“Vicious Bear”
artists: Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, Ray Liotta, Margo Martindale
Punctuation: 2
What unfolds when a bear ingests a staggering amount of cocaine remains a grim rumor turned spectacle in the film. The real historical anecdote—that a northern bear died after inhaling an implausibly large dose tossed from drug traffickers’ aircraft—serves as a grim spark for a chaotic, irreverent parody. Across the entire 95-minute runtime, the story follows a cascading wave of marchers, lawmen, mobsters, and bystanders who collide with a monstrous appetite for more powder and more adrenaline. The movie treats blood as a punchline and action as a drug, treating the carnage as if it were a festival of explosions rather than a meditation on consequences. The tonal shift never fully lands with the audience, and the film leans more into shock value than into a coherent, meaningful experience. The result is a reckless fever dream that promises laughter but often delivers confusion and discomfort. [Attribution: Film review]
One of the film’s most glaring flaws is its decision to prioritize a gallery of exaggerated supporting players over a genuinely driven central figure. The protagonist, who might anchor the absurdity with a clear throughline, becomes almost a ghost in the narrative as the camera fixates on a parade of one-note characters performing cartoonish routines. This creates a distance between the audience and what could have been a compelling emotional core. Elizabeth Banks, stepping behind the camera, is notably restrained by the storytelling choices on screen. When the action shifts in front of the lens, the same restraint translates into a lack of impact, leaving key moments underpowered and underexplored. The movie, in effect, loses sight of its own premise and the potential to explore loyalty, responsibility, and the messy bonds of friendship through a sharper, more measured lens. [Attribution: Film review]
What it does offer, however, is a relentless kinetic energy. The jokes arrive with wild abandon, the pacing pushes forward with a marching-band zeal, and the director toys with genre expectations in ways that feel rebellious and impulsive. Yet this energy outpaces the narrative coherence and thematic depth that would make the film genuinely memorable. The screenplay occasionally lands a punchy beat or a gleefully outrageous visual gag, but for every bold moment there is a flat delivery or a gag that misses its mark. The seamless blend of horror and comedy that might have defined a sharper tonal voice never fully crystallizes, leaving a scattershot impression rather than a lasting one. [Attribution: Film review]
The ensemble is filled with recognizable faces, and the performances carry an aspect of fearless conviction. Yet the effect is mixed. Some actors ride the heightened material with a knowing smile, while others feel miscast or misused, their charisma bouncing off the film’s uneven energy rather than driving it forward. The cast undoubtedly brings a certain texture to the screen, and their presence hints at the potential for a more compelling synthesis of character and chaos. The result is a film that entertains in bursts but struggles to sustain a meaningful rhythm across its runtime. The core question it leaves audiences with is whether spectacle can compensate for a shortage of a clear, committed perspective on its outrageous premise. [Attribution: Film review]
In the end, Vicious Bear is a movie that dares to swing for the fences with a premise that could have become a cult oddity. Instead, it lands somewhere between an offbeat satire and a loud, irreverent noise machine. It leans into a manic energy that can feel infectious in small doses but too quickly devolves into a frenetic, sometimes incoherent tempo that never fully justifies its own excess. Viewers looking for a tight narrative, a defined thematic line, or a deeply human core may come away disappointed. Those who relish unbridled energy, audacious tonal gambles, and a willingness to embrace chaos for chaos’s sake might find a certain thrill in the film’s rougher, less polished corners. Either way, the film makes its presence felt and leaves a distinct, if imperfect, imprint on the summer landscape. [Attribution: Film review]