The ending of "Savages" nearly sinks the whole movie, but otherwise it’s a pretty intense film that’s, well I wouldn’t say enjoyable considering the story, but good is a decent description. What works is the fact that the movie knows it's about an ugly subject so it doesn't hold back. The story is basically about three friends (Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively and Aaron Johnson) who end up getting in way over their head when they are approached by the Mexican drug cartel. What I liked about the movie is that it's unrelenting in its violence, with brutal scenes of torture and intense, gruesome deaths. There's genuine tension and you are afraid of the Mexican drug cartel when you see to what lengths they will go to in order to intimidate and coerce people into complying with them. It also has a refreshing and honest depiction of the unique relationship between the main characters stuck with me and even though they’re drug dealers, I did find that I cared for them. The... unusual relationship that our protagonists have might turn some people off completely from the movie, but you have to applaud it for trying something different and sticking with its bold decisions all the way. Where the movie really doesn't work is the ending, which feels like a studio-mandated conclusion to please squeamish audiences. It's a complete betrayal to the themes and previously seen violence of the film and belongs in an entirely different story. To make it worse, it comes right after a point where the story could (and should) have clearly ended. This is not a Hollywood fairy tale about stoners who get into trouble or wacky hijinks. It's extremely violent and even the toughest audience members may have to look away at some of the more intense scenes but a last-minute addition really undermines the rest of the movie. If you can handle "Savages", you'll be (mostly) happy with the way it plays out. (Theatrical Cut on the big screen, September 4, 2012)
There is a problem with your e-mail address and we are unable to communicate with you. Please go to My Account to update your email.
Please choose a username to sign your comments. Only letters, digits, dash - or period. Minimum 4 characters.
Your age and sex:
We publish all comments, except abusive, at our discretion.