With only having the faintest of memories of seeing the Hunt for the Wilderpeople on its initial release in 2016 I have to confess to not being over excited about re-watching on it’s 10th Anniversary release on 4K Blu-Ray. Now having watched it again for the first time since its original release I’m amazed that Taika Waititi’s film didn’t strike a chord with me all these years ago as it’s a wonderful film that’s filled from beginning to end with humour, drama and emotion.
Synopsis
Hunt for the Wilderpeople sees young foster kid Ricky, (Julian Dennison) a kid in the New Zealand foster system, being paired with Bella and her husband Hec (Rima Te Wiata and Sam Neill). After Bella suddenly dies Ricky, fearing being returned to foster care, takes off into the New Zealand bush.
After being found by Hec, who hurts his ankle meaning the pair have to stay in the bush until it heals, the pair are pursued by government officials and local police who believe that Ricky has been kidnapped by Hec.
What follows is basically a road movie on foot as the pair wander aimlessly through the bush bonding and encountering ever more strange characters.
Sound and Vision
Visions Home Video 4K release is absolutely stunning (we weren't given the Blu-Ray for comparison), with inky blacks and terrific colour Hunt for the Wilderpeople is demo quality. Strangely when it comes to the audio there’s a slight feeling of being short changed as the original cinema release had a Dolby Atmos track whereas the 4K disc comes with a DTS 5.1 soundtrack. It’s a strange decision but thankfully the DTS track is no sonic slouch especially when it comes to the musical soundtrack.
Extras
The disc comes with 10th Anniversary Q&A with cast and crew, Directors Commentary, Making of Featurette, Bloopers and Original Theatrical Trailer. The 10th Anniversary Q&A is made all the more poignant as it’s one of Sam Neill’s last appearances on screen as he sadly died just shortly after it was filmed.
Verdict
Sam Neill states in the Q&A extra that Hunt for the Wilderpeople was his favourite film. Given the vast legacy he left in terms of the quality of his films it’s not hard to see why he thought that. If you’re only seeing Hunt for the Wilderpeople for the first time, or like me revisiting it, you’re in for a treat. Visions Home Video 4K release comes highly recommended.
4/5