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The New Zealand director/writer Taika Waititi may be the funniest filmmaker you've never heard of — but that's going to change quite soon.

Waititi made his feature directing debut with "Eagle vs. Shark" (2007), an offbeat romance that did for New Zealand what "Napoleon Dynamite" did for southeastern Idaho. He also directed the coming-of-age tale "Boy" (2010), directed and starred in the vampire mock-documentary "What We Do in the Shadows" (2014), and has directed episodes of "Flight of the Conchords" and MTV's version of "The Inbetweeners."

Waititi is going mainstream, having signed up with Marvel Studios for next year's "Thor: Ragnarok." Before he gets branded a complete sell-out, though, he has written and directed what may be his best, and most heartwarming, comedy: "Hunt for the Wilderpeople."

Set in rural New Zealand, the story begins when Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison), a 13-year-old orphan, is brought to a farm to meet his new foster parents. Bella (Rima Te Wiata) welcomes Ricky warmly, preparing a nice room and even writing a song for him, which she performs on her Casio keyboard. Her husband, Hector (Sam Neill), is more of a curmudgeon and tells Ricky to keep his distance.

When Bella collapses and dies one morning, Ricky and Hector take her absence hard. Ricky is especially worried when the nasty child-warfare woman, Paula (Rachel House), tells them she aims to take him back to the group home — or worse, a juvenile detention facility.

Ricky decides to run away into the bush. Hector, lonely without Bella and rankled by Paula's insensitivity, accompanies him. They end up in the wilderness for weeks, as Hector imparts his backwoods skills to the previously urban Ricky, and the two become unlikely media heroes.

Waititi's brand of humor is sly, understated and absurdist to the point of being just slightly silly. These strains come through best through his characters, from the tough-talking Ricky or the gruff woodsman Hector or the scene-stealing Paula — who, as brilliantly played by House, sounds like a blustering Will Ferrell character, if Ferrell were a squat, severe-looking New Zealand woman.

The byplay between the newcomer Dennison and the veteran Neill is delightful, as the two characters' façades slowly melt and a genuine bond of affection develops. This unlikely friendship turns "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" from just an offbeat comedy into a truly moving adventure.

Twitter: @moviecricket —

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'Hunt for the Wilderpeople'

A city kid and a crusty backwoodsman form a friendship in this offbeat comedy from New Zealand.

Where • Broadway Centre Cinemas.

When • Opens Friday, July 29.

Rating • PG-13 for thematic elements including violent content, and for some language.

Running time • 101 minutes.