Blu-ray Review: COCAINE BEAR

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Apr 16, 2023 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

It’s 1985, and a dangerous new threat is lurking in Georgia’s Chattahoochee National Forest. Drug runner Andrew C. Thornton II (Matthew Rhys, The Americans) was transporting dozens of duffle bags, each filled with 70 pounds of cocaine, when his airplane started experiencing technical issues, and he was forced to jettison the cargo. However, a bear got into one of the bags and now has a taste for the white powder, and she’s on a drug-fueled rage to find more. Several unsuspecting folks will soon find themselves in her path. While the bear will maul anyone who gets inbetween her and her next fix, it may actually be the other humans who pose the biggest threat to one another.

Cocaine Bear is a hilarious, over-the-top comedy/horror from writer Jimmy Warden (The Babysitter, The Babysitter: Killer Queen) and director Elizabeth Banks (Charlie’s Angels, Pitch Perfect 2). At its core, it feels like a homage to the slasher films of the 1980s, except here the killer stalking its prey is a giant black bear jonesing for her next high. And what’s a slasher movie without the prey? The film introduces several intersecting storylines and well-fleshed out characters. As the movie opens, we first meet engaged foreign couple Olaf (Kristofer Hivju, Game of Thrones) and Elsa (Hannah Hoekstra, Charlie’s Angels), who are out on a lover’s hike, discussing their upcoming nuptials when they encounter the bear. There’s also single mother/nurse Sari (Keri Russell, The Americans), who’s looking for her 13-year-old daughter Dee Dee (Brooklynn Prince, Home Before Dark) and her friend Henry (Christian Convery, Sweet Tooth), who ditched school to paint some rocks near the waterfall. There’s also Park Ranger Liz (Margo Martindale, The Americans) who’s excited for a visit from wildlife inspection representative Peter (Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family). She grows increasingly upset as Sari becomes a third wheel on what looked like her long-awaited chance at romance. Stupid missing kids!

Meanwhile, the drugs that were air-dropped into the forest belonged to mobster Syd White (Ray Liotta), and he wants them back before the Colombians he answers to realize they are missing. So he sends his son Eddie (Alden Ehrenreich, Solo) and drug dealer Daveed (O’Shea Jackson Jr., Straight Outta Compton) to the park to retrieve them. However, Eddie is distracted and in mourning and is having trouble getting motived. Also causing some issues for the duo are a trio of bumbling young hooligans—Stache (Aaron Holliday, Sharp Objects), Vest (J.B. Moore, Young Wallander), and Ponytail (Leo Hanna, Wolf)—who had plans to steal the drugs for themselves. Also on the lookout for the drugs is cop Det. Bob Springs (Isiah Whitlock Jr., Your Honor) and his rookie partner Officer Reba Mitchell (Ayoola Smart, Smother). Bob has been after Syd White for a long time, and is determined to finally get his man—he doesn’t care if the bust is out of his jurisdiction. And finally, there’s paramedics Beth (Kahyun Kim) and Tom (Scott Seiss), who quickly realize they are in over their heads.

The film is fast-paced and action-packed, finding the perfect blend between the horror and the humor. Things will be tense and nail-biting one second as characters try to avoid being eaten by the cocaine-fueled bear, and then have you laughing out loud seconds later. The kills are graphic and bloody, but in an over-the-top humorous way. So many of these characters are terrible people that you find yourself secretly hoping they are next to meet their gruesome demise. Though the bear can’t be blamed for all the carnage—sometimes that is just due to the complete ineptitude and stupidity of the characters. Despite its ridiculous name, Cocaine Bear is not some kind of Sharknado type B-movie—it is a solidly entertaining, quality film that can be watched over and over again. The cast is amazing, with so many great actors, all of whom fully understand and embrace the ridiculous tone of a film called “Cocaine Bear”. I wouldn’t normally think of Margo Martindale as a comedic actor, but she kills it, especially opposite a nearly-unrecognizable and ridiculously over-the-top Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Each of the characters feels fully fleshed out, and with their own backstory and odd quirks. Inbetween deaths, there’s some hilarious banter between these various pairings of characters. Even the kids are hilarious, especially the young actor playing Henry, as he tries to convince Dee Dee that he and his friends “do cocaine” all the time at school.

While the bear in the film is CGI, it still feels quite real and menacing. Underneath the CGI is a live performance by an actor in a bear suit, which makes the bear’s interactions with the other characters feel much more natural and realistic.

Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds amazing. The video is pristine, with a clean and clear picture that provides an excellent level of detail throughout. Colors look excellent, from the bright red blood to the green of the forest. The bear always looks natural and realistic and blends in perfectly with the scenes. As for the audio track, dialogue remains clear throughout, and the film’s 80s soundtrack sounds wonderful. The track also provides a really immersive viewing experience. This is especially noticeable as the bear’s roars reverberate across the room, or when the bear is attacking the visitor center and creaking can be heard overhead, or as the slow beating of a heart from the back of the room helps increase the tension.

The Blu-ray and DVD discs comes packed in either side of a standard HD keepcase, along with an embossed carboard slipcover, and an insert containing a code to redeem an HD MA digital copy of the film on one side and a Universal Rewards code on the other. The discs also contain over 20 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast and crew, a director/producer audio commentary, an alternate ending, three deleted/extended scenes and a gag reel.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:35:29)

1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish 7.1 DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, French 5.1 DTS Digital Surround
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

DVD:

480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital (code may not be valid after 6/30/2024):

HD Digital Copy (Movies Anywhere compatible)
Universal All-Access Rewards Code (Offer may not be valid after 6/30/2024)
Code can be redeemed for points towards a free digital movie via the Universal All-Access Rewards program. The selection of about a dozen digital titles usually changes around the first of every month.

Extras:
Play All, or select from:

Alternate Ending (:48)
Ranger Liz looks longingly at Peter’s bloody ID, cocking her shotgun and vowing to get revenge.
Gag Reel (1:54)
Fun with the cast as they curse, flub/forget lines, ad-lib, and have fun on set.
Deleted & Extended Scenes (4:33)
Collection of three scenes play back-to-back.
- At the hospital, Sari removes a vacuum hose from a patient’s bottom as paramedics Beth & Tom watch and giggle.
- Sari calls out for the kids while Ranger Liz & Peter are distracted with their flirting.
- Sari distracts a frightened Henry so that he can cross the river.
All Roads Lead to Cokey: The Making of Cocaine Bear (9:14)
The cast and filmmakers discuss the movie’s insane premise, the real events the film is based upon, working with director Elizabeth Banks, the amazing cast, casting the kids, working with the stunt performer playing Cokey the bear, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/producer Elizabeth Banks, visual effects supervisor Robin Hollander, bear performer Allan Henry, visual effects producer Petra Holtorf-Stratton, producers Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, and stars Matthew Rhys (“Andrew Thornton”), O’Shea Jackson, Jr. (“Daveed”), Isiah Whitlock, Jr. (“Bob”), Margo Martindale (“Ranger Liz”), Alden Ehrenreich (“Eddie”), Christian Convery (“Henry”), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (“Peter”), Aaron Holliday (“Kid (Stache)”), Keri Russell (“Sari”), Kristofer Hivju (“Olaf (Kristoffer)”) & Brooklynn Prince (“Dee Dee”).
Unbearable Bloodbath: Dissecting the Kills (8:16)
The cast and filmmakers talk about filming some of the movie’s more gory scenes, including the tree death, the visitor center attack, and the ambulance sequence. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/producer Elizabeth Banks, special effects floor supervisor Brian ‘Joker’ Mulvey, makeup designer Liz Byrne, 2nd unit director/stunt coordinator Melissa Stubbs, and stars Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Margo Martindale, Keri Russell, Scott Seiss (“Tom”) & Leo Hanna (“Ponytail”).
Doing Lines (4:00)
The cast and filmmakers read the script dialogue and directions from their scenes. Participants include stars Kristofer Hivju, Brooklynn Prince, Christian Convery, O’Shea Jackson, Jr., J.B. Moore (“Vest”), Leo Hanna, Alden Ehrenreich, Aaron Holliday & Isiah Whitlock, Jr., producers Max Handelman, Brian Duffield & Aditya Sood, and director/producer Elizabeth Banks.
Feature Commentary with Director/Producer Elizabeth Banks and Producer Max Handelman (1:35:29)
Director Elizabeth Banks and producer Max Handelman provide a fun and informative commentary throughout the film. They discuss casting the characters and working with the actors, the evolution of the script and film, the filming locations, reenacting the Andrew Thornton crime scene from photos, the music, lighting cues, and more. They also talk about the challenges of getting clearance for certain songs, news reports and commercials. They point out lots of Easter eggs, and mention some scenes that were filmed and changed/cut including Henry doing a Scarface impression (I would have loved to have seen that). They also talk about some of the challenges of filming in Ireland such as finding house exteriors and era-appropriate vehicles that also have the steering wheel on the correct side.

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Highly Recommended

Cocaine Bear is an entertaining homage to the slasher films of the 1980s, with lots of humor thrown in. It works both as a comedy and as a horror movie. It features an amazing cast playing wacky but fully realized characters that you’ll find yourself caring about, but also some you can’t wait to see get killed. The Blu-ray features excellent picture and sound. It comes highly recommended for any fan of the horror/comedy genre, or of this cast in general. I loved this film when I first saw it in the theater, and enjoyed it just as much the second time around on this Blu-ray release. For those still on the fence, the film is currently available to stream on Peacock. Once you get the taste, you’ll be addicted and want to add this to your home video library!