Savages – Lynn Venhaus (Belleville News-Democrat)
What It’s About: A nasty drug turf war basically between the American dream and an amoral and corrupt Mexican cartel, “Savages” escalates into a ferocious take-no-prisoners thriller by Oliver Stone, based on Don Winslow’s 2010 best-selling crime novel.
Two hotshot dudes grow the best marijuana around — Chon (Taylor Kitsch), a quick-trigger ex-Navy SEAL who is the muscle, and Ben (Aaron Johnson), a Buddhist botanist who uses his wealth for philanthropy, is the brains. The best buds are living the good life near the ocean and share the love of a blond beach babe, Ophelia, aka O (Blake Lively).
That is until the...
“Savages” – Kevin Brackett (Review St. Louis)
Oliver Stone returns to his roots, with subject matter somewhat reminiscent of Scarface and Natural Born Killers. But Savages is unique enough to stand on its own, not fitting perfectly into one genre or the other. And that is what makes this vivid, beautifully filmed tale of two naive California drug lords who take on a drug cartel so great.
Peace-loving Ben (Aaron Johnson) and ex-soldier Chon (Taylor Kitsch) are two young entrepreneurs who have cornered the marijuana market in Laguna Beach. The two of them are completely different, but share one thing in common – a woman. O (Blake Lively) loves both of her men equally, and they love...
Savages-Reelworld (Kent Tentschert/Carol Hemphill)
The Plot:
Chon (Taylor Kitsch) and Ben (Aaron Johnson) have been friends forever. When they decide to grow pot, Ben uses his business and botanical acumen to grow the best pot in the world, while Chon enforces their business with his skills learned as a Navy SEAL.
When the Mexican Baja cartel kidnaps their shared girlfriend Ophelia (Blake Lively), Ben and Chon are forced to join their cartel and give up their growing methods and distribution network.
Refusing to roll over, the two decide to fight for their love and their business, creating an inevitable showdown that will test their commitments.
Kent’s Take:
“Savages” refers to several... Bookmark Us
