It's the Easter holiday and I thought to spice things up a little and find something different to watch. I scrolled through Netflix and found this cutie just released today! It's a fantasy adventure and that was more than enough to get my attention (oi, not at all different from the genres I watch).
Chupa (2023) is an American fantasy adventure film that touches on the Latin American urban legend of the fearsome creature, the Chupacabra. This film begins with a night scene where some American scientists find a baby chupacabra inside a cave-like structure. They want to take it when the mother appears from nowhere, growls at them, swoops in, picks her baby and flies away. The men pursue it, injuring it on one of its feathers.
*[Source: YouTube](https://youtu.be/ViKnrHjzgn4)*As the mother runs with her baby, it's accidentally hit by a Beetle car. Seeing the men approaching, it hides the baby behind a rock and distracts the men so that they pursue it. The baby climbs on top of a small rock and howls into the night, mourning its separation from the mother.
Next, viewers are introduced to Alex, a boy who has trouble embracing his Spanish heritage because he lost his father at a tender age. He rejects Mexican cuisine and refuses to learn Spanish. His mother encourages him to spend spring break with his abuelo (grandfather) and cousins in Mexico.
Spring break turns out to be an enlightening holiday where he finds the baby chupacabra, contrary to the belief that they are a legend. They become friends and he names it Chupa. But Alex's compassion and survival instinct is tested as the American scientists led by Richard Quinn (played by Christian Slater) try to capture Chupa. Will the scientists succeed?
Review
It is popularly known that the chupacabra is a fearsome, blood-sucking mythical creature of Latin American folklore that sucks the blood of goats to survive and so viewers would expect that this film would be scary with some gore. Sorry to disappoint, it's not. Chupa is rated PG meaning children can watch and as such, it's not a horror kind of flick but a sweet and heartwarming film directed by Jonás Cuarón.
The plot is good enough to hold viewers' attention for one hour and thirty-something minutes but not that great. Jonás Cuarón explores the idea of the 1970s report that the mythical creature was sighted in Puerto Rico but no concrete evidence was found.
He presents the baby chupacabra, "Chupa" as an adorable animal that children and adults alike would have no choice but to fall in love with. Basically, he transforms a legendary animal that is commonly viewed as a threat into a beloved and idealised companion or friend.
In a way, this film encourages the care of animals whether real, endangered or mythical and disabuses cruelty to animals. This is further displayed in a scene where Alex is asked to choose one of the goats for dinner, he expresses shock at the request and his grandfather reveals that one of his cousins is a vegetarian.
I like how the theme of family and love is portrayed in this film. Also, the Spanish culture is ingrained into every part of the film such as the music, cuisine and fighting skills and games. This teaches viewers, especially children to be proud of their heritage even when they are in another city or country.
The part I fault in the film is the antagonists' performance. Richard Quinn is not menacing enough for a character who receives threats from the people who commission him because "they don't do too well with disappointments." He appears more like a caricature of a villain but I suppose it's because of the film's audience.
The cast is great and their performances are excellent, especially Alex's grandfather, Chava (played by Demián Bichir). He conveys a cool and super nice grandfather that every child can relate to. But I feel the characters were not given enough time to develop their familial relationship. As soon as Alex arrives in Mexico, he relates with his cousins and environment like he's familiar with them already when he's supposedly a total stranger.
Overall, Chupa is a light-hearted and cute movie that encourages love and family bond. It's one I'll recommend for families to relax and watch together for the Easter holiday.
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Other images are screenshots from the movie
