"Savages" needs refinement

Published July 6, 2012

I won't lie: I had really high hopes for "Savages." Oliver Stone's latest directorial work looked like it had the potential to be every bit the tense, visceral crime thriller I and the summer movie season were yearning for after wading through a sea of reboots, adaptations and tired sequels. Sadly, our collective hopes were dashed on the rocks with this deceptively promising venture.