A difficult foster child finally finds his place on a remote New Zealand farm, runs into some tough luck and goes on the lam with a stern, stoic older man who makes no attempt to disguise his contempt for the boy. Despite what sounds like a very serious, dreary premise, there's a lot of innocent joy, moments of pure brightness and continuous good humor in Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
While they evade pursuit in the Kiwi wilds, Ricky (the adoptee in question) stands up for himself and earns a place in the old man's heart, plus a dash of respect, without losing any of the magnetic, irreverent qualities that make him so much fun to watch. Youthful Julian Dennison is a great fit for the part, playing the hard-edged wannabe thug with a straight face while smoothly indulging the sillier ticks and quirks that make it clear he's still young at heart. Sam Neill, nearly unrecognizable beneath a thick white beard and thicker local accent, makes a fine addition as his gruff, prickly counterpart; a bitter, lonesome man who still harbors the spark of warmth beneath several prohibitive outer layers.
Sweet and genuine, effortlessly funny and smoothly charming, it's partly Napoleon Dynamite, partly Wes Anderson and partly its own thing entirely.
Review by drqshadowBlockedParent2020-01-29T16:46:35Z
A difficult foster child finally finds his place on a remote New Zealand farm, runs into some tough luck and goes on the lam with a stern, stoic older man who makes no attempt to disguise his contempt for the boy. Despite what sounds like a very serious, dreary premise, there's a lot of innocent joy, moments of pure brightness and continuous good humor in Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
While they evade pursuit in the Kiwi wilds, Ricky (the adoptee in question) stands up for himself and earns a place in the old man's heart, plus a dash of respect, without losing any of the magnetic, irreverent qualities that make him so much fun to watch. Youthful Julian Dennison is a great fit for the part, playing the hard-edged wannabe thug with a straight face while smoothly indulging the sillier ticks and quirks that make it clear he's still young at heart. Sam Neill, nearly unrecognizable beneath a thick white beard and thicker local accent, makes a fine addition as his gruff, prickly counterpart; a bitter, lonesome man who still harbors the spark of warmth beneath several prohibitive outer layers.
Sweet and genuine, effortlessly funny and smoothly charming, it's partly Napoleon Dynamite, partly Wes Anderson and partly its own thing entirely.