Four years since her last directorial outing ‘Charlie’s Angels,’ Elizabeth Banks is back with ‘Cocaine Bear.’ Yes, it’s exactly what it says. There’s no hint of false advertising. Elizabeth Banks has made the bold choice of making an R-rated comedy where a drug-fuelled bear goes on a killing rampage.
A real-life event inspired the Elizabeth Banks-directed movie. Yes, a 175-pound black bear did ingest many duffel bags filled with cocaine. But the real legend of Cocaine Bear differs from what the film presents as its version of events. Find out where the facts differ between the real and fiction.
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‘Cocaine Bear’ Plot
The focal point of Elizabeth Banks’ comedy is officer Andrew C. Thornton II (Matthew Rhys) disposing of massive amounts of cocaine. In an attempt to evade his capture, he falls to his death. But the wheels of another tragedy are already in motion as the drugs are already out there. We are swiftly introduced to the characters about to get their wires crossed. There are police officials, civilians, hitchhikers, and drug runners that fall prey to the wrath of the Cocaine Bear.
Sari (Kerry Russell) searches for her Dee Dee (Brooklyn Prince) and her friend Henry (Christian Convery). There’s also the drug kingpin Syd (Ray Liotta), who sends out his fixer Daveed (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) and his depressed son Eddie (Alden Ehrenreich) to recover as much stash as possible to cut their losses.
We also have an out-of-depth forest ranger, Liz (Margo Martindale), and Peter (Jessie Tyler Ferguson), trying to keep the forest safe. To add to this mix, we have Bob (Isiah Whitlock Jr.), an out-of-town cop, trying to arrest Syd and his cronies. All these characters soon find themselves entangled with the apex predator. It’s a she and not a he, as Eddie learns the hard way.
‘Cocaine Bear‘ delivers a successfully zany comedy with plenty of shock and awe moments that will leave you stunned. Gory and glorious and a sneaky anti-drug commentary, ‘Cocaine Bear‘ goes for broke in its quest to horrify and entertain.
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The Real Story Of What Happened To The Cocaine Bear
This bizarre event partly inspires Elizabeth Banks’ movie. It takes many creative liberties, including the introduction of two mid-credits scenes. Hence it’s crucial to remember how it differs from what happened. First, none of the people we encounter here exist but one. Andrew C. Thornton II, played by Matthew Rhys, was a narcotics officer turned drug runner. With authorities after him, he had no option but to throw duffel bags of cocaine in the wilderness of Tennessee, United States.
In real life, the bear (called Pablo Escobear) didn’t go on a murderous rampage post-drug consumption. The bear, a he is real life, didn’t get his grubby little paws on any unsuspecting victims. It’s believed that the bear ingested 35 pounds (then valued at $15 million) of cocaine and was found dead in Georgia’s Chattahoochee National Forest in 1985.
After the bear’s untimely demise, it was stuffed and sold to a local nature exhibit, according to Roadside America. It went through several exchanges, ultimately ending up at Kentucky Fun Mall in Lexington.
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