Savages

ThePainefulTruth

Verum est Deus

Deleted

Peoria, Arizona

#1

Jul 07, 2012 @ 06:43:15

As an off again on again fan of Oliver Stone, I think this is probably his best, including Platoon. Belongs at the pinnacle of the war on drugs genre along with Blow and Traffic. Casting, screenplay, savage

action, dialogue, message and even the very innovative ending are all excellent. Del Toro does the sadistic, if not too bright, enforcer as well as it can be done, and Travolta as the glib, a*****e DEA agent deserves the jerk-of-the-year award. But Salma Hayek delivers the most profound line of the movie when she observes to O about Ben and Chon,

CLICK TO VIEW SPOILER

I'm still rollin' that one around in the old noodle, but right now I'm thinking she's probably right. 9/10

0

Edited: July 07, 2012 @ 06:51

Leon

San Diego, California

#2

Jul 07, 2012 @ 06:47:09

Interesting. I plan on watching it tomorrow and will write my review in here. You forgot to rate it by the way.

0

ThePainefulTruth

Verum est Deus

Deleted

Peoria, Arizona

#3

Jul 07, 2012 @ 06:52:34

@Leon Said

Interesting. I plan on watching it tomorrow and will write my review in here. You forgot to rate it by the way.

I must have heard you thinking that.

0

Leon

San Diego, California

#4

Jul 07, 2012 @ 06:53:36

@ThePainefulTruth Said

I must have heard you thinking that.

Wow, that's quite a rating. Do you like most of Oliver Stone's movies?

0

Leon

San Diego, California

#5

Jul 07, 2012 @ 06:54:12

And how does this compare to Traffic?

0

ThePainefulTruth

Verum est Deus

Deleted

Peoria, Arizona

#6

Jul 07, 2012 @ 07:33:32

@Leon Said

Wow, that's quite a rating. Do you like most of Oliver Stone's movies?

@Leon Said

And how does this compare to Traffic?

Uhhhhhh......

0

Edited: July 07, 2012 @ 07:41

ThePainefulTruth

Verum est Deus

Deleted

Peoria, Arizona

#7

Jul 07, 2012 @ 07:39:57

For the record, I don't like, Alexander, Nixon, W., Natural Born Killers and Born on the 4th of July. JFK is engaging, but then you find out it's all wrong....so, pfft. Everybody knows Johnson did it.

0

Leon

San Diego, California

#8

Jul 07, 2012 @ 07:58:45

@ThePainefulTruth Said

For the record, I don't like, Alexander, Nixon, W., Natural Born Killers and Born on the 4th of July. JFK is engaging, but then you find out it's all wrong....so, pfft. Everybody knows Johnson did it.

What, you didn't include the Doors to that list?

0

ThePainefulTruth

Verum est Deus

Deleted

Peoria, Arizona

#9

Jul 07, 2012 @ 10:39:47

@Leon Said

What, you didn't include the Doors to that list?

Never saw it.

0

offbeat

london, United Kingdom

#10

Jul 07, 2012 @ 11:23:44

@Leon Said

What, you didn't include the Doors to that list?

what i found frustrating about the doors is that every song performed had to feature a f**k up by jim morrison .... i just wanted to have one song that would serve as a worthy tribute .

0

Leon

San Diego, California

#11

Jul 07, 2012 @ 21:22:50

Well this one does hum along with a healthy dose of plot, but really, at the end of the day, doesn't offer anything new and certainly won't get people seeing the war on drugs in a new light. Traffic does a much better job in showing the ins and outs of the drug trade, from all sides and levels. Perhaps this film doesn't attempt that, with no good guys in this one, but there really isn't even anybody for the audience to sympathize with either, given the lack of real character development in this one save perhaps the heroine and Travolta's, although his role is rather redundant as yet another corrupt DEA official.

Good, but I've seen better. 3/5 Stars

0

Edited: July 07, 2012 @ 21:29

ThePainefulTruth

Verum est Deus

Deleted

Peoria, Arizona

#12

Jul 07, 2012 @ 23:08:03

I think Traffic set the stage by declaring the War on Drugs unwinable, but Blow and this expanded on it by showing why: houses with money to the ceiling, and now the cartels moving jacking up the violence and their power. Travolta said it, "we all know they're gonna legalize it sooner or later".

As for character development, that's very difficult to do with any depth in a story with so many characters, and still, they weren't flat. Ben certainly progressed starting off as a near pacifist to doing what he had to do....there. Of the 3 movies, Depp's character was the most developed, but here again, that's not the top priority for any of them, it's the War. Traffic probably did show the mechanics of the drug trade better, but I think this showed the toll it takes better--for all of the characters, and in the implications of the ending for us all.

0

Leon

San Diego, California

#13

Jul 07, 2012 @ 23:11:07

@ThePainefulTruth Said

I think Traffic set the stage by declaring the War on Drugs unwinable, but Blow and this expanded on it by showing why: houses with money to the ceiling, and now the cartels moving jacking up the violence and their power. Travolta said it, "we all know they're gonna legalize it sooner or later".

As for character development, that's very difficult to do with any depth in a story with so many characters, and still, they weren't flat. Ben certainly progressed starting off as a near pacifist to doing what he had to do....there. Of the 3 movies, Depp's character was the most developed, but here again, that's not the top priority for any of them, it's the War. Traffic probably did show the mechanics of the drug trade better, but I think this showed the toll it takes better--for all of the characters, and in the implications of the ending for us all.

Ben's character has been done before too, and better.

0

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