Cocaine Bear

Starring: Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Ray Liotta, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Margo Martindale, Brooklynn Prince, Christian Convery, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kristofer Hivju, Scott Seiss, Matthew Rhys, J.B. Moore, Ayoola Smart, Leo Hanna
Directed by: Elizabeth Banks
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Thriller
2023

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: An eclectic group of people converge on a Georgian forest and are confronted by a black bear who ingested a substantial amount of cocaine.

Review:

Tim: I think it's cool that Elizabeth Banks directed a "loosely based on true events" story about a black bear that goes on a rampage after ingesting cocaine that was thrown out of a plane, before the pilot died upon exiting the aircraft. This is definitely a "truth is stranger than fiction" scenario, although to be fair, this whole movie is very much fiction. The problem is that the movie doesn't quite live up to the craziness of the premise. Banks does a decent job directing it, but the script was too weak in too many places. I ultimately didn't live the movie nearly enough. It's a decent film with worthwhile moments, but the flaws become too much for it.

The basic premise of the story is a good one- a cocaine-addicted bear goes on a rampage in the woods. Great, I'm there. Then, the film brings in a surprisingly good cast of likeable actors. Things are looking great. The problem is that the movie gets bogged down in the people's stories. They aren't nearly as compelling as they should have been. There's too many of them, so the story is stretched too thin. We don't get to spend enough time with the cast. That ultimately hurts the film. Banks does a solid job of juggling the multiple storylines and ensuring her cast get big moments on screen. The problem is that there's too much and not all of it is effective.

Keri Russell was well cast in her role. She's a mom seeking her daughter in the woods. Russell is an effective actress and she brings that to the film. Her role is a bit unremarkable, but her strong performance elevates it beyond the words written on the page. You have to know that this movie is better because of Russell. I really enjoyed the performance of Alden Ehrenreich, too. He has such charisma on screen and his role was ridiculous, big, and funny. He makes a lasting impression on the film with his winnable, likable performance. I wish we had more time with him, because he makes us laugh. He brings great energy to the role, but it was just too limited. I'm always surprised by how much I like O'Shea Jackson Jr. I don't mean that as a slight- Ice Cube isn't the best actor, so it's surprising to me how talented his son is. Jackson Jr. is an actor who holds his own against any cast and he does so here. I loved the interactions between Jackson and Ehrenreich and I wish they had even more screen time together. They were legitimately funny together and a blast to watch. It was nice seeing Ray Liotta here, although he felt too limited. This movie was released after his death, so it was bittersweet seeing him play this villainous role. His character felt too one-dimensional to me, but it's always fun seeing Liotta on screen. Margo Martindale adds a nice supporting performance that was funny because of how unlikable her character was. Martindale has always seemed like the nicest actress ever, so it was incredible to see her playing this prickly role. She obviously has great fun with it, channeling Betty White in Lake Placid just a bit. Isiah Whitlock Jr. is solid in his role, although I wish we got to spend a bit more time with his character. Christian Convery is a total scene stealer here. I wouldn't have expected such a young actor to emerge as one of the highlights of the film, but his performance was consistently funny. He delivers many of the film's best lines and was a joy whenever he was on screen. I'll have to keep my eye on Convery, because when utilized properly, the kid can really act.

There's a bunch of other cast members, too. It was nice seeing Kristofer Hivju here, but he is unnecessarily restrained in his role. It feels far too throwaway. Brooklynn Prince was solid, but she's overshadowed by Convery's great performance. Ayoola Smart was okay, but forgettable in her role. Aaron Holliday, J.B. Moore, Leo Hanna were fine, but mostly just fodder. There's still other cast members, but you start to see- the ensemble is too big, the story gets stretched beyond the key point.

The visual effects weren't great. I understand trying to render a cocaine-addled black bear was not the easiest task, but the bear never looks real. It somewhat took me out of the film, just how unrealistic it appeared. I'm not sure if a bigger budget would have truly solved this issue, but I didn't walk away from this film impressed by the visuals. They were fine, but it felt obvious not too much was invested in making the movie look great.

The comedy was definitely a big success. I don't know if the film has any truly standout moments, but the film is consistently funny. It's all hard to take seriously and too easy to dismiss, but the film was definitely funnier than I expected. It's too bad the story drags the film down, because Banks' direction puts the actors in the right light to deliver funny lines. Their comedic timing works and it results in a fairly entertaining journey.

Cocaine Bear is definitely a film that has strengths, but is ultimately a bit too ineffective to be good. What starts out as fresh and exciting becomes a bit repetitive as the film progresses. The movie is short, at 1 hour, 35 minutes, but even still, the last 15 minutes or so, I was waiting for the film to be over. That's not the mark of a good film. So, while I enjoyed watching the movie, I mostly just wish it was better.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Meg, The Grey, Grizzly Man, Lake Placid