Tusk
I hate that Tusk is on this list.
Up until a few weeks ago, I was #WalrusYes all the way. I’m a fan of Kevin Smith’s work, I even remember listening to the podcast where he and Scott Mosier had a conversation about a possibly misunderstood man with a walrus fetish and a Craigslist ad. This conversation would eventually become Tusk, a story about a man who tries — and, spoiler alert, succeeds — in surgically transforming another man into the creature he loves.
Michael Parks is stellar, as always, and Justin Long makes for a damn good walrus. I could do without everything else. The writing, and specifically the dialogue, which is usually where Smith shines, fell flat for me. It possessed none of the wit or charm I’ve come to expect from this director. Everything unfolded in a weirdly predictable way that betrayed the novel concept, and that walrus suit made me want to laugh, rather than turn away in disgust.
Bottom line: If it’s a great Kevin Smith film you seek, check out Red State. Parks blows it out of the water in that one, too. If you’re looking for a good film that follows one man’s painful transformation into a majestic walrus, I suggest you keep looking.
