Pork Pie

Overview

For whatever reason, Vin Diesel and the gang have yet to take their globe-hopping Fast and Furious franchise to New Zealand. But if they do, they'll be racing in the tyre tracks of a couple of Mini-focused homegrown films. Back in 1981, Goodbye Pork Pie saw a ragtag bunch of misfits careen across the country's two islands in a tiny yellow vehicle. Driving into remake territory with a newer model, Pork Pie takes the idea out for another spin.

When struggling novelist Jon (Dean O'Gorman) fails to win his girlfriend back at a pal's wedding, he decides to try again after she heads down south to Invercargill. Luckily, he crosses paths with Luke (James Rolleston), who's driving a stolen car and fleeing a troubled past. Recently unemployed fast food worker and animal rights activist Kiera (Ashleigh Cummings) soon hops in as well, and the trio of strangers are suddenly on the road to adventure – albeit with the cops hot on their trail, the media going mad, and the entire nation seemingly watching their every move.

Will they all become friends, learn life lessons and grow into better people on their journey? Will you see so many shots of a glistening Mini that you'll think you're watching a car commercial? Will the film showcase just as many scenic New Zealand sights as the Lord of the Rings films? The answer to all three of these questions is a resounding yes. Still, what Pork Pie lacks in surprises, it endeavours to make up for in jovial road trip vibes.

Put it this way: if you were stuck travelling for a couple of hours with nothing but this movie for entertainment, you wouldn't mind. Even if they don't always prove the best long-haul companions on-screen, it helps that the three central performers make the most of their roles. None of their characters are particularly well-developed, but the genuine rapport between the energetic O'Gorman, charismatic Rolleston and spirited Cummings more than helps pass the time.

Writer-director Matt Murphy boasts a significant connection to the original — it was helmed by his father Geoff Murphy, and Matt was part of the crew. It shouldn't be surprising then that the remake focuses on two things that made the first outing memorable: stunts and humour. In terms of the former, prepare for a standout dash through Wellington that happens to involve a coffin, and cars and trains colliding (but not in the way you might expect). As for the latter, it's more warm smiles and light chuckles than belly laughs. The gags are mostly conventional, but then that's Pork Pie to a tee: affable, enjoyable, but not quite as freewheeling and frenetic as it thinks.