Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) is a bad egg. We're talking
disobedience, stealing, spitting, running away, throwing rocks, kicking stuff,
loitering and graffiti. No one seems to want to deal with him anymore, until
Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and her rugged husband, Hec (Sam Neill), take
him in.
At first, Ricky is put off by Bella's eagerness and Hec's
"reserved" nature, but with a little care and understanding it all
seems to work out. However, as fate would have it, tragedy strikes, and Ricky's
future with his new family is put in jeopardy. So Ricky does what he does best.
He runs away. Okay, maybe he's not so good at it, especially in the New Zealand
bush, but he just might make it back home with a little help from Uncle Hec.
Unfortunately, Paula (Rachel House) of child services is on
their tail under the assumption that Hec has kidnapped Ricky. In her mind, she
is the Terminator, and Ricky is Sarah Connor... from the first movie... before
she could do chin-ups. Interesting outlook, but Paula fails to stop and ask
herself if she is the Terminator sent to kill or save Sarah Connor.
Okay, that may sound a little kooky, but there is a genuine sense of style, substance and soul in Hunt for the Wilderpeople that I haven't seen in awhile. Director Taika Waititi pulls off perfect direction, characters, humor, quirkiness and emotional resonance. Although Sam Neill and Julian Dennison seem like an unlikely duo, they are truly phenomenal together. The generation gap between them collides
and congeals in the New Zealand bush and creates a real
gangsta's paradise.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is now available at the Franklin County Library!
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