By Geno McGahee
Animal attack movies used to be done with regularity and done well. Movies like ORCA, FROGS, SQUIRM, NIGHT OF THE LEPUS and GRIZZLY were good fun. Those were the days and then the Sci-Fi network stepped in and things got bad for this sub-genre. If I never see a shark movie or a no budget shark movie rip off again, it’ll be too soon. So, I wasn’t sure if I would ever watch another animal attack movie again, but I decided to give COCAINE BEAR a watch and it’s certainly better than any Sci-Fi network attempt. That’s for sure.
We begin with a plane going down and the drug trafficker dropping all the bags of cocaine into a national park. He grabs his parachute and jumps out and the chute doesn’t open and he plummets to his death. This is where the “based on actual events” comes into play. You don’t need much to go on when you say “based on a true story”. Look at TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. I used to be terrified of that because it was true. It was as true as COCAINE BEAR.
The immediate problem with this movie is that it doesn’t take itself seriously at all and that could be seen as a good thing, but it’s not. I like films that are silly and embrace the stupid topic that it’s based on, but certain aspects should have been taken seriously like character development. The only character that was really focused on in this movie was the bear. All the dialogue between characters doesn’t really push the story forward and is just there.
The film begins with a couple that are just there to be killed and the bear is introduced and it’s done pretty well. I didn’t understand why the boyfriend allowed his girlfriend to be dragged away without trying to save her at all, but I enjoyed the opening scene.
So, the drug kingpin, Syd (Ray Liotta), sending a couple of his guys to the park to retrieve his drugs and Liotta is always good despite not having much to work with. As the two head over to the park, they encounter some punks and a detective, Bob (Isiah Whitlock JR), that is also seeking the money. As this happens, the bear is causing all sorts of trouble and it is fun to watch. The film focusing almost exclusively and unevenly on the bear is a complaint of mine, but the one thing they focused on they did it well.
An actress I usually really like, Margo Martindale plays Ranger Liz, who eventually goes to try to hunt the bear, is really annoying in this. She was great in MILLION DOLLAR BABY. She was actually one of the big highlights but she was in a real role. I think everyone knows a trashy relative or neighbor like she played. Her role as Ranger Liz was empty and was difficult to invest in.
The characters that are interested in the cocaine got into battle and the bear gets more people to kill and they made the ending especially gruesome, which was nice. I just walked away from this film immediately forgetting it. I can see why it was popular. It’s one of those movies that you can watch, walk away from and come back at any time and not miss anything. It’s a popcorn movie that tried to capture the magic of the 70’s animal attack movies but it doesn’t have the depth of most of them.
COCAINE BEAR is OK. I liked that it took place in the 1980s. That gets a couple of points out of the gates. Outside of the 1980s and the fun factor of the bear, I didn’t get much from this one. I still recommend it but only if you’re in the mood for mindless carnage.
