Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray, DVD and Digital from director Elizabeth Banks and Universal Pictures Home Entrtainment is the VERY loosely based on the 1985 true story ridiculousness and savagery of the COCAINE BEAR.

After a drug runner throws tons of cocaine, and himself, in red bags out of a plane, it crashes. Investigating the incident is Officer Reba (Ayoola Smart) and Bob (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.) who recognizes the runner.  In the forests of Georgia, scattered about are the bundles of cocaine and a 500-pound bear has found and ingested said white powdery substance.

Skipping school is Henry (Christian Convery) and his friend DeeDee (Brooklynn Prince) much to the dismay of Mom Sari (Keri Russell). Sari turns to Ranger Liz (Margo Martindale) to look in the forest for the kids. The drugs are also wanted by Eddie (Alden Ehrenreich), Daveed (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) and Syd (Ray Liotta).

So, Mom is looking for kids, drug dealers are looking for drugs, the cops are looking for drugs, the ranger just wants a little cuddle time with her crush, the hiker is just sad and it all falls under the category of ‘don’t do drugs!’

With so many people in the forest, its easy for the cocaine laden bear to go on a rampage because he only has one goal – more cocaine and clawing up anyone who gets in its way!

Russell as Sari is a Mom that is not going to let her kid get away with skipping school, even if she’s been kidnapped by a bear. Whitlock, Jr. as Bob the cop is doing his job and a bear isn’t going to stop that – someone else might, but not a bear.

Martindale as Ranger Liz had me cracking up every minute. She’s sassy and a badass all at the same time. Liz might need a few more weapons lessons but hey, stress is a bitch. O’Shea and Ehrenreich as Daveed and Eddie are trying to get their product back for dad Syd. Speaking of Liotta, he has always made an awesome bad guy and in this film he, as always, nails it.

Prince as DeeDee is talked into skipping school until she becomes a babysitter and Convery as Henry is a wise cracking kid who isn’t so wise when they find him up a tree!

Shout out to Allan Henry as Cokey the Bear, awesome job! Also, Kristofer Hivju as Olaf the hiker, dude, if you can take on White Walkers then you can definetly handle a cocaine induced bear.

Other cast includeAaron Holliday as Kid, J.B. Moore as Vest, Leo Hanna as Ponytail, Kahyun Kim as Beth, Scott Seiss as Tom, Hannah Hoekstra as Elsa, Jess Tyler Ferguson as Peter and Matthew Rhys as Andrew Thornton.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

Bonus Features include Alternate Ending, Deleted and Extended Scenes, a Gag Reel, All Roads Lead to Cokey: The Making of COCAINE BEAR, UnBEARable Bloodbath: Dissecting the Kills, Doing Lines, Feature Commentary with Director/Producer Elizabeth Banks and Producer Max Handelman and so much more!

COCAINE BEAR is based on the 1985 story of drug smuggler Andrew C. Thornton II who was dropping cocaine out of his plane. His parachute didn’t open so we all know how that ends. They 175 pound brown bear was found a few months later a bit dead and all that was found was forty plastic containers of cocaine – opened. If you care to see the bear, you can visit his display in the Kentucky Fun Mall in Lexington.

If you are a fan of early 80’s films, then COCAINE BEAR is for you. It has the cheesy music, bad clothes, and slightly off acting with references that the tykes of 2023 might not get right away. Don’t worry, there will be someone in the room to explain it to you. Its hilarious, its bloody, it quirky

You take all of that and put it into the Elizabeth Banks mixer and COCAINE BEAR comes out. A mixture of ‘ewwwww’s’, laughter, jaw drops and righteous 80’s music means that this twisted tale of mayhem is going to be a good time had by all (without the cocaine side effects!) The cast is perfection and their interaction with ‘Cokey’ is hilarious.

So, get a big bucket of popcorn, turns the lights out and stay still when COCAINE BEAR comes on the screen!

In the end – get in line!

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