Review // Tusk

Kevin Smith’s new film, Tusk, could not turn an interesting & unique(ish) concept for a horror comedy into either a horror or a comedy. A crazy man attempts to human centipede a man into a walrus! That elevator pitch sounds both disturbing and ridiculously hilarious so it’s no surprise that the #WalrusYes campaign was successful – but the end product? #WalrusNo.

Tusk doesn’t hit its comedy or horror stride. Granted there are a few laughs, mostly at the expense of Canadian stereotyping, but hey, we’re funny. The lack of suspense really kiboshed any attempt at horror.  Maybe I’m wrong in believing it was ever supposed to fit into the trendy genre that is upheld by films like Cabin in the Woods and Shaun of the Dead. The film unfolds in three acts, first, Justin Wong’s Wallace meeting and becoming victim to Michael Park’s Howard Howe. Second, Wallace’s girlfriend and best friend’s reaction to him going missing in Canada which leads to the third,  the meeting of disgraced former Quebecois police officer Guy Lapointe who has been hunting Howard Howe for years. This three act structure is the reason there is a lack of suspense – we already know Wallace’s fate going into his rescue, sure there’s some particulars to sort out but the transformation has already begun.

If you’d like to cling to just a thread of suspense and keep the spoilers to a minimum you can  skip to here. When it comes to the cast, leads Justin Long and Michael Parks are actually quite enjoyable. While Long’s character, “Wandering” Wallace Bryton isn’t particularly likeable, Long still does a good job pulling off the role of a selfish shock-jock turned sadistic crime victim. Parks manages to play the role of crazy walrus obsessed recluse perfectly. He offers an impressive dose of over the top insanity that incites a few laughs. But aside from these rare moments, the rest of the cast doesn’t deliver.

Johnny Depp is borderline offensive as the Quebecois detective on the hunt for the crazed serial killer. Not funny enough to be a caricature (of what? No, really, I can’t tell what kind of joke he’s making, in fact if you wanted to make fun of Canadian crime solvers it would have been more fitting to cast a stray German Shepherd or make Lapointe a disgraced bumbling Mountie) Depp’s attempt at being a ridiculous nutter is a stark contrast to Park, who actually pulls it off. A role like this should have Depp in his odd ball character element and that’s the worst part of the A-list surprise it really isn’t a stretch, it’s simply unimaginative casting. Remember that moment in Tropic Thunder when you realized that studio exec Les Grossman was actually Tom Cruise in a fat suit? That mind blowing hilarious realization. Yeah, you’re not going to get that with Tusk. Depp clearly had fun with the character, he’s already signed on to reprise the role in next year’s Yoga Hosers, but Lapointe is basically a stereotype wrapped in potty humour, hopefully Depp and Smith add depth to the character in the next films.

Génesis Rodríguez’s Ally spends most her screen time in a bra or crying which is bad news for anyone hoping Smith would write a compelling, three dimensional role for a woman again. Haley Joel Osment plays Teddy Craft, Wallace’s best friend and co-host of the fictional Not-See Party podcast. He doesn’t do a bad job either, it’s just his character doesn’t really do anything. Teddy and Ally are a lazy attempt to develop Wallace’s world. We glimpse Wallace through the eyes of the two people he loves the most, only to discover they both secretly loathe him. Suddenly their panicked search isn’t about saving Wallace but about Ally and Teddy’s alleviating the guilt of hating their boyfriend/best friend. While they might develop his home life, it doesn’t help audiences identify or care about Wallace anymore. If anything Ally and Teddy add more confusion to a film that’s already falling apart at the seams, plus their story arch leads to Lapointe’s far more bizarre narrative – which really takes home the cake.

Overall, Tusk was a let down. Maybe that’s because I’m a fan of Kevin Smith. I got on board with #WalrusYes because it sounded funny and clever especially coming from the mind that brought us Clerks and Dogma. Instead it turned out more tacky and miles away from the mark like Clerks II and Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Despite the disappointment of Tusk, I’m still looking forward to seeing what Smith comes up with in his next two entries in the True North trilogy. Here’s hoping the next insane premise translates better on-screen.  But maybe I’m the insane one, for expecting different results from the same thing.

Review by Vithiya Murugadas. 

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