Cocaine Bear:
Maximum Rampage Edition
review by Bobby Blakey
Some of the most insane and unbelievable stories come from real life and often times make for the best movies. In 1985 a true story came out of a drug runner's plane crash, missing cocaine, and the black bear that ate it. Now they are bringing this story to life, sort of, with the film Cocaine Bear that is inspired by the real events, but clearly taken in a new territory. The film stars Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson, Jr., Christian Convery-Jennings, Alden Ehrenreich, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Brooklynn Prince, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Kristofer Hivju, Hannah Hoekstra, Aaron Holliday, with Margo Martindale and the late Ray Liotta from producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller and director Elizabeth Banks.
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Cocaine Bear follows an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a 500- pound apex predator has ingested a staggering amount of cocaine and gone on a coke-fueled rampage for more blow … and blood.
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The trailer alone had me sold on this movie so as long as it stuck to the ridiculous insanity it promised then I was all in. In the real story the bear died from the cocaine ingestion, but as well all know from the trailers this one is on a full on rampage. Sure the story is over the top, violent and often time silly, but works in every way to create a film that is a total blast.
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Right out the gate this film wastes no time getting to the fun and letting us know we are in for a wild ride of laughs, violence and craziness. They have taken the real story complete with some of what appears to be the real news footage and embellished it into this comedy horror flick that shouldn’t work, but just does. The all look like they are having a blast and in turn makes it all the more entertaining.
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For this film to really work you have to buy into the bear itself. For the most part they stick to the savagery of it as it wreaks havoc on everything and everyone around it. There are a few moments where it acts a bit more cartoony, but works for the story its telling to make it that much more fun. When its crazed it is bringing the pain complete with blood splatters, dismemberment and so much more. While bloody and sometimes graphic it wasn’t as bad as I had hoped, but still delivers enough to satisfy the gore hounds out there.
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As silly as it sounds I had such a good time with this film it might end up on my favorite films of the year and I hope that it spawns more ridiculousness like this to get back into the cinema whether it be a sequel or some other film riding its coat tails.
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In addition to the film this release is loaded with wild bonus content including deleted & extended scenes, a gag reel, commentary, numerous featurettes and an alternate ending. Head out into the forest and prepare for a bloody good time and grab your copy of Cocaine Bear available now on digital and then on Blu-ray and DVD on April 18th from Universal Home Entertainment.
