SAVAGES

     TAYLOR KITSCH  AARON JOHNSON  BLAKE LIVELY  BENICIO DEL TORO  SALMA
     HAYAK  JOHN TRAVOLTA

THIS MOVIE TELLS THE STORY OF BEN AND CHON (JOHNSON AND KITSCH) AND THEIR GIRLFRIEND O (LIVELY) WHEN A MEXICAN DRUG CARTEL RUN BY ELENA (HAYAK) AND HER ENFORCER LADO (DEL TORO) TRY TO TAKE OVER BEN AND CHON'S MARIJUANA BUSINESS.  ALSO INVOLVED IS DENNIS (TRAVOLTA) A CORRUPT DEA AGENT.
AS THE MOVIE STARTS, BEN, CHON AND O ARE ON TOP OF THE WORLD.  THEIR BUSINESS IS DOING GREAT, MAKING THEM TONS OF MONEY AND ALLOWING THEM TO LIVE AS THEY WANT.  BUT THEN THE MEXICANS BEGIN TO MOVE IN, AND WHEN BEN AND CHON REJECT THE CARTEL'S OFFER, LADO KIDNAPS O AS A BARGAINING TOOL TO FORCE THE BOYS INTO ACCEPTING THE OFFER.  BEN AND CHON HAVE THEIR OWN PLANS: MAINLY TO GET O BACK, GET OUT OF THE DRUG TRADE AND GO LIVE SOMEWHERE FAR AWAY WHERE IT IS WARM.
AFTER O IS TAKEN, THE REST OF THE MOVIE IS ABOUT WHAT BEN AND CHON TRY TO DO TO GET HER BACK.  THEY TRY MANY DIFFERENT THINGS, USUALLY WITH HELP FROM DENNIS BY PROVIDING INFORMATION.  
THIS IS AN OLIVER STONE MOVIE, AND SO YOU WOULD EXPECT IT TO BE POLITICAL AND CONTROVERSIAL.  IT HAS NEITHER OF THOSE.  IN FACT, IT IS JUST PRETTY MUCH A RUN OF THE MILL DRAMA ABOUT THE DRUG TRADE THAT ANYONE COULD HAVE DONE. 
AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, IT IS VIOLENT AND SOME SCENES ARE DISTURBING, HOWEVER I HAVE A FEELING THAT IN REAL LIFE THE VIOLENCE IS MUCH MORE HORRIFIC AND SHOCKING.
I FOUND THE ACTING TO BE GOOD.  ALL THE MAIN CHARACTERS DO A GOOD JOB, BUT I REALLY LIKED DEL TORO'S LADO: VERY LAID BACK BUT ABLE TO KILL OR TORTURE WITHOUT A CONSCIENCE.  I ALSO LIKED THE ARC OF JOHNSON'S BEN: HE STARTS OFF AS A PEACE LOVING GUY NOT WANTING TO HURT ANYONE, BUT BY THE END HAS BECOME ONE OF THE SAVAGES, SIMPLY BECAUSE OF WHAT HE HAS TO DO TO SURVIVE. 
FINALLY, MY ONLY REAL DISLIKE IS THAT O NARRATES THROUGHOUT THE MOVIE.  I REALLY DISLIKE NARRATION SINCE IT ONLY TAKES AWAY FROM THE STORY.  I THINK IT IS MUCH BETTER TO JUST LET THE STORY UNFOLD BY ITSELF.  A GOOD DRAMA THAT I CAN RECOMMEND.
RATING  3 out of 5