LOS ANGELES, Feb. 23 (UPI) — 'Cocaine Bear' hits theaters Friday and is, as the name suggests, a horror film and a well-crafted monster film.
In 1985, Andrew Thornton fell from a plane over the Chattahoochee National Forest while doping cocaine drops. The plane crashed and the black bear swallowed some dust that fell to the ground.
This part is correct.
Written by Jimmy Worden and directed by Elizabeth Banks, The Cocaine Bear is marketed as Jaws in the Woods.
The bear immediately climbs up to torment passers-by. Then the main characters of the film meet in the forest.
Sid White (Ray Liotta) sends his son Eddie (Alden Ehrenrich) and drug dealer David (O'Shea Jackson Jr.) to find missing cocaine. Sari (Keri Russell) runs into the woods and finds her runaway daughter Dee Dee (Prince of Brooklyn) playing tag with her boyfriend Henry (Christian Convery).
Tennessee detective Bob (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) crosses the state line to find cocaine before Sid. Liz Winters (Margot Martindale) is a park ranger who finds herself at the epicenter of all these converging forces.
Cocaine is already potential bear fodder . Liz cheers on wildlife inspector Peter (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) when three teenagers (Aaron Holiday, JB Moore, Leo Hannah) foil Eddie and David's operation.
As the bear attacks begin, two medics (Kahyun Kim, Scott Seiss) arrive, which means more fodder for the bear attacks.
Cocaine Bear alternates between several main story arcs. The bears stand in the way, although it's not difficult to help Sari save the children and convince the bear to buy the drug dealer.
Cops and drug dealers get more screen time than innocent mothers and kids. It could be a bit more balanced in that regard, but it never gets boring.
The bear's motivation is quite clear: he wants more cocaine. Every time he wins more, Popeye will eat a can of spinach and get stronger again.
Bear killing is increasing exponentially. Bears don't do anything amazing except bite and scratch people.
While Cocaine Bear immediately shows the moon, other scenes play out in the spirit of Spielberg. Sometimes the bear chases unsuspecting characters and in one scene the bear hides in the bushes.
There are many full frontal bear attacks. The bear is CGI because it always looks animated, which means it's a bit messier than a real animal.
Instead of casually provoking the bear, it is better to use the bear animation. The film gives him enough personality to be a character like Sid, Sari, Eddie and David.
The bear certainly inspires sympathy because it doesn't deserve to be chased by drug dealers or an armed park ranger. He was just a bear when the cocaine hit his backyard.
Hollywood flourished with popular films like Cocaine Bear . Let's hope that such a well-executed project can usher in a new era of fashion ideas.
Fred Topel, who attended film school at Ithaca College, is an entertainment writer based in Los Angeles for UPI. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012. Learn more about his work in entertainment.
