Set in 2011, the film around the Dutch-American soccer coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) who reluctantly takes the job of coaching the worst team in the world in America Samoa for an upcoming qualifying match for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It is a film with a simple premise yet it is told in an offbeat fashion as it plays into a man at the bottom of his life as he has gained a notorious reputation for his angry outbursts in soccer games as he is forced to take this job or else become unemployed. The film’s screenplay by Taika Waititi and Iain Morris is largely straightforward though it opens with an America-Samoan priest (Taika Waititi) revealing about this story with some additional embellishments and dramatic liberties including a small tale about the infamous 2001 FIFA World Cup qualifying game between America Samoa and Australia in which the former lost to the latter in a score of 31-0.
The screenplay doesn’t just play into Rongen’s struggle to turn this team of misfits into a capable team but also with the America Samoan culture that is quite unique in terms of their devotion to faith as they would stop doing everything during a prayer bell as well as the fact that their upbeat despite the losses they take. Even as he learns that many of the players and staff that work for the national team have multiple jobs and don’t take things too seriously as it is a source of conflict for Rongen who takes the game seriously. Still, Rongen would find ways to connect with the locals in the team’s president Tavita (Michael Kightley) as well as a fa’afafine in Jaiyah Saelua (Kaimana) whom Rongen sees as a natural defender as well as making him/her the team captain. Saelua would also help him recruit players including Nicky Salapu (Uli Latukefu) who was the goalie of that infamous game from 2001. The script also plays into Rongen’s reluctance to open up as he’s been separated from his wife Gail (Elisabeth Moss) who was the person that suggested him for this job as a way to cope with issues he’s been trying to avoid.
Waititi’s direction is largely straightforward in terms of his compositions but also has elements of style in the way he portrays American Samoa as the film is shot largely in Honolulu, Hawaii. There are wide and medium shots in these locations including a mountain where a famous American Samoa site is held as Waititi makes the island a major location yet he keeps much of his film straightforward while also putting a few quirks to give the film a sense of flavor. Especially with its humor as it is offbeat in the way the locals present themselves but it never goes into parody where Waititi also uses video as a tour guide for Rongen to watch as well as why they don’t like Samoa. It’s among these little things that allows Waititi to play into Rongen’s own sense of confusion as he would eventually accept their customs while also having to think outside of the box in order coach them.
Waititi’s direction also has compositions that matches the same imagery from the 2014 documentary film of the same name while infusing it with some humor but also knows when to not put humor into something serious. Even as there’s scenes where Rongen is listening to phone messages from his daughter Nicole (Kaitlyn Dever) as a way to deal with his own emotions. The film’s climax is this qualifying game against Tonga as Waititi puts a lot into the game but also this element of drama as it relates to the many issues that Rongen has. Even as he still has this confusion about the America Samoan’s views on life and the world as well as how they play soccer even though there’s a lot riding against them. Yet, Waititi finds a way to showcase this idea of the good and the bad as well as how someone should take it no matter how hard life is. Overall, Waititi crafts a touching yet funny film about a troubled soccer coach going to American Samoa to turn their national team from the worst to a team of winners through just one goal.
Cinematographer Lachlan Milne does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting but also on low-key lighting to not give the film this vibrant look but rather something a little realistic but also colorful. Editors Tom Eagles, Yana Gorskaya, Nicholas Monsour, and Nat Sanders do excellent work with the editing in creating some stylish montages as well as a scene late in the film with its usage of jump-cuts to play into something that is dramatic but also funny. Production designer Ra Vincent, along with supervising art director Peter Borck plus set decorators Katrin Chong and Taylor Jean, does amazing work with the look of the house that Rongen stays in during his tenure as well as the convenience store as well as the local restaurant that is run by Tavita with many of the players working there. Costume designer Miyako Bellizzi does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely casual with some island-inspired shirts and such that play into the island flavor of the film.
Visual effects supervisor Jason Chen does nice work with the visual effects as it is largely set-dressing for some of the locations as well as in some of the video footage as it relates to footage of the past. Sound editors Phil Barrie and Ai-Ling Lee do terrific work with the sound work in the way a bell sounds from afar or up close that gets all of the natives to kneel and pray along with other natural sound effects as it adds to the atmosphere of the film. The film’s music by Michael Giacchino is wonderful for its mixture of electronic and orchestral flourishes with island-folk based music that plays into the humor and drama with a soundtrack that features some American Samoa-based folk music as well as music from Dolly Parton, Tears for Fears, and Sia.
The casting by Katie Doyle, Mary Vernieu, and Michelle Wade Byrd is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Taika Waititi as the American-Samoan priest who is sort of the film’s narrator in the film’s opening scene, Kaitlyn Dever in a largely-voice role as Rongen’s daughter Nicole, Angus Sampson and Luke Hemsworth as a couple of Australian players/FIFA officials who are old friends of Rongen with the latter having played in that infamous qualifying game, Chris Alosio as a kid named Jonah who would be Rongen’s assistant during practices, Loretta Ables Sayre as Rambo’s mother who is also a local cop, Rhys Darby as a FIFA official who does some funny presentations for Rongen over his status, and Uli Latukefu as the goalie who played at the infamous 2001 qualifying game whom Rongen tries to convince to return as he’s still fit and able to play. Other notable roles in the film as players for the team include David Tu’itupou as a player known as Tall David, Hio Pelesasa as Samson, Semu Filipo as a local cop named Rambo with a fierce kick, Ioane Goodhue as Smiley, and Lehi Makisi Falepapalangi as Pisa.
Elisabeth Moss is fantastic as Rongen’s estranged wife Gail who also works for FIFA as she is the one to suggest to Rongen to go to American Samoa in the hope he can sort out his own issues as well as find a way to reconnect with him. Will Arnett is excellent as Alex Magnussen as a FIFA official and Gail’s current boyfriend who often spouts these hilarious metaphoric stories as he tries to help Rongen with his issues while also being a bit of a dick but in a fun way as Arnett proves to be the right choice as his role was meant for Armie Hammer until scandal broke out and the film and Arnett came in for re-shoots. David Fane is brilliant as Ace as a mild-mannered coach who doesn’t do confrontations as he proves to be a funny assistant coach for Rongen. Rachel House is amazing as Tavita’s wife Ruth who is often the voice of reason for Tavita while also doing a funny bit to get into Rongen’s head. Beulah Koale is awesome as Daru Taumua as Tavita and Ruth’s son who plays for the team but is skeptical about Rongen until he finds his worth for the team as he gets inspired by Rongen’s teachings.
Kaimana is incredible as Jaiyah Saelua as a fa’afafine player who doesn’t take him/herself seriously yet does find a way to connect with Rongen as well as become the team’s captain where he/she is revealed to be a great defensive player as well as someone not to mess with. Oscar Kightley is great as Tavita as the federation president for the national team as he is someone that constantly gets humiliated but also knows not to have high expectations as his humor is low-key yet effective while also displaying a view on life that is fascinating no matter how bad things can get. Finally, there’s Michael Fassbender in a phenomenal performance as Thomas Rongen as this once-revered soccer player/coach who has serious anger issues as he reluctantly takes this job to coach the worst team in the world where Fassbender showcases some humor as well as bring a lot of emotional weight to a man at the bottom of his life where it is one of Fassbender’s finest performances.
Next Goal Wins is a marvelous film from Taika Waititi that features a great leading performance from Michael Fassbender as well as tremendous supporting performances from Oscar Kightley and Kaimana. Along with its ensemble cast, colorful visuals, a fun music soundtrack, and a compelling real-life story of adversity and finding balance in both the good and bad of life. It is a film that isn’t just a fun sports movie but also a story of a man trying to turn the worst team in the world into a team of winners but also find himself in learning to take the good with the bad. In the end, Next Goal Wins is a remarkable film from Taika Waititi.
Related (Next Goal Wins (2014 film)) – The Auteurs #64: Taika Waititi
Taika Waititi Films: Two Cars, One Night - Eagle vs. Shark - Boy (2010 film) - What We Do in the Shadows - Hunt for the Wilderpeople - Thor: Ragnarok - Jojo Rabbit - Thor: Love & Thunder - (Klara and the Sun)
© thevoid99 2024
The film revolves around a middle school music teacher trying to get back to his body after falling down a manhole where he ventures into a world where he meets a young soul that isn’t eager to go to Earth where he shows this young soul what it means to live. It’s a film with a unique premise as it plays into this man who is given the chance of a lifetime to play for a prestigious jazz band in New York City as it’s something he always dreamed of yet the excitement of passing the audition has him falling down this manhole. The film’s screenplay by Pete Docter, Kemp Powers, and Mike Jones do play into this long-held desire that Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) has in wanting to be a jazz pianist ever since he was a teenager but chooses to be a middle school teacher in order to pay the bills as he is reluctant to go full-time. A former student who is playing drums for the respected and revered jazz musician Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett) would get Gardner to audition for her as he passes and then falls into a manhole.
That’s only the first few minutes of the film as the script plays more into the exploration of what it means to live as well as what defines a soul where Joe is supposed to go into the Great Beyond where those who have passed are meant to go but Joe refuses as he finds himself in the Great Before. The Great Before is a place where unborn souls are there to find personalities and everything else that would define them before they enter Earth as Joe is mistaken for an instructor who is given the task to mentor an unwilling soul named 22 (Tina Fey). 22 is a character who had been given many mentors including Abraham Lincoln, Muhammad Ali, Mother Teresa, and many others but none have been able to get through to her about what it means to live as Joe shows her some of the simple ideas including music as they’re aided by a strange mystic known as Moonwind (Graham Norton) to help her out as well as take her to the place of lost souls whom he rescues.
The direction of Pete Docter, with additional contributions by Kemp Powers who is credited as a co-director, does create these massive set pieces in a world that is based on reality that is New York City but also this strange reality that is the Great Beyond, the Great Before, and other worlds where lost souls are recovered. With the help of animation directors Jaime Landes Roe, Gini Cruz Santos, and Royce Wesley, the world that Joe encounters are presented in different styles as the look of New York City as well as some of the places Joe go to each have their own sense of style that has an air of realism but also some beauty thanks to the contributions of the film’s cinematographers Matt Aspbury and Ian Megibben who help create unique lighting schemes in the way rooms are lit in the day and night with production designer Steve Pilcher, along with art directors Paul Abadilla and Tim Evatt, and visual effects supervisor Michael Fong in the creation of the Great Before with its vibrant colors and the world of lost souls that is dark and colorless. The scenes in the Great Before feature characters in these counselors who are called Jerry as they’re presented in this traditional hand-drawn animation style that is unique but also has these offbeat personalities that adds to some of the surreal elements that Joe and 22 encounter.
Docter and Powers also create the subplot as it relates to an accountant named Terry (Rachel House) who always count on those who die and are set to the Great Beyond as she notices that the count is off as it relates to Joe not going to the Great Beyond. The film’s second act is about Joe showing 22 the ideas of living where 22 would experience things that add to the joys of life through simple pleasures and encounters. Docter and Powers provide these moments that definitely echo some of ideas of pure cinema as well as surrealism in its third act as it relates to 22’s journey in trying to find her spark that would allow her to go to Earth and live. Yet, it forces Joe to have some revelations about his own life and his own pursuits of being a jazz musician as he has to help 22 to not only find her own purpose in life but also in just living for the moment and enjoy it. Overall, Docter and Powers create a rich and rapturous film about a music school teacher trying to show a young soul the pleasures and meaning of life.
Editor Kevin Nolting does brilliant work with the editing as it play into some of the humor as well as some of the drama as there is a rhythm to the cutting in its presentation of the music but also in some of the surreal elements of the film. Sound editor Coya Elliott and sound designer Ren Klyce do amazing work in the sound in some of the sound effects that are created as well as the natural sounds of certain locations and how certain objects sound in the things 22 encounters. The film’s jazz music soundtrack by Jon Batiste is incredible in the way it plays into Joe’s life and sense of improvisation in how life works while the electronic music score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for scenes in the Great Beyond and the Great Before is probably the major highlight of the film with its mixture of ambient, throbbing electronics, and discordant industrial textures that adds to the mystical and suspenseful elements of those worlds while its music soundtrack also include pieces from Daveed Diggs, Cody ChestnuTT, Bob Dylan, a cover of the Impressions’ It’s All Right performed by Batiste, and jazz pieces from Walter Norris, Duke Pearson, Duke Ellington, and Dave Brubeck.
The casting by Natalie Lyon and Kevin Reher is superb as it feature voice appearances and cameos from Pixar regular John Ratzenberger as a subway passenger, Sakina Jeffrey as a doctor, Laura Mooney as a therapy cat owner, Cora Champommier as one of Joe’s students who gets lost in playing the trombone, Margo Hall and Rhodessa Jones as a couple of Joe’s mother’s co-workers, June Squibb as a soul that Joe meets who is about to enter the Great Beyond, Cody ChestnuTT as a subway performer, Daveed Diggs as a frenemy of Joe’s in Paul, Wes Studi, Fortune Feimester, and Zenobia Shroff as soul counselors named Jerry, and Donnell Rawlings as Joe’s barber Dez who has some unique views about life and what he could’ve done but is content with what he’s doing. Angela Bassett is fantastic as the revered jazz musician Dorothea Williams as a saxophonist/band leader who is hoping that Joe gives her what she wants while Questlove is excellent as Joe’s former student Curly who plays drums for Williams and gets Joe the chance to audition for her. Phylicia Rashad is brilliant as Joe’s mother Libba as a seamstress who wants Joe to accept the full-time teaching job and not go after his dream of being a musician knowing what his father had tried to do for years.
Alice Braga and Richard Ayoade are amazing as two soul counselors in the Great Before both called Jerry as Braga is more informative and witty while Ayoade is the funnier one. Rachel House is incredible as the soul counter Terry as an accountant who makes sure the count is precise on those who go to the Great Beyond as she becomes intent on finding Joe. Graham Norton is marvelous as Moonwind who works as a human being sign twirler by day yet is a soul who captures lost souls in the lost world and gets them back as Norton provides a comical and offbeat approach to his character who sails on a ship to the music of Bob Dylan. Tina Fey is phenomenal as 22 as a cynical soul who isn’t eager to go to Earth as she likes to mess with other souls though she reluctantly let Joe mentor her where she realizes that there are things she might want to experience. Finally, there’s Jamie Foxx in a sensational performance as Joe Gardner as a middle-school music teacher who dreams of being a jazz musician and play in a jazz band as he deals with being in a mystical world and to try and guide a young soul about the pleasures of life as he begins to question about aspects of his own life in this endearing voice performance.
Soul is an outstanding film from Pete Docter and Kemp Powers. Featuring a great ensemble voice cast, gorgeous visuals, engaging themes of existential and what makes life worth living, and an exhilarating music score from Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor, and Atticus Ross. It’s a film that isn’t just engaging and full of wit but it’s also a film that allows its audience to understand the ideas of life and what it means to live and enjoy it without trying to be heavy-handed nor be overly-intellectual. In the end, Soul is a magnificent film from Pete Docter and Kemp Powers.
Pixar Films: Toy Story - A Bug's Life - Toy Story 2 - (Monsters Inc.) – (Finding Nemo) – The Incredibles - Cars - Ratatouille - WALL-E - Up - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Brave - Monsters University - Inside Out - The Good Dinosaur - (Finding Dory) – (Cars 3) – Coco - The Incredibles 2 - Toy Story 4 - (Onward) - (Luca (2021 film)) - Turning Red - (Lightyear) - (Elemental (2023 film)) - Inside Out 2 - (Elio) – (Toy Story 5)
© thevoid99 2021
Written, directed, and co-starring Taika Waititi, Boy is the story of two brothers who learn their father is returning as they deal with his arrival as well as growing pains as it relates to the death of their mother. The film is a coming-of-age film set in a small town in New Zealand in 1984 as two boys don’t just cope with loss but also deal with fantasy and reality as it relates to their father returning home. Also starring James Rolleston, Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu, Moerangi Tihore, Rachel House, and Cherilee Martin. Boy is a touching yet whimsical film from Taika Waititi.
The film follows two young boys living in the small New Zealand town near the Bay of Plenty region where they get an unexpected from their absentee father believing he’s going back to be a full-time father unaware of his real intentions of returning home. It’s a film that blur the ideas of fantasy and reality where it’s the former that surrounds the mind of its titular protagonist (James Rolleston) who believes his father Alamein (Taika Waititi) is doing all sorts of things such as being a war hero, an artist, and all sorts of things though he does know that his father has also been in prison. When Alamein does return home while his mother has gone to Wellington to attend a funeral leaving Boy to watch over his little brother Rocky (Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu) and their cousins. Taika Waititi’s screenplay opens with Boy telling these stories during a day in school as he is someone filled with a lot of fantasies in his head as well as the belief that his father met Michael Jackson whom he and many of the kids in the town idolize.
Boy and Rocky live with their grandmother and cousins as their mother had died giving birth to the latter as the memories of her passing would recur in Alamein and Boy’s mind as it’s something neither want to deal with. For Rocky, he is consumed with guilt over the idea that his arrival killed his mother where he believes he has special powers while he is suspicious about his father’s return. Alamein would return with a couple of friends who are part of his gang as he would take Boy under his wing in the hope he can find what he claims is buried treasure. Boy is also someone trying to deal with the idea of winning over a classmate in Chardonnay (RickyLee Waipuka-Russell) as well as be one of the cool kids despite having friends who are also outcasts of sorts because they’re oddballs. During the course of the story, Boy would help his father find the buried treasure as he would call him Shogun while Rocky would watch from a distance as he befriends a local eccentric named Weirdo (Waihoroi Shortland).
Waititi’s direction does have elements of style yet it does have this balance of grounded reality as he shoots the film on location at the Bay of Plenty region in New Zealand. With a cast that largely consists of Maori-based locals, Waititi would make a film that is more about oddballs and their surroundings that is completely removed from more conventional ideas of society in well-known cities like Auckland and Wellington. While Waititi would use a lot of wide shots of the locations, Waititi would also use close-ups and medium shots to establish the characters and their own encounter with someone or something. Even as he would create recurring compositions to mix in with the idea of Boy’s fantasy about his father and the reality of who he is. Notably as Waititi would create these whimsical scenes of fantasy including re-creation of sets that pay tribute to the music videos of Michael Jackson during the Thriller era with kids wearing clothes similar to what Jackson wore during that time.
The film also features bits of hand-drawn Crayola animated sequences as it relates to Rocky’s own guilt and belief that he has powers where it carries an air of innocence into not just the ideas of fantasy but also what Rocky believe his father and brother are feeling as it relates to his late mother. Even as the third act does have Rocky eventually warming up to his father though with a sense of caution while Boy would also have to cope with the realities of the world as well as what he did find. Yet, it would also feature these moments where it is clear that Boy’s perception of who his father starts to unravel as Alamein is really a child in his own ways as someone who is still hung up on causing trouble and not taking responsibility. All of which plays into the fact that he is unable to face the truth about his wife’s death as well as playing a role in what he’s supposed to be for Boy and Rocky. Overall, Waititi crafts a charming yet heartfelt film about a boy dealing with the return of his estranged father.
Cinematographer Adam Clark does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it is very colorful in capturing the look of the New Zealand bushes and locations by emphasizing on the natural look while infusing some stylish lighting for the fantasy scenes as well as a few scenes at night. Editor Chris Plummer does excellent work with the editing as it does have elements of style in the jump-cuts and other stylish cuts to play into the humor as well as some of the film’s dramatic moments. Production designer Shayne Radford does amazing work with the look of the recreation fantasy scenes as well as the sense of realism in the look of the locations to play into a world that is ordinary but also unique in its own way. Costume designer Amanda Neale does fantastic work with the costumes as it does bear into bits of style in what was cool during the 1980s with some more lavish work for the fantasy scenes.
Hair/makeup designer Dannelle Satherley does terrific work with the look of the characters including the hairstyle of the times including Boy’s haircut to look a bit like Michael Jackson. Visual effects supervisor Brett Johansen does nice work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it relates to some of the fantasy scenes as well as the animated sequences. Sound designer Tim Prebble does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as the sound effects in some of the fantasy scenes. The film’s music by Lukasz Pawel Buda, Samuel Scott, and Conrad Wedde of the Phoenix Foundation is wonderful for its low-key mixture of folk and indie rock that play into some of the adventurous moments as well as the moments of melancholia while music supervisors Chris Gough and Jonathan Hughes provide an array of offbeat music including the music of the times from acts like Musical Youth, Patea Maori Club, Herbs, Prince Tui Teka, St. Josephs Maori Girls Choir, and the Ratana Senior Concert Party.
The casting by Tina Cleary is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Mavis Paenga as Boy and Rocky’s grandmother who is also Alamein’s mother who goes away to attend a funeral, Cohen Holloway and Pana Hema Taylor as two of Alamein’s friends/cohorts in their respective roles in Chuppa and Juju, Craig Hall as Boy’s school principal Mr. Langston who believes Boy has some potential to do more, Manihera Ranguiaia as a bully in Kingi, Darcy Ray Flavell-Hudson as Kingi’s older brother who wants to be in Alamein’s gang, Rajvinder Eria and Maakariini Butler as a couple of Boy’s friends in their respective roles as Tane and Murray, and Rachel House in a terrific small role as Boy and Rocky’s aunt Gracey who runs a local store and does all sorts of things while isn’t entirely fond of Alamein.
Waihoroi Shortland is superb as the local eccentric Weirdo who is believed to be mentally challenged as he is always trying to find things in a river when he’s really just a harmless man that Rocky befriends. Cherilee Martin is excellent as Boy and Rocky’s young cousin Kelly who is suspicious about her uncle’s return as she finds herself having to take care of her younger sisters when Boy spends time with his father. Moerangi Tihore and Haze Reweti are fantastic as the siblings in their respective roles in Dynasty and Dallas with the former as a girl who has feelings for Boy while the latter is an oddball who is Boy’s best friend. RickyLee Waipuka-Russell is wonderful as Chardonnay as Boy’s crush who is also a schoolmate that becomes interested in Boy because of his father and the people he brings in.
Taika Waititi is brilliant as Alamein as a man who returns home for selfish reasons where he tries to play dad only to use Boy in finding his treasure and lead his gang as they would eventually get in trouble. Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu is amazing as Rocky as 7 year old boy who believes he has super powers as he copes with the idea that he killed his mother in childbirth while becoming suspicious over his dad’s return as it’s an understated yet mature performance from the young actor. Finally, there’s James Rolleston is remarkable in his role as the titular character as a 11 year old boy who has a wild imagination into what he thinks his father is doing as he hopes he can be cool while later dealing with growing pains and memories of his mother which he is unable to cope with that loss and the realities of who his father really is.
Boy is a phenomenal film from Taika Waititi. Featuring a great cast, beautiful images, a compelling story, and a lively film soundtrack. It’s a coming-of-age film that showcases two boys dealing with the return of their father and sense of loss while dealing with the ideas of fantasy. In the end, Boy is a sensational film from Taika Waititi.
Taika Waititi Films: Two Cars, One Night - Eagle vs. Shark - What We Do in the Shadows - Hunt for the Wilderpeople - Thor: Ragnarok - Jojo Rabbit - Thor: Love and Thunder - Next Goal Wins (2023 film) - (Klara and the Sun) - Auteurs #64: Taika Waititi
© thevoid99 2018
Written and directed by Taika Waititi from a story by Waititi and Loren Horsley who also both do casting duties, Eagle vs. Shark is the story of a shy young woman who meets an eccentric oddball at a costume party as they connect over their insecurities and loneliness as she accompanies him back to his hometown to deal with issues including his family. The film is an exploration of two people who connect as they deal with their own issues with the world as well as wonder if there’s a place for them. Starring Loren Horsley, Jermaine Clement, Craig Hall, and Joel Tobeck. Eagle vs. Shark is a delightful and heartfelt film from Taika Waititi.
The film follows a fast-food worker who has a crush on a man who works at a video game store where they connect at a costume party as he invites her to his hometown to get revenge on a bully. It’s a film that revolves around these two oddballs who don’t exactly fit in with conventional society as they bond somewhat through video games, music, and other things. At the same time, they out of step with the people around them with a few exceptions such as their respective families. Taika Waititi’s screenplay that is based on a story he wrote with Loren Horsley is filled with this balance of tragedy and humor as it relates to a line of dialogue late in the film about the way life is. It’s an idea that Lily (Loren Horsley) has been carrying since her parents had died years ago where she shares a home with her brother Damon (Joel Tobeck) who is an eccentric himself yet has managed to find a suitable living as an animator. Lily works at a fast food restaurant where Jarrod (Jermaine Clement) would often go to as he works nearby as he doesn’t seem interested in Lily until she takes an invitation to a party that was meant for someone else.
Due to her skills in playing a fighting game, Lily wins over Jarrod but it’s not enough until he apologizes for not showing up to their date because of news relating to an old high school enemy coming back to his hometown. Lily would join Jarrod with Damon driving them from the city into the country as Jarrod’s family is an oddball bunch with his older sister Nancy (Rachel House) living in the house with her husband, son, and their father Jonah (Brian Sargent) who is very withdrawn from Jarrod. Especially as it relates to Jarrod’s older brother Gordon (Taika Waititi) who had died in an accident which Jarrod claims as he would also claim his mother died as well. There’s also the presence of Gordon’s former fiancée Tracy (Gentiane Lupi) whom Jarrod is trying to impress while he also reveals to Lily that he has a daughter in Vinny (Morag Hills). All of which has Lily trying to get to know Jarrod while being someone his family likes because she is willing to accept their oddball personalities.
Waititi’s direction is definitely stylish not just in its approach to comedy and drama but also setting it into a world that is definitely unique in its own way as it is shot on location in New Zealand with the first act in the city of Wellington and the rest of the film in Porirua. While Waititi would use wide shots to capture the scope of the locations, he would maintain something intimate in the way he would capture the lives of Lily and Jarrod. The former lives with her brother as she still lives in a room that she used to share with him where Waititi would have her in the left side of the room on her bed playing guitar with her brother sitting on the other side of what used to be his bed to establish the closeness of their relationship. The usage of medium shots and close-ups are key to Waititi and how he would capture the life of a family including where he would have them around the dinner table. Notably in a scene where it’s very quiet and tense until Lily breaks that tension by telling a joke that is lame but manages to work.
Waititi would also utilize some stop-motion animation with the aid of Guy Capper and Francis Salole of Another Planet Limited in creating abstract scenes that play into Jarrod’s need to find someone as he isn’t sure if Lily is the right person for him. Waititi’s approach to humor is offbeat in the way some of the characters are presented but it doesn’t go for cheap laughs where Waititi would know where to put the humor in the right moments. Even as it would play into elements of the tragedies of the film such as the climatic showdown between Jarrod and his childhood bully Eric (Dave Fane) as it would unveil some surprising revelations. Especially as it showcases Jarrod’s need to be accepted by his family and to move away from his brother’s shadow. Overall, Waititi creates an endearing and witty comedy about two oddballs who fall in love and cope with their own encounters with tragedy.
Cinematographer Adam Clark does excellent work with the cinematography as it is largely straightforward for the scenes set in the daytime while using some lights for the scenes set at night. Editor Jonathan Woodford-Robinson does brilliant work with the editing as its usage of jump-cuts and other stylish cut to play into the humor as well as some of the light-dramatic moments without being too playful. Production designer Joe Bleakley does fantastic work with the look of the home Lily shares with her brother as well as Jarrod’s apartment in Wellington and his family home. Costume designer Amanda Neale does nice work with the costumes from the homemade animal costumes that Lily and Jarrod wear at the party to the track suits created by Jarrod’s sister and her husband.
Hair/makeup designer Leanne “Frankie” Karena does terrific work with the look of Jarrod who kind sports a mini-mullet of sorts to play into his oddball look. Sound editor Dave Whitehead does superb work with the sound in capturing the natural sounds in some of the locations as well as the way music is presented in some scenes in the film. The film’s music by the Phoenix Foundation is wonderful for its folk-like sound that play into the film’s offbeat tone in creating bits of melancholia and humor while music supervisors Chris Gough and Julie Hodges provide a fun soundtrack that features pieces from Devendra Banhart, M. Ward, and the Stone Roses.
The film’s incredible cast that is assembled by Taika Waititi and Loren Horsley features some notable small roles from Waititi as Jarrod’s late older brother Gordon, Chelsie Preston Crayford as Lily’s co-worker Jenny whom Jarrod has a crush on, Gentiane Lupi as Gordon’s fiancée Tracy whom Jarrod is trying to woo, Morag Hills as Jarrod’s daughter Vinny who befriends Lily, Dave Fane as Jarrod’s nemesis Eric, Cohen Holloway as Jarrod’s hacker friend Mason, Bernard Stewart as Jarrod’s heavy metal-loving nephew Zane, and Craig Hall as Jarrod’s brother-in-law Doug. Rachel House is fantastic as Jarrod’s older sister Nancy who doesn’t think much about him but enjoys Lily’s company. Brian Sargent is superb as Jarrod’s father Jonah as a man who is still reeling from the loss of his son as he is very distant towards Jarrod where he manages to connect with Lily that would allow him to get to know his youngest son.
Joel Tobeck is excellent as Damon as Lily’s kind older brother who likes to do impressions and say funny things as a way to cheer people up where he is also liked by Jarrod’s family during his brief time with them. Finally, there’s the duo of Jermaine Clement and Loren Horsley in sensational performances in their respective roles as Jarrod and Lily. Clement’s performance as Jarrod is strange in the way he would deliver his dialogue and how he would threaten Eric as it play into someone that is trying to be tough and cool but it only hide the anguish and loss he is dealing with over his brother’s death. Horsley’s performance as Lily is more restrained as she does provide bits of physical comedy reaction but also has a lot of energy in the way she reacts to Jarrod’s coldness during the second act where she channels her energy to get to know his family as her charm would be key to the story and letting Jarrod find some happiness.
Eagle vs. Shark is a remarkable film from Taika Waititi. Featuring a great cast, a heartfelt story, a fun soundtrack, and gorgeous visuals. It’s a film that showcases how two people can fall in love despite their own quirkiness and coping with their own respective tragedies. In the end, Eagle vs. Shark is an incredible film from Taika Waititi.
Taika Waititi Films: Two Cars, One Night – Boy (2010 film) – What We Do in the Shadows - Hunt for the Wilderpeople - Thor: Ragnarok - Jojo Rabbit - Thor: Love and Thunder - Next Goal Wins (2023 film) - (Klara and the Sun) - Auteurs #64: Taika Waititi
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the comic series by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Larry Lieber, Thor: Ragnarok is the story of the godly figure who finds himself in danger when a mysterious figure has returned to Asgard to wreak havoc forcing Thor to seek help from an ally and other figures. Directed by Taika Waititi and screenplay by Eric Pearson Craig Kyle, and Christopher Yost, the film is an exploration of a man trying to fulfill his role but also rectify the mistakes of the past as Chris Hemsworth reprises the role of Thor. Also starring Cate Blanchett, Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson, Idris Elba, Karl Urban, Jeff Goldblum, and Anthony Hopkins as Odin. Thor: Ragnarok is a sprawling yet witty film from Taika Waititi.
Two years after the events in Sokovia where Thor helped the Avengers saved its people, the film follows the godly figure trying to get answers about the Infinity Stones where he learns that a mysterious figure named Hela (Cate Blanchett) is returning to Asgard to make her claim to its throne and its people. It’s a film that has Thor not only try to find out the whereabouts of his father but also deal with the sins that Odin had been carrying as it include Hela who is revealed to be Thor’s older sister that was cast out of Asgard due to her dark ambitions. With the help of his adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor tries to stop Hela only for things to go wrong as she takes control of Asgard while Thor finds himself in the planet of Sakaar. The film’s screenplay doesn’t just explore the sins that Odin has laid upon for his sons who are forced to work together and deal with themselves but also realize the role that Thor is destined to carry as he is Asgard’s true heir.
The script also has this unique structure that doesn’t just play into the development of the story but also the characters as Thor is first seen imprisoned by the fire demon Surtur (voice of Clancy Brown) in his search for the Infinity Stones where he also learns of the prophecy known as Ragnarok that will deal with the end of Asgard which had been in Thor’s mind for some time. Upon his return to Asgard where he learns that his father had been away, he turns to Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for help where he and Loki find Odin’s whereabouts who reveal his own sins and the return of Hela. The second act isn’t just about Hela taking over Asgard as well as deal with a resistance led by Heimdall (Idris Elba) who had taken the sword that controls the Bridge to all nine realms. It’s also about Thor in the planet of Sakaar where he’s captured by a woman named Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) where he’s forced to become a gladiator for amusement of the planet’s leader in the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) where its champion is none other than the Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). Thor has to convince the Hulk to join him in saving Asgard as well as Valkyrie who was once part of an army of warriors that tried to stop Hela years ago.
Taika Waititi’s direction is very offbeat not just for the fact that it’s a film with grand visuals and set in a large universe but it’s also approached with a sense of humor mixed in with bits of tragedy. Though shot mainly on soundstages at Pinewood Studios in Atlanta, the film also shoots on location in New York City and parts of Australia with the latter as the forest and mountains in Asgard. Waititi does create something that is grounded but also maintain the importance of the different lands and galaxies where it is very diverse as well as filled with all sorts of ideas of the world that Thor is encountering. Waititi would use some wide shots for those locations but also in some of the battle scenes and in the gladiator showdown between Thor and Hulk as the latter is this mixture of humor and drama. He would also use some close-ups and medium shots as it play into the situations that Thor is in whether it’s being imprisoned at Sakaar where he would befriend other gladiators including a rock-like creature named Korg (Taika Waititi) or coping with the sins of his father.
The direction doesn’t showcase the motivations of Hela in the need to claim her place in the throne as Asgard’s sole ruler but also infuse with some dark humor where Hela is someone that is just hell-bent on wreaking havoc. Waititi would also showcase Asgard when Odin isn’t available as it include this play of Thor and Loki’s adventures where Thor is watching with befuddlement. It’s among these offbeat moments in the film that add a lighter touch to the action and drama as well as the scenes in Sakaar where the Grandmaster is this oddball man that is ruling a planet yet he’s so weird. The film’s climax in which Thor, Loki, the Hulk, and Valkyrie battle Hela and her army as it does play into Thor’s own insecurities into not living up to his own claim for Asgard’s throne. All of which forces him to unveil his true powers and bring some redemption for his father to save the people of Asgard. Overall, Waititi crafts an exhilarating and evocative film about a god trying to save his people from his evil sister with the help of a few allies.
Cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography from the colorful exteriors of the scenes in Sakaar and Asgard as well as some of the interiors for the scenes at Dr. Strange’s home and at the palace of Asgard. Editors Joel Negron and Zene Baker do excellent work with the editing as it is stylized with conventional fast-cutting in the action but also use some straightforward cuts for the non-action scenes to establish what is going on. Production designers Dan Hennah and Ra Vincent, with set decorator Beverley Dunn plus art directors Bill Booth, Brendan Heffernan, Richard Hobbs, Alex McCarroll, and Laura Ng, do amazing work with the look of the different worlds from Dr. Strange’s New York home, the places in Asgard, and the coliseum at Sakaar. Costume designer Mayes C. Rubeo does fantastic work with the costumes from the design of the gladiator gear to the clothes that Hela, Valkyrie, and the Grandmaster wear to play into their offbeat personalities.
Hair designer Lucy Vannella and makeup designer Vincenzo Mastrantonio do terrific work with the look of Hela in her hairstyle as well as Thor’s haircut before the gladiator battle and the makeup some of the people at Sakaar wear. Special effects supervisors Brian Cox and R. Bruce Steinheimer, with visual effects supervisors Megan Flood, Jake Morrison, and Stuart White, do incredible work with the visual effects from the look of the Hulk and some of the creatures Thor encounters to the look of the planet that Sutur lives in. Sound designers David Farmer and Shannon Mills, with co-sound editor Daniel Laurie, do superb work with the sound in creating sound effects for some of the action as well as the way the Hulk sounds and some of the objects in the different planets such as the guns at Sakaar.
The film’s music by Mark Motherbaugh is wonderful for its mixture of electronic synth-pop with elements of orchestral bombast as the latter play into some of the adventure and action while the electronic pieces play into the world of Sakaar while music supervisor Dave Jordan provide a soundtrack that is just as offbeat from the usage of Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory to Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song which makes perfect sense for the film’s action scenes as its lyrics features a lot of Norse mythology that relates to Thor.
The casting by Sarah Finn and Kirsty McGregor is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Clancy Brown as the voice of the fire demon Sutur, the trio of the Warrior Three in Tadanobu Asano as Hogun, Ray Stevenson as Volstagg, and Zachary Levi as Fandral who are among the first to confront Hela at Asgard, Rachel House as the Grandmaster’s bodyguard Topaz, director Taika Waititi as the rock-like gladiator Korg who provides some funny commentary about Thor’s situation, the obligatory Stan Lee cameo as Thor’s barber, and Benedict Cumberbatch in a brief but terrific appearance as Doctor Stephen Strange who helps Thor find the whereabouts of Odin through his own powers. Karl Urban is superb as the Asgardian warrior Skurge who watches over the Biofrost as he becomes a reluctant aide to Hela where he copes with the choices he makes. Anthony Hopkins is fantastic as Odin as Thor and Hela’s father and king of Asgard who deals with his own exile as well as the regrets he made in his life where he ponders what will happen to Thor and Loki upon Hela’s return.
Idris Elba is excellent as Heimdall as the former watcher of the Biofrost who has become a fugitive due to events from the last film as he leads a resistance against Hela where he does whatever he can to help the people of Asgard. Jeff Goldblum is brilliant as the Grandmaster as the odd leader of Sakaar who rules the planet with a mighty fist but also with some eccentric ideas as he cares more about having gladiator shows than cleaning up his dirty planet. Tom Hiddleston is amazing as Loki as Thor’s adopted brother who has been trying to create mischief at Asgard due to Odin’s absence as he deals with the presence of Hela while being very conflicted into helping Thor and Asgard or himself as he also struggles with his own shortcomings. Tessa Thompson is remarkable as Valkyrie as a former Asgardian warrior who had fought with Hela a long time ago as she is reeling from bad memories while unsure if she wants to help Thor in order to find her own redemption. Mark Ruffalo is incredible as the Hulk/Bruce Banner where he appears briefly as Banner as the man who had been lost in the role of the Hulk as he tries to comprehend what has happened to him whereas the Hulk has become a figure that feels loved and appreciated at Sakaar instead of being seen as a monster on Earth.
Cate Blanchett is phenomenal as Hela as Odin’s first-born child who had been his executioner and right-hand woman until her ambitions overwhelm him as this woman that is just pissed off in being exiled as Blanchett provides a bit of camp but also has this air of charisma that makes her so interesting in being one of the best villains in the MCU. Finally, there’s Chris Hemsworth in a sensational performance as Thor as the Norse god who is trying to find answers about the Infinity Stones only to learn about the revelation that he has an evil older sister where he deals with his own shortcomings as Hemsworth displays some humility as well as some great comedic timing that adds to his sense of humility.
Thor: Ragnarok is a spectacular film from Taika Waititi that features great performances from Chris Hemsworth, Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson, Jeff Goldblum, Tom Hiddleston, and Anthony Hopkins. Along with its supporting cast, dazzling visuals, killer music soundtrack, and themes on sins and duty. It’s a film that manages to be compelling in its themes while providing moments that are exciting as well as being very funny. In the end, Thor: Ragnarok is a tremendous film from Taika Waititi.
Taika Waititi Films: Two Cars, One Night - Eagle vs. Shark - Boy (2010 film) - What We Do in the Shadows - Hunt for the Wilderpeople - Jojo Rabbit - Next Goal Wins (2023 film) - (Klara and the Sun) - Auteurs #64: Taika Waititi
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers (2012 film)
Phase Two: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man
Phase Three: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man & the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Captain Marvel - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Post-Infinity Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – Eternals – Spider-Man: No Way Home – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Thor: Love and Thunder – Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – The Marvels – (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)
Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
Related: MCU is Cinema: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 – Pt. 4 – (Part 5) – (Part 6) – (Part 7) - The MCU: 10 Reasons Why It Rules the World
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the book Wild Pork and Watercress by Barry Crump, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is the story of a troubled young boy who is sent to foster care where he finds an unlikely father figure in a cantankerous man as they get into trouble by the authorities as they flee into bushes of New Zealand. Written for the screen and directed by Taika Waititi, the film is a genre bender of adventure and comedy where a boy and a man who initially wanted nothing to do with each other become this unlikely duo who don’t play by the rules. Starring Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rhys Darby, Rima Te Waita, and Rachel House. Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a witty and heartfelt film from Taika Waititi.
The film is a simple story of a teenage boy who is sent to live with a foster family where things go wrong prompting the boy and his new-foster uncle to go on the run into the New Zealand bushes with their dogs as a manhunt ensues for the two. It’s a film that is an adventure story of sorts yet it is really about this boy and this cantankerous man who is reluctant to be the uncle for this kid yet realizes the boy’s worth and what he has to do help him. Taika Waititi’s screenplay, with contributions from Te Arepa Kahi, explores this unique family situation where Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) arrives to this farm ran by a woman named Bella (Rima Te Waita) and her husband Hector (Sam Neill). For Ricky, he had been in a bunch of foster families all over New Zealand as he’s been causing trouble in places as his arrival to his home has him expecting another bad situation. Yet, Bella would be this very positive and loving figure for Ricky as it gives him something he’s never had but it would all change when child welfare want Ricky back and take him to a juvenile prison which Ricky refuses to go.
Hector isn’t keen on taking care of Ricky but upon realizing that Ricky and his new dog Tupac is lost in the bushes, he would find him as more trouble ensues when it is believed that Hector kidnapped Ricky. It’s not just these authorities such as the police and a child welfare officer named Paula (Rachel House) that are after Hector and Ricky but also three hunters the two encountered earlier as there’s a bounty for the two. During the course of the story, Ricky and Hector would have this bond in not just surviving the bushes with their dogs but also in each other as Hector is a man that has a hard time fitting into the world as he is still dealing with things as well as why he was reluctant to have Ricky in his life. During the course of evading the authorities, the two would become heroes in and around New Zealand though there’s some that think of them as just bad people where Ricky would find himself confronting Paula in one scene as it’s very funny due to the pop culture references mentioned in the scene.
Waititi’s direction definitely has some gorgeous visuals as a lot of it is shot in the areas in the Central Plateau and Waitakere Ranges in New Zealand with some of it shot in small towns in the country. The bushes in the film are definitely a major character as it provide this sense of a world that is completely disconnected from society which seems fitting as both Ricky and Hector are kind of outcasts who don’t fit in with the conventions of society. While Waititi would use some wide shots for these locations, he favors more intimate compositions with the usage of medium shots and close-ups as he would create unique framing that play into the growing bond between Ricky and Hector. There are also these amazing shots in which Waititi would use a tripod to shoot around the surroundings as it is among some of the most beautiful shots in the film as it play into some of the humor but also moments that are quite serious.
Even in scenes that are quite chilling including an encounter with a wild boar and other moments that are quite adventurous show Waititi emphasizing on the scale of the manhunt for the two as it would give Ricky and Hector the chance to deal with these setbacks and such. There are also these moments that are quite offbeat which include a brief animated sequence directed by Caroline Ting as it relates to this manhunt led by Paula as well as a moment early in the film where Ricky is lost in the woods as he becomes hungry. It’s part of Waititi’s own brand of humor where it’s not forced in order to get a laugh but rather play into some of the absurdity that goes on throughout the film. Yet, Waititi doesn’t use any of that to get to the importance of the story as it feature a lot of heart as it relates to this very unlikely relationship between a man and a boy that don’t have anything in common other than just being outcasts. Overall, Waititi creates an exhilarating yet heartfelt film about a teenage boy and a man hiding out in the bushes of New Zealand from some very bad people.
Cinematographer Lachlan Milne does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography from the usage of natural light for some of the film’s exterior scenes including some in the bushes as well as the interior lighting in a few scenes inside the home of a few characters Ricky and Hector would meet. Editors Luke Haigh, Tom Eagles, and Yana Gorskaya do excellent work for utilizing some stylish cuts such as jump-cuts and dissolves while creating a few inventive montages that add to the film’s unique tone. Production designer Neville Stevenson and art director Jon Lithgow do amazing work with the look of the farm Ricky lived in with Hector and Bella as well as the home of a family he encounters and ranger huts he and Hector would find. Costume designer Kristen Seth does fantastic work with the costumes from the hip-hop inspired clothing that Ricky wears to the more rugged look of Hector as much of it is casual.
Hair/makeup designer Dannielle Satherley does nice work with the look of a few characters including Hector and a reclusive man known as Psycho Sam. Visual effects supervisor Kevin Andrew Smith does terrific work with the look of a few moments of visual effects that include a hilarious scene of hallucination from Ricky as well as the eerie moment with the wild boar. Sound designer Dick Reade does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the bushes as well as the sound of gunfire and such that add to some of the chaos as well as moments of humor. The film’s music by Lukasz Buda, Samuel Scott, and Conrad Wedde is incredible for its mixture of low-key electronic music as well as some folk and piano-based music that give the film different flavors in the music to play into New Zealand’s diverse musical culture while music supervisor Natalie Wilson creates a fun soundtrack that features music from acts like Moniker, Bob Marley, the Alessi Brothers, and Leonard Cohen.
The casting by Stuart Turner is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Taika Waititi as a funny minister, Hamish Parkinson as a police official talking about a device that would help Paula, the trio of Cohen Halloway, Stan Walker, and Mike Minogue as hunters who meet Ricky and Hector only to hunt them down for the bounty later on, Troy Kingi as Maori man who is excited about Ricky in his house, and Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne as Maori girl named Kahu that Ricky falls for as she lets him stay at his house for a night. Oscar Kightley is terrific as a dim-witted officer named Andy who often accompanies Paula as he’s treated like an idiot though it is clear he’s not as dim as she thinks he is. Rhys Darby is superb as Psycho Sam as this recluse who would help Ricky and Hector in the third act as he has some issues toward the authority as well as the government. Rachel House is excellent as Paula as a child welfare official who is determined to bring Ricky to juvenile detention as she isn’t this conventional antagonist but rather someone who believes in this idea of not leaving any child behind as it’s a very funny performance to watch.
Rima Te Waita is brilliant as Bella as Hector’s wife who is this warm figure that would bring a positive world to Ricky as well as provide a sense of importance to Ricky and Hector. Finally, there’s the duo of Sam Neill and Julian Dennison in tremendous performances in their respective roles as Hector and Ricky. Dennison’s performance is so lively as well as being quite funny in some of the hip-hop slang he says as well as being a quick learner in surviving the bushes as it’s a very engaging performance for someone that could’ve been grating but his development into someone trying to survive as well as needing a father figure is key to Dennison’s winning performance. Neill’s performance as Hector is definitely complex as someone who starts off as quiet and cantankerous as someone who doesn’t want to deal with people but he does have this toughness into his performance as someone who did go to prison as well as weariness of someone who has been through a lot and is trying to help Ricky survive the bushes. Neill and Dennison together are a joy to watch in the way they build up the relationship with Dennison as the funny guy and Neill as the straight man as they’re a major highlight of the film.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a phenomenal film from Taika Waititi that feature sensational performances from Sam Neill and Julian Dennison. Along with a great supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, a touching yet witty story, and a fantastic music soundtrack. It’s a film that isn’t just this exciting and funny adventure film but also a film with a lot of heart as it play into the unlikely relationship between a man and a boy who are outcasts in modern society. In the end, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is an outstanding film from Taika Waititi.
Taika Waititi Films: Two Cars, One Night - Eagle vs. Shark - Boy (2010 film) - What We Do in the Shadows - Thor: Ragnarok - Jojo Rabbit - Thor: Love and Thunder - Next Goal Wins (2023 film) - (Klara and the Sun) - Auteurs #64: Taika Waititi
© thevoid99 2017
