Movies
Based on true events. It's not a lie, but Cocaine Bear is a very straightforward horror/comedy that makes no attempt at being realistic in any common sense of the word. It takes a weird event and makes it even more absurd, and that's what makes it fun. It could've been funnier though. A bag full of cocaine lands in a forest, where it sits until a bear runs across it. The bear makes a great meal out of it and becomes addicted, if not violently mad. The people who just happen to be in the neighborhood are in for the fright of their life when they cross the bear, who is looking for his next hit. The characters are pretty over-the-top, everything is played for laughs and the pacing makes sure that whatever joke doesn't hit doesn't linger too long. The weirdest thing though is that the film isn't quite as crazy as it sounds, and the second half felt a bit more pedestrian because of that. Still, good fun, as long as you don't expect the world from it.Read all
Movie 43
More of the same but with slightly higher stakes. Banks took on the role of director for this sequel, not that I really noticed. This is rather generic Hollywood stuff, no matter how you look at it. It's not worse than the first film, but since that wasn't all that good to begin with, it's pretty low praise. The Bellas humiliate themselves in front of the president, after which they are disbanded by the school direction. They come up with an ultimatum: if they win the world championship, they can keep their little group going. The competition is steep, but the Bellas won't let that deter them. The song and dance routines are pretty blah and unimpressive, what half-saves the film are some comedic interludes (especially the commentary by Banks and Higgins). It's not a lot, but it at least it's better than nothing. It's not a great series (and not that I expected it to be), but it's not a complete disaster either.Read all