Hunt for the Wilderpeople Review

It's not often I go into a movie completely unaware of what it is about. Usually I would have seen the trailer for a movie a few times or have seen a few reviews online. The only thing I did know about Hunt for the Wilderpeople was that it currently sits at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. After having seen Hunt for the Wilderpeople, I can say that I am glad I knew nothing about the plot and that the score on Rotten Tomatoes is accurate. Hunt of the Wilderpeople is outstanding!!!

I don't want to say too much about the plot of Hunt for the Wilderpeople, so I will keep this brief. Hunt for the Wilderpeople is about a foster boy named Ricky Baker. Ricky is taken in by a couple when something suddenly goes wrong leaving him and a cranky old man named Uncle Hec on the run from the law in the New Zealand bush. Uncle Hec is played by Sam Neill in what has to be his best performance since Jurassic Park. Ricky is played by the relatively new Julian Dennison (this is only his third movie).

What is great about Hunt for the Wilderpeople is the relationship between Uncle Hec and Ricky. The two of them could not be anymore different yet similar in many ways. Ricky is this rough and tough kid from the streets that just wants to be a gangster, yet is just a sweet and gentle young lad. Uncle Hec is a grizzled old man who as been living in the New Zealand bush for years and has had very little interaction with other people, let alone teenagers. It was hilarious to watch Ricky make pop culture references and having Uncle Hec be completely clueless to what Ricky is talking about. It was also fun to watch Ricky act like a tough gangster yet be completely out of his element in the New Zealand bush. The differences they have end up forcing them to rely on one another and with that brought a lot of heart to the movie. I used to be a young adult leader that worked with middle schoolers and I got to know a kid that was just like Ricky so I could relate to what Uncle Hec had to put up with. I could relate to dealing with a rough and tough kid that could be annoying at times but deep down is one of the sweetest people you could ever meet.

This movie also has a lot of laughs with the social worker named Paula, who needs to locate Ricky, and the cops trying to assist her. Paula will stop at nothing to get Ricky back and that puts her in some hilarious scenarios. At one point, Paula and Ricky run into each other with only a stream separating them. This leads to some great dialog where they argue which one is like the Terminator and which one is Sarah Connor. It's these little pop culture references that I really enjoy in movies. By Paula's side is a police officer named Andy, who Paula seems to have no respect for. At one point in the movie she says, "Let's call the police" and he is like "I am the police". It's these things like this help keep the laughs consistent throughout the movie.

The only thing I can think of that bothered me about Hunt for the Wilderpeople, was that at times there were some pacing issues. At the beginning of the movie, it was hard to tell whether this movie wanted to be a comedy or a serious drama. There would be a few jokes and then get really serious and then get back to the jokes only to be hit with more serious situations. At a certain point in the movie, the jokes and the serious situations started to flow together a lot better and that caused my enjoyment in the movie to pick up and remain until the end. This is really just a minor gripe and didn't change how I felt about the movie overall.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is one of those movies that don't get released often. This movie will have you in tears, whether its because you are laughing so hard or because you are crying from the touching moments Ricky and Uncle Hec experience. The performances by Sam Neill and Julian Dennison are fantastic. The supporting cast is phenomenal and bring some of the movies best one liners. If you have the opportunity, please go see Hunt for the Wilderpeople. It will be one of the most original movies you will have seen in a long time and with this being the summer of sequels it will be a much needed experience.