Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Cocaine Bear Blu-ray Movie Review

It's exactly what you think it is.

Reviewed by Justin Dekker July 8, 2024

'Cocaine Bear' receives the steelbook treatment courtesy of Universal and this Walmart exclusive Blu-ray packaging. Starring Keri Russel and screen legend Ray Liotta in one of his last roles, the film, "based on a true story", delivers the chaotic, hilarious, and gory goods that viewers would expect from a film with this title. A small assortment of light special features are found on the disc, but more importantly, the feature receives an outstanding 1080p transfer and is outfitted with an excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track to bring the on-screen action to life. A DVD and Digital Code redeemable through Movies Anywhere are also included.

For an assessment of the feature film, please read my colleague Martin Liebman's review of Cocaine Bear by following this link. By way of full disclosure, I enjoyed the film a great deal when I first saw it in theaters, and my enthusiasm for it did not diminish when giving it a second viewing on Blu-ray. I would score the film a full point higher than Mr. Liebman (a 3.5 vs a 2.5) but for the sake of consistency I am carrying his score over to this review.

Cocaine Bear Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For a review of the 1080p transfer, please read my colleague Martin Liebman's review of Cocaine Bear by following this link.

Cocaine Bear Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For a discussion of the disc's audio track, please head over to my colleague Martin Liebman's review of Cocaine Bear by following this link.

Cocaine Bear Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Those who are very concerned about fingerprints on steelbooks will be pleased to know that Universal's Cocaine Bear Blu-ray steelbook is graced with a satin finish that will help most normal fingerprints remain invisible. Rendered in a style that harkens back to old flight safety cards from the 1970s and 1980s, the artwork on the front includes our primary heroes, the titular bear, and Ray Liotta's Syd and his gang. The back includes the hiker from the opening moments of the film and part of his significant other, Ranger Liz and Peter, and the bear chasing an ambulance. The spine consists of the film's title in large block letters. Opening the case, the left side recreates something that resembles a school's absentee or tardy slip, while under the discs on the right side, located under the title of "Helpful Information" is a partial listing of the film's credits. Artistically, it feels "of the era" and is definitely fitting for the film, even if it isn't as outlandish and over the top as the film itself.

For an enumeration of this release's on-disc special features, please check out Martin Liebman's review of Cocaine Bear by following this link.

Cocaine Bear Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Cocaine Bear isn't for everyone, with those I've spoken to about the film either steadfastly loving or hating it. There doesn't really seem to be any middle ground. Those who love the film will surely want to add this steelbook to their collection. As good as the Blu-ray transfer looks, it's a mystery why the even better 4k UHD disc wasn't included here, but perhaps that will get rectified in the future. For fans, the Walmart exclusive Cocaine Bear Blu-ray steelbook comes recommended.