Cocaine Bear
★★
It's a shame that Cocaine Bear is ultimately a downer because I think it had the potential to be an entertaining movie. I liked the '80s vibe and look that director Elizabeth Banks brings to this bizarre story, but ultimately the script has no idea what to do with its characters. Everyone in this world solely exists so they can ultimately face the Cocaine Bear in some form or fashion. It's been a while since I've seen a movie have such an array of talent, but then has no qualms about literally torturing them. I never really hated the "bad" guys, nor did I really root for the "good" guys. Even the little boy, Henry, is supposed to provide comedic relief, yet he is the only one that I was hoping the bear would devour. The movie never knows whether to totally be funny or horrific. It tries to serve both genres without fully committing to either one, and that becomes its ultimate downfall. There are no winners or losers in this film, and it's hard to get behind any story that fails to recognize that.
P.S. It's really sad that this is one of Ray Liotta's last films. The last shot of him is completely undeserving of his talent.
