MAINE, USA — [Editor's note: This article is a critical analysis of a film and does not represent the views of NEWS CENTER Maine, but that of the author.]
A new monster movie hits theaters this weekend, and "Cocaine Bear" knows exactly what it's offering.
Story
Based on a true story of an American black bear that gorged itself on cocaine dropped from an airplane in the 1980s, "Cocaine Bear" offers up a wide slate of characters, most of whom won't survive to see the end credits.
As an airplane flies over the southern U.S., a man transporting several bags of cocaine starts dumping them into the forest below. When he goes to jump with a parachute, the man bangs his head and falls to his death unconscious.
The film then shifts to an engaged couple hiking on a mountain in rural Georgia. They seem to be having a good time until a black bear shows up. At first, they're enamored by the chance to see a real bear and take photos of it, but they quickly realize something is wrong with this bear. It attacks, killing one of them.
"Cocaine Bear" introduces a pair of drug dealers named Daveed (O'Shea Jackson Jr.) and Eddie (Alden Ehrenreich) who are sent by their boss, Syd (Ray Liotta), to go fetch the cocaine.
At the same time, a nurse named Sari (Keri Russell) enters the woods to track down her missing daughter and a neighbor who skipped school to hike to a waterfall.
Other characters include a park ranger played by Margo Martindale named Liz and a detective, Bob (Isiah Whitlock Jr.), searching for Syd and his drug dealers.
It doesn't take long for each of these people to collide with the killer bear addicted to cocaine, and the beast tears apart several in a spectacularly bloody fashion. As characters start to die, audiences will be left wondering who survives and maybe even cheering for the bear who is silly at times but murderous throughout most of the film.
Analysis
"Cocaine Bear" is a throwback to gory monster movies of the '80s, but what's especially charming about the film is it keeps things refreshingly simple. The monster in question isn't a demon, evil ghost, or malevolent alien. It's a creature most folks are familiar with and might have even seen with their own eyes.
Director Elizabeth Banks knew exactly what she wanted to show audiences, and for people that have seen the previews, it's very much a case of "what you see is what you get."
The bloodshed is over the top, the characters are mostly cardboard cutouts (who do occasionally get a surprisingly human moment), and the story wastes no time giving folks what they want. "Cocaine Bear" is trimmed to a neat one hour and 35 minutes.
People who buy tickets to watch this movie shouldn't be surprised when they find themselves cheering for the intoxicated bear by the end.
Obviously, this isn't a film for kids or people who can't handle seeing lots of blood on the screen. But for everyone else, "Cocaine Bear" is just a fun time that packs in several laughs through its absurd and welcome violence.
For fans of the late actor Ray Liotta, "Cocaine Bear" concludes with a touching end note to his career.
Everything works together to remind movie fans who are old enough of monster movies from years gone by. The soundtrack, the editing, and the actors all help sell this, especially Martindale in her performance as a southern park ranger with lousy aim just trying to get the attention of a man she's sweet on.
"Cocaine Bear" opens in theaters this weekend.
Also playing this week
For folks who don't want to leave their home, Netflix has a new movie coming out this weekend called "We Have a Ghost."
Here's the synopsis:
"Finding a ghost named Ernest haunting their new home turns Kevin's family into overnight social media sensations. But when Kevin and Ernest investigate the mystery of Ernest's past, they become a target of the CIA."
To see which movies are playing at a theater near you, click here.
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