Director Oliver Stone hasn’t made a badass movie for years. His sequel to “Wall Street” a couple of year ago was solid but lacked electricity. I’m not talking the kind of electricity he used to churn out when he was tripping balls filming movies like “Natural Born Killers” either. It just seems that his recent movies have been a little…generic. Thankfully, “Savages” proves that the director may still have a few tricks up his sleeve.
In “Savages”, Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Johnson play Chon and Ben respectively. Chon is ex-military, kind of a bad ass. Ben is a hippie, wanna save the world type dude. Together they are best bros and drug dealers growing and selling the best kind buds. They’re also in love with an hooking up with the same girl, O, played by Blake Lively. When some Mexican drug cartel wants in on the good pot, the boys balk and as a result O gets kidnapped. Ben and Chon go on a warpath of revenge trying to get O back alive from the cartel, which is run by Salma Hayek and her goon Benicio Del Toro.
I can’t believe I’m going to say this but Kitsch is actually pretty good in this movie. After “Battleship”, I was concerned about his acting ability but he seemed much more comfortable in a brutal action flick. Johnson (“Kickass”) is good too as the timid partner of the duo. Lively however…well, she’s hot. That’s about all she has going for her in this movie. She doesn’t have to act much other than to be scared, cry, etc. The good news is that everyone else around them is good enough that it makes up for her lack of acting. Then again, she’s just supposed to look cute and play the victim.
Oliver Stone brings it in this flick. The movie is all out brutal and edgy. Even John Travolta is good as the snake in the grass FBI agent playing both sides. The movie will keep you guessing right up until the end. Unfortunately that’s where it gets a little sketchy. As much as I enjoyed it, your enjoyment may hinge on how you react to the ending.
“Savages” is an wild and entertaining flick about how people will act in the face of fear. It’s a testament as to what separates a civilized person from a true savage. We all have a line we have to face. It’s whether or not we are willing to cross that line to protect those we love or get what we want that determines if we are a savage or not.
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