My take: An oddly hilarious film with enough cringe-worthy scenes to sate the palates of horror and Kevin Smith fans alike.
My rating: 3 out of 4 stars
Walrus horror alone would not have gotten me to the theater. Neither would a new Kevin Smith film. But put the two elements together and add in Justin Long (Drag Me to Hell and Accepted) as the lead, and you’ve got me there opening night.
Tusk follows Wallace Bryton, an American podcaster who travels around gathering stories from interesting people. When his interview in Canada falls through, he spots an intriguing flyer in a bar for a man with “stories to tell.” This takes him deep into Manitoba to a house where he meets Howard Howe, who drugs him and kidnaps him in a grand plan to make Wallace into a walrus.
Strange premise? Yes. Interesting? Definitely. Plausible? Not even remotely.
But regardless of how ridiculous the film’s plot may be, Kevin Smith pulls it off with good pacing, strong laughs, terrific characters, and enough gore to make my husband uncomfortable. All of this combined to leave me talking about it, even days later, which makes for a good movie in my opinion.
According to Canadian horror magazine Rue Morgue, Kevin Smith has announced that this is just the first in what he calls “The True North Trilogy.” The second film will be called Yoga Hosers and is about a pair battling “supernatural forces.” The third, and more intriguing film IMHO, is called Moose Jaws. Smith is reported as saying it is “Jaws but with a moose.” Just the concept has me snickering.
I recommend this movie to anyone who likes Kevin Smith horror, Justin Long, famous actors pretending not to be themselves (hint hint), monster movies, and/or those who think the Human Centipede is funny.
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