Ricky Baker is a bad egg. That’s the way his Child Services agent Paula describes him. He burns stuff, steals stuff, kicks stuff. And that little line says a lot about just how little the world actually thinks of him. He’s a big kid, round and pudgy with dark skin, yet wearing a big red hat underneath an even more oversized white hoodie covered in decals of diamonds and Illuminati pyramids. If all you think of Ricky is that he’s a bad egg, then you won’t see the quirky personality this outfit alone suggests; you’ll just see a punk kid and wannabe gangster destined for nothing.
Taika Waititi’s “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” gives Ricky some credit and shows what he’s capable of if given a little love, care and attention. What’s possible when we set kids loose? The magic and irreverent, cartoonish humor nested within this unusual New Zealand film give new life to a story of adolescence and fatherhood, and it’s one of the more enjoyable viewing experiences of the year. Continue reading “Hunt for the Wilderpeople”