Cocaine Bear: A Hilarious, Bloody Rampage Through the Georgia Wilderness
Imagine a scenario: a drug smuggler’s plane soars above the lush, green expanse of a Georgian state reserve. Attempting to evade law enforcement, the dealer jettisons bags filled with cocaine into the dense forest below. Fate intervenes, setting the stage for a chaotic showdown.
The next morning, an unlikely cast of characters converges upon the reserve: two school kids playing hooky, a pair of hardened criminals desperately seeking the lost contraband, and the worried mother of the truants, hot on their trail after discovering their unplanned adventure. Their paths converge with the likes of a dedicated park ranger, a trio of small-time thugs, and the star of our show – a colossal bear, unbelievably stoned after devouring copious amounts of the aforementioned cocaine. With its mind completely unhinged, the bear plunges the reserve into absolute mayhem. In an instant, every individual who ventured into the forest finds themself with a common, urgent goal: survival.
Believe it or not, this wild premise is loosely inspired by an actual incident from 1985, in which a real-life drug dealer did indeed drop cocaine from a plane, and a bear, in turn, ingested the substances. In reality, the bear succumbed almost immediately. However, screenwriter Jimmy Warden lets his imagination run wild. In this cinematic world, the bear not only survives its encounter with the drug but, shall we say, truly lives its best life. The film’s tone and impressive kill count bring to mind the comedy-horror flick “Tucker & Dale vs Evil,” in which hapless college students met gruesome ends. Suffice it to say, in “Cocaine Bear,” characters will discover that escape from the jaws of a berserk, cocaine-fueled bear is next to impossible, and viewers will be unable to resist the ensuing pandemonium.
A No-Frills Comedy That Delivers the Goods
Director Elizabeth Banks makes a conscious decision to strip away any unnecessary sentimentality or heavy-handed moralizing from the comedy. If you’re looking for deep, symbolic metaphors? Look elsewhere. Here, a bear is just a bear, and cocaine is simply cocaine. It turns out this formula of simple, effective direction makes for an incredibly funny movie.
The result: just what audiences were yearning for. During its opening weekend, “Cocaine Bear” raked in $23.1 million, eclipsing the box office performance of the latest “Ant-Man” installment – an undeniable statement when audiences vote with their wallets. Perhaps it’s because we’ve grown accustomed to talking raccoons and insect superheroes, but a bear high on cocaine was uncharted territory. Now, thanks to Banks, our cinematic desires are fulfilled.
Not for the Faint of Heart
However, those with a delicate disposition towards gore should approach with caution, or perhaps stick to tamer Marvel fare. The dismembered limbs in “Cocaine Bear” are so abundant, that you could build a small mansion with them. Despite the veritable geysers of blood, the film cannot be simply classified as a slasher, due to the sheer number of outlandish and comedic moments.
Witnessing the bear’s highs and subsequent “comedowns” is priceless, even if they aren’t an accurate depiction of cocaine’s physiological effects. We must keep in mind that the real-life bear perished shortly after ingesting the drug. Thankfully, this movie is by no stretch of the imagination a documentary. This film presents us with a bear that gains superpowers and the ability to take down ruthless mobsters, as a result of consuming cocaine.
The Magic of Motion Capture
The film’s believable depiction of the bear exists in no small part thanks to the lineage of Andy Serkis, the master of motion-capture performance, who brought to life iconic characters such as Gollum and King Kong, dramatically advancing this technique. The bear, brought to life through motion capture, is remarkably convincing and indistinguishable from a real one, enhancing the humor through the simple knowledge that the enraged and stoned beast is played by an actor moving on all fours. Banks’ motion picture is a prime example of how a high-quality comedy can still fill theater seats. You don’t need overblown fantasy adventures; it’s enough to make a straightforward movie that knows exactly what it is, that embodies its epic title: “Cocaine Bear.”