PG Score: 7/10
Cocaine Bear was released in theaters on 2/24
If there is one lesson to take away from Cocaine Bear it is this: don’t skip school. Based on true events, the Elizabeth Banks (40-Year-Old Virgin) directed film is full of absurdity, savagery, and a lot of other nonsense that make this ridiculous film a lot of fun. Set in 1980s Georgia, the film actually uses some live footage of real-life smuggler Andrew Thornton, who was responsible for the coke drop. Cocaine Bear takes that little grain of truth and just runs with it, giving us this fun tale that has sometimes has trouble pinning down what type of story it wants to be.
Tonal Inconsistency
I enjoy 80s music and the soundtrack picked for this film is excellent. Costumes and the props department did an excellent job of picking out clothing that brought me straight back to my childhood. What’s inconsistent with this film is its tone. The movie tries to do a few too many things, and while the gore is on point and had me jumping a few times, it tries to add a bit of drama to a film that is mostly a comedy. It didn't quite work. I laughed from beginning to end and didn’t find it necessary.
Acting/Visuals
The acting is fine for what it is (shoutout to the late Ray Liotta), as several different storylines cross paths while the drug-addled bear goes on its rampage. It was nice to see Keri Russell (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) and Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story) pop up and have some fun in this film, but Cocaine Bear is definitely not a film you come see for the acting. The CGI was pretty solid, which is a good thing considering the main star is a bear. It was seamless enough not to take you out of the film, while it was still obvious it wasn’t a real bear.
Kilos of Fun
Cocaine Bear is a popcorn film for sure. A whole bunch of interesting characters from different walks of life all find themselves meeting on this fateful day to be forever changed by a bear coked out of its mind and out for a good time. Whether that’s humping a tree or chasing down some unfortunate hikers through the woods, it is absurdity at its best. I had a lot of fun watching this movie.
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