"Hunt for the Wilderpeople" Review

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is what you would get if Up took place in the world of The Goonies. It's a blast of pure imagination, the kind that turns sticks into swords and frogs into dragons. The kind that takes a story about a grumpy woodsman and a chubby ne'er-do-well, and gives it a never-ending thirst for adventure.

Julian Dennison plays Ricky Baker, an orphan with a penchant for trouble and hopes for becoming a "gangster." In and out of foster homes, Ricky's last chance comes in the form of the bubbly Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and her gruff husband Hec (Sam Neill) who live in the middle of the New Zealand bush. Ricky's at odds with the arrangement (Hec's not really a fan, either), but when shenanigans leave the duo stuck in the middle of the bush - millions of hectares wide, Bella says - they have to learn to get along. 

Little do they know that a manic CPS agent (Rachel House) is after them, and will not rest until she finds Ricky. You don't understand. I'm pretty sure this woman doesn't sleep nor eat. She single-handedly corrals every resource in the country to find this kid: flyers, TV stations, police, the ENTIRE ARMY. You thought Trunchbull from Matilda was bad? Think again.

Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Boy, Thor 3 next year) directs, bringing his trademark silliness along. Not a minute goes by without a joke and even more surprising, they all work. Whether it's Ricky spitting out a dope haiku or Hec reacting with an eye roll - the movie might as well be called "Sam Neill Has Had Enough of Your Shit" - every joke gets a laugh, and I laugh hard.

There's a bit of Mad Max, a bit of Tarantino, a bit of Monty Python and Blues Brothers all scrambled together. Draped in the foilage of the bush, the movie binds it all together in the boundless spirit of youth. 

How does one stay original in film?

It's not in the plot. If influences are everywhere, everything is derivative.

The trick is to be authentic. When a director embraces a movie so hard that they infuse themselves in it, the thumbprint's on the reel. There are few movies I can feel like I'm watching something familiar for the first time.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is one of those films.

Thank you all for reading. I'm the Man Without a Plan, signing off.