Anderson, only with a less stylized world. Even with the more grounded story, the film looks absolutely gorgeous, taking advantage of the sweeping landscapes of New Zealand to great effect. The forests that Ricky and Hec wander through are composed of a seemingly never-ending variety of environments. How the two survive and adapt to the wilderness and to each other is a lot of fun to watch, mainly because of the comedic touches added to portraying life in the wild. But it's not all fun and games, and the forest holds real consequences for the characters, in encounters with both other humans and wild animals. Because they're being hunted so relentlessly, there's always is a sense of tension present as well. It's never focused on too much because of the primarily comedic tone, but it's never clear when the authorities will catch up with them, or if some other part of the wild will emerge to hinder their journey.

The music does a lot to contribute to the light atmosphere, and is as generally bouncy and upbeat as the humour. The jokes never really let up, and the chemistry between the leads' contrasting personalities made the potential for humour in their situation pretty much endless. A simple dry, annoyed look from Sam Neill could often sell a joke more effectively than a punchline. The characters and personalities of Ricky and Hec were balanced so well, and because their relationship was so engrossing, I found myself getting lost in just watching them survive together. The story becomes as much of an adventure as a game of cat-and-mouse with the authorities. Even though the forest is a very realistic environment, there is something wondrous about it. Waititi's direction gives everything around the characters a stylistic flair; the colours pop and the world just feels vibrant.

Tonally though, the humour doesn't take away from how emotionally affecting the film can be. Outright goofy moments were balanced very well with genuinely emotional ones, and Taika Waititi's strong grasp of how to pace these scenes is clear. The editing is perfect in that way; while the humour moves very quickly, the film knows when to slow down and just let a moment between characters breathe. The quiet, patient moments are the ones that paint a clearer picture of the character than any of the jokes. Because of the strong dramatic and comedic elements, it's easy to root for and laugh with the characters. Instead of the characters being an excuse to tell jokes, the jokes are very much a byproduct of the characters.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople surprised me by simply being as fantastic as it is. While I certainly expected a solid comedy, it exceeded my expectations in that regard, and managed to craft a very emotional, heartwarming story. It really is a story about family, and how that can be something that you create instead of being born into. Charming performances and perfect writing made this film one of my favourites of the year instantly, and its a comedy that won't lose its charm anytime soon. The next film that Taiki Waititi is directing is Thor: Ragnarok, which is on a much larger scale than anything he's done before, so I'm very excited to see what he brings to that film. I have no doubt he'll give it a very unique touch, and bring the humour to the forefront. Humour is certainly a great strength of Waititi's, and whatever he does in the future will likely be defined by that.