By Mandy Ramstead, More Horror - There's a bear. There's Cocaine. There's the gist. If you are going in looking for more than that, then you probably want to pass this one up. However, if a bear on cocaine is something that happens to interest your senses, then you're in the right place. Sit down and enjoy the hilarity and carnage that ensues.
"Cocaine Bear" is a wild ride from start to finish, based on the true story of a Georgia black bear who ingested cocaine dropped from a smuggler's airplane in 1985. Screenwriter Jimmy Warden takes the basic facts and imagines a scenario where the bear doesn't die but instead gets hooked on the drug, crossing paths with an eclectic ensemble of hikers, rangers, criminals, and police officers. Director Elizabeth Banks brings this story to life with an excess of the era, with Matthew Rhys giving a manic performance as a drug smuggler and a talented cast that includes Alden Ehrenreich, Ray Liotta, and Keri Russell.
One of the joys of "Cocaine Bear" is the creature itself, brought to life through a motion capture performance and CGI from Weta FX. The bear's movements are amped up and anthropomorphized, but with enough realism to make the attacks harrowing. The violence is often graphic and gory, with moments of humor that will make you laugh and squirm. The bear's clever ways of ingesting cocaine are also a highlight, including doing a line off a severed leg.
The film's music, costume, and production design are on point without being obvious parodies of the era. The period-specific needle drops, in particular, add a perfect touch to the film's antics. While some of the standout supporting players do evolve in surprising ways, the filmmakers break from the action to make us care about the characters as actual people, which can be a disappointment. Nonetheless, "Cocaine Bear" is an entertaining and unpredictable ride that will have you rooting for the bear to succeed.
Cocaine Bear is available now on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.