Rapid Review: Hunt For The Wilderpeople (2016)

“Uncle, you’re basically a criminal now. But on the bright side, you’re famous.”
– Ricky Baker

SYNOPSIS: A national manhunt is ordered for a rebellious kid and his foster uncle who go missing in the wild New Zealand bush. – via IMDB

Alright, so obviously I was excited to check this out because I adored What We Do In The Shadows, and still laugh every time I watch it. This was not disappointing, although it is a totally different type of film. This one is more good, clean, family fun (well, mostly clean), and it has this really cringy, awkward humour to it that I thoroughly enjoyed – so dry. Plus it had Sam Neill, and I quite enjoy him. Anyway, the movie starts off painfully awkward, and after a while it catches its flow, and it gets on a roll and it is enjoyable. I felt that there were times where the pacing was a little off, but that was no big issue. The score was totally suiting, and I loved watching Sam Neill and Julian Dennison together; they really were the biggest sellers here. That relationship man! The story is nothing groundbreaking (two characters dislike each other, slowly form respect, then they are tight), but it is handled exceptionally well, and the film is engaging throughout. There is a particularly enjoyable scene explaining why Jesus is a tricky fellow, as well as the certainty that “shit just got real”. Ricky incessantly calling Hec “Uncle” was also dead amusing for me, and Rachel House’s Paula was a right piece of work, and yet entertaining. I feel that the movie had a solid story and a dramatic element that was flawlessly woven throughout, never coming across as forced, but giving the comedy some bite, too. A lighthearted, fun film that has moments of majestical heart, The Hunt For The Wilderpeople is definitely worth a watch.