I almost gave up watching Chupa because it has such a weak start. While the movie did get better, I still find it difficult to recommend. If you are watching this with your kids, there are worse movies you could be sitting through. Chupa isn’t a bad movie, but it is a little too cheesy and slow for its own good. If you don’t have kids, I wouldn’t bother watching it.
Alex has a hard time dealing with the death of his father. He also has trouble fitting in at school because of his race. Alex is lonely and ashamed of his race. Despite his protests, Alex is sent to Mexico to spend the summer with his grandfather. In Mexico, Alex and his cousins find a chupacabra. Through their adventure together, Chupa will become more than just a monster. He will become a friend.
The story is what you would expect from any other friendly monster kids movie. The plot is predictable, but I did enjoy the Mexican flavor sprinkled throughout. It was nice to hear the familiar dialect, and I enjoyed the luchador backstory. The actors are easily the best part of the movie, and they give the film its charm. The performances may not be award-winning, but it saves this movie from being terrible. It also helps that the chupacabra is adorable.
I liked that this movie tries something different with the genre. Instead of Alex finding a friend and getting the girl, he becomes close to his family. Chupa also attempts to tackle heavy subjects like grief and loneliness, but it doesn’t go deep enough. What hurts the movie is its pacing. It has a very slow buildup and then rushes to the end. It may be fine for a kids’ movie, but it leaves a bit to be desired.
Chupa is an okay kids’ movie. I didn’t hate it, but I wouldn’t have watched it otherwise. It’s a bit too slow at times and boring at others, but it is never bad. Unless you have kids, I wouldn’t bother watching it. If you have kids, you have better options, but it is an option. You can stream it on Netflix, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it.
Image By 26th Street Pictures/Netflix – http://www.impawards.com/2023/chupa.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73289413