TUSK | FAMILY MOVIE REVIEW INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

"TUSK"
(2014) (Justin Long, Michael Parks) (R)

QUICK TAKE:: Horror: A podcaster must contend with being kidnapped by a madman who wants to turn him into a human walrus.

PLOT:

Wallace Bryton (JUSTIN LONG) and his pal Teddy (HALEY JOEL OSMENT) are co-hosts of an increasingly popular Internet podcast where nothing is filtered and just about anything goes. Having seen a video of a young guy who accidentally cut off his leg, Wallace decides to travel to Canada to meet the man, but doesn't take his girlfriend, Allison (GENESIS RODRIGUEZ), with him, despite her wanting to go. Once there, Wallace learns that the young man took his own life and is upset, not because of the suicide, but due to traveling there and getting no material for his show.

He thinks he might have found an alternative, however, in a want ad posted in a men's room. It appears world traveler Howard Howe (MICHAEL PARKS) is looking to rent a room in his remote mansion in exchange for taking care of him and the place. Wallace isn't interested in the living arrangement, but is enticed by the promise of amazing stories.

Over a cup of tea, Howard tells him one such tale that easily hooks Wallace, just as easily as the drugged tea knocks him out. When he comes to, Howard initially lies that a spider bite caused the unconsciousness and the need to amputate one of Wallace's legs. But it soon becomes clear that Howard is fixated on a past incident in his life that revolved around a walrus, and is trying to create a human hybrid one out of Wallace.

At the same time, Allison and Teddy -- having both received distress calls from Wallace -- travel to Canada to look for him, eventually enlisting the help of former homicide detective Guy LaPointe (JOHNNY DEPP) who hasn't given up his quest to find what he's certain is a serial killer. With time likely running out, they race to track and trace Wallace's steps, all while the podcaster must endure horrible atrocities he never could have imagined.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Fans of writer/director Kevin Smith, anyone in the cast, and those into macabre horror films might be interested.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For some disturbing violence/gore, language and sexual content.

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