Randomly decided to go see “Savages” over the weekend. I watched the trailer online just as I left, so I basically knew nothing but the general premise walking into the theater: two surfer guys that sell weed (Aaron Johnson, Taylor Kitsch) come into conflict with a larger Cartel that wants to buy out their business. The Cartel (ran by Selma Hayek and Benicio del Toro) kidnaps the dudes’ shared girlfriend (Blake Lively) and things get ugly. You read that correctly: shared girlfriend. John Travolta plays a DEA agent and stuffs his face in every scene he’s in.
The film boasts a great cast, obviously, and is helmed by a solid director: Oliver Stone, yet the movie was somewhat rote and predictable. The plot beats are feel very familiar within the thriller subcategory “young people enter a seedy world they don’t fully understand.” There is a random smattering of startling violence and brutality that provided some accidental humor by allowing me to watch the row of college girls in front of me cover their eyes at each increasingly gory torture scene. The movie is called “Savages” and it’s about drug wars. I thought it was a no-brainer.
Torture scenes: proudly brought to you by this guy
Aaron Johnson does a fine job inhabiting the benevolent hippie role, but the film is punctuated with odd and cinematography and strange plot twists. It was a fun time at the movies, but the light plot seemed stretched a bit too thin. It’s a solid enough film destined to be replayed on Saturday afternoons with all the swears and blood taken out. I’d say RedBox it in a couple months.
Have you seen “Savages?” What did you think?
Thoughts on Reserve 