The Trailer:
Director: Kevin Smith
Cast: Justin Long, Michael Parks, Haley Joel Osment, Genesis Rodriguez, & Johnny Depp.
Synopsis: Howard Howe (Michael Parks) is a Canadian, has-been seafarer with lots of stories to tell. Wallace Bryton is a podcaster who traveled to Canada in search of stories to relay to his listeners. Their serendipitous encounter is almost like a wish come true for Wallace, but is it?
Hmmm, I'm not sure what to make of this movie. It made me laugh. It made me shudder in fear. It made me question what it means to be human. Yet, I don't know if I like it. For the most part, the humor of the movie lies in the irony of the situation. We have Wallace (kind of rhymes with walrus), with a walrus mustache, who is turned into a walrus. Haha, how clever! There are also some jokes that poke fun at American stereotypes, like when Detective Guy Lapointe (Johnny Depp) tells Ally (Genesis Rodriguez) and Teddy (Haley Joel Osment) to grab some guns that he has provided for them, Teddy refuses, then Guy Lapointe says "You don't want a gun? What kind of American are you?". Along with that are also jokes that poke fun at Canadians too. Also, the sheer ridiculousness of the movie is something to laugh at. I mean, come on, a man turning another man into a walrus to relive some weird human-walrus companionship from ages past, it's absolutely mad! The horror aspect also lies in that human to animal transition. Getting turned into a horrifying monster at the hands of a deranged person might be one of my new fears, after seeing the Human Centipede and especially now after seeing Tusk. Haha, I'm kidding, but seriously imagine being surgically altered to look like an animal against your will? Isn't that a little terrifying? But even with all the insanity and absurdity that occurs in this movie, there are also some dramatic moments. Through the beginning of the movie, and through some flashbacks of his life before leaving to Canada, I don't like Wallace very much. He is crude, selfish, and heartless especially to his girlfriend, Allison (Genesis Rodriguez). But as he becomes more and more walrus on the outside, he becomes more and more human on the inside. It's strange. He is such an animal on the exterior and yet he has found his humanity inside the skin of the walrus.
Again, I can't tell you whether I like this movie or not. It's bizarre and profound all at once. It's silly and serious and tragic. It's the story of a man who had become so callous that it takes losing his outward humanity to find his compassion once again... when it is already too late. Is it the best movie in the world? Definitely not? But did it make me think and wonder? Yes, it did. Would I watch it again, though? Most likely not.
Again, I can't tell you whether I like this movie or not. It's bizarre and profound all at once. It's silly and serious and tragic. It's the story of a man who had become so callous that it takes losing his outward humanity to find his compassion once again... when it is already too late. Is it the best movie in the world? Definitely not? But did it make me think and wonder? Yes, it did. Would I watch it again, though? Most likely not.
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