HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE : Friday 10th June 2016.

'HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE' which I saw on Friday last week is a New Zealand produced film that cost NZ$3M to make and broke Box Office records when it opened in New Zealand on 31st March setting a new record for the highest grossing first week of any New Zealand film ever. The film Premiered in competition at this years Sundance Film Festival back in January and now has over NZ$10M under its belt. Directed by Taika Waititi who also wrote the Screenplay based on the 'Wild Pork and Watercress' book by Barry Crump, this film lifted the bar for highest opening weekend and highest opening first week of any locally Produced New Zealand film, and has received critical acclaim from just about all quarters.

The film tells the story of rebellious young Ricky (13 year old Julian Dennison in his third acting role) who is sent away by Child Welfare Services to live in the country with a foster 'Aunt and Uncle'. At thirteen young Ricky has been passed around from foster family to foster family since being adopted at birth. We are told in an opening voiceover that he has committed many juvenile crimes including graffiti, spitting, throwing rocks, malicious damage, and probably drugs and alcohol too, and so getting sent away to the remote wild southwest is the last resort for the young troubled kid - or juvenile prison. As the Police car pulls up with officer Andy (Oscar Kightley) and case worker Paula Hall (Rachel House) to the homestead of Bella Faulkner (Rima Te Wiata) and Hec Faulkner (Sam Neill), young Ricky is ordered out of the vehicle, takes a walk around the property, surveys the lay of the land, gives the overly welcoming Bella and grumpy old Hec the once over and promptly gets back in the car and says he not staying. But as Paula Hall points out - he has little choice, and so reluctantly he stays.

Bella tries her best to settle the young lad down, and make him feel welcome with big hearty meals (because judging by his size he likes to eat), a warm bed, fresh clothes and all the loving attention you would expect a mother to give her son. He tries to run away at night but doesn't get very far, makes vague attempts to help out around the property, but gradually he starts to warm to his new 'Aunt and Uncle', despite Grumpy old Hec telling him to just keep out of his way. Hec prefers the company of his dog 'Zag' rather than some young fat upstart would be gangsta kid.

Things however, take a turn when foster Aunt Bella passes away suddenly while hanging out the washing. Hec is distraught, they attend the funeral with half a dozen friends and parishioners led by the Minister (a cameo here by Director Taika Waititi) who rambles on about confectionery, lifes choices and other nonsensical stuff. Afterwards Hec begins to pack up the house, saying he is going bush for a few months, going to disappear and work out what he's going to do with his life. He has received a letter meanwhile from the Child Welfare Services people saying that the following week they will collect Ricky for rehousing elsewhere. Ricky wants none of it and wants to stay, but Hec is not interested, so undercover of night armed with sandwiches, chips, toilet roll, a torch and his new dog -'Tupac' that he was given by Bella and Hec as a birthday present, he decides to venture out and take life into his own hands. Within two days he has run out of toilet paper, eaten his sandwiches and chips, has got drenched and soaked through in a rain storm and is basically lost walking around the bush in circles, when Hec comes to the rescue.

As so with the two gone bush, we follow their exploits over the ensuing months as Hec stumbles in the forest and fractures his ankle meaning they have to hole up for six weeks in a makeshift camp while his injury heals. During this time the two get to know each other and a bond starts to form. They come across a bunch of hunters in a remote cabin who have seen the news reports of the missing two that state Hec is a old pervert who has abducted the young defenceless boy against his will and for whom there is a sizable bounty. As the hunters set upon Hec to restrain him, it is young Ricky who has to rescue Hec this time with a couple of strategically fired shots from the old mans rifle. They then go on the run again, knowing that the authorities are in hot pursuit led by Police Officer Andy and case worker Paula Hall who is becoming increasingly militant, gung-ho and determined at all costs to see that justice is served and that 'no child is left behind'. She goes on national news, where her unhinged attitude to this manhunt manifests itself.

The months pass by with Ricky & Hec still successfully managing to thwart the authorities, bounty hunters and the national media. Along the way we see sweeping vistas of magnificent New Zealand scenery as they stop to take in the beauty of their surroundings and in one poignant moment scatter the ashes of Bella that Ricky has been carrying in his back pack all this time, unknown to Hec - a moment that brings them together.

They come across an old cabin in a clearing and decide to shelter there for the night, but inside the cabin is a Warden close to death. Ricky is sent off to alert the authorities while Hec stays to look over the dying man. Ricky stumbles across young girl Kahu (Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne) who takes him to her home where he meets her father who welcomes him with open arms as though he is a celebrity, recognising him instantly from the news reports. The authorities are alerted to the whereabouts of the dying Warden and agree to arrange to collect him early the next day. Ricky having eaten falls asleep and wakes the next morning alarmed that Hec will be captured when the authorities descend upon the cabin, so he makes off with all haste. When Ricky returns to the cabin, the authorities are there as is Paula Hall, but no sign of Hec.

Separated, the two eventually meet up again the next day or so, but they know the authorities are closing in. They come across Psycho Sam (Rhys Darby) - a conspiracy theorist living alone in a run down caravan deep in the bush who gives them shelter, a warm bed and something to eat. But the next day their overnight sanctuary is descended upon by the authorities on foot, by car and in the sky, but luckily Psycho Sam has a beat up old pick-up truck with which the two can make their getaway, leaving Psycho Sam to defend his property and give them time to make their escape. That plan however, doesn't last long.

What follows is a car chase with Ricky at the wheel of the pick up truck with Police pursuit vehicles, helicopters, and Paula Hall in a tank all giving chase. What manhunt would be complete without the obligatory car chase, and a nod to those sequences from the 80's action movies and TV series that many of us grew up on. It all ends with Ricky turning the car on its roof in a scrap yard, Ricky being taken into custody and Hec getting shot in the arse . . . by Ricky!

As it plays out, Hec sees his moment in court with all those involved, including Ricky, giving evidence both for and against his case. Hec is sentenced and serves his time and in the closing minutes is visited by Ricky when Hec is at a halfway house. Ricky has since been taken in by Kahu and her father, and invites Hec to move in too - it's a big rambling house on the edge of the bush with plenty of room for them all. After a few minutes of thought as to the alternatives - Hec agrees, and in closing we see the two wandering off into the bush together in search of a bird they believe they have seen that is thought to have been long extinct.

This is a feel good film that is engaging and engrossing on many levels. It's a great buddy story of two guys on the run and how each leave an indelible mark on the other, and how those bonds profit them both in the end. It is a simple story, well told, beautifully filmed, with a few laugh out loud moments, emotion, heart and grounded, honest, believable performances from Sam Neill and the young Julian Dennison. Director Taika Waititi further demonstrates his film-making prowess with this offering, and is up next on Director duty with big Hollywood action fare 'Thor : Ragnarok' and then a sequel to his successful 2013 vampire comedy 'What We Do in the Shadows'. See this film at the cinema - you won't be disappointed.



-Steve, at Odeon Online-