Hunt for the Wilderpeople

2016 adventure comedy

Rating: 14/20

Plot: A rebellious, chubby wannabe gansta kid and his foster "uncle" flee from the authorities after spending a little too long in the bush.

It's almost to the point where a Taika Waititi movie is an event for me, and my expectations for this comedy were high. Maybe too high.

I loved the environment, and I thought the kid's performance and especially Sam Neill's performance were both very good. And I did think the movie was pretty funny. It was nowhere near as funny as What We Do in the Shadows, but very few things are. The movie's story isn't particularly believable, and neither are the characters, but you don't really need them to be for a comedy. There are some bits that are predictable, and while the characters' relationships grow, your enjoyment of them probably won't very much. I can see some viewers not liking the kid very much and having that get in the way with the overall experience of the movie.

A lot of great moments and some lovable characters make this a comedy that is worth watching, but don't go into it expecting it to be as good as Waititi's previous work.