Salt

When Bruce Willis makes crash landings in the original "Die Hard" movie, at least he winces in pain and it takes him a few moments to regain composure. In "Salt", when Angelina Jolie jumps consecutively onto six moving trucks on the freeway, she's flying right up and instantly running at Olympic record pace, sort of like the original Terminator except sporting lipstick. Throughout the movie, she decks secret service agents faster than they can graduate out of combat training if she's not pushing out of moving vehicles going 70 mph while wearing handcuffs, although the officers forgot to put the cuffs on behind her. They put them on in front of her leaving her with a slight chance to get away. I guess the point of this movie: don't try this at home.

The essential plot I think is quite compelling, and I don't want to give too much away but only to say that nothing is at it seems until the very end. But I think I would have liked more of the mystery behind the story than all the long action sequences which I felt undermined a potentially complex idea. These days in filmmaking, it seems that the longer action sequences displace story development. There are flashbacks to a greater story but a lot of it was more confusing than insightful.

After a brief prelude in which Jolie is interrogated and tortured by North Korean military agents, the movie begins, presumably about a year later, with a Russian requesting asylum with the United States via the CIA. Agent Evelyn Salt (Jolie) interrogates the defector who tells a strange story about how the Russians infiltrate the United States with moles programmed and brainwashed during childhood. Only seconds after the interview is over, the defector is killing CIA agents and escaping the headquarters. And so is Salt. In fact, the agency is more determined to get Salt than the defector, which is one of the many little glaring plot problems that occur during this movie. The non-stop action begins here, fueled by several plots and subplots.

I think Salt is a decent film but not a great one. At least what it does successfully is keep you guessing. You're not sure what Salt is doing, where she's going, or even whose side she's on which keeps you at the edge of your seat. By movies end, I still had a lot of unanswered questions that were not explained through the action sequences. I also realized at one point, Jolie doesn't say much after the initial interview until the very end. It's hard not to like Jolie but I think she should have requested a bit of a better script with a little bit less chasing, gunning and blowing things up. Jolie can also act, not just chase.

Was it realistic? No. Did all the dots get connected? Not all. Was it fun to watch? Yes. Was it predictable? Not entirely. Lots of twists & turns. If you don't mind people sliding down a banister with six-shooters out shooting 5 hit men with Uzi's, then you'll probably like it. (This didn't really happen, and I don't really know guns but you get the message.) I thought I had it all figured out but I was oh so wrong. I would like to see it again, knowing what I know now. There wasn't a lot of cursing and relatively little blood & guts considering this type of movie. I must say, sitting next to some women who liked shouting at the screen and throwing their own punches heightened the excitement for the audience.

I found this thriller to be enjoyable. Lots of action - some of it pretty unbelievable - and some twists in the story. Very well acted on all parts. I really like Jolie much more in these action movies than the dramas she does.

While I was expecting a little more sophistication in the plot department I realized that such a thing couldn't happen when US versus Russia is at play. (To my knowledge the Cold War is over and the spy business has become more complicated than ever. This oversimplification of old enemies and their wars is too much.) The plot is all over the place and realism is thrown out of the door. There are too many things happening in the movie that are too convenient and even impossible. Still it didn't keep me from enjoying this movie. It even managed to thrill me at occasions even if I was aware that most of the plot was nonsense. Jolie does an excellent job as the action heroine. The action is that makes this movie tick and that is almost the only thing that should count in a movie like this.Ignore the bashing and trashing of Jolie. This is pure entertainment!

When Angelina Jolie makes her appearance on screen, chances are most people are interested in seeing in nothing but her kicking some major ass. And for those who relished in a good time of shoving popcorn in their mouth while watching her go gun-blazing in the action thriller 'Wanted' back in 2008, this one makes a sound, if slightly lesser option. This spy action thriller, helmed from director Phillip Noyce who brought his work to the screen with two Jack Ryan adaptations 'Patriot Games' and 'Clear and Present Danger', is just another one of your average trips to the land of Angelina Jolie wielding her action skills against the baddies as she fights her way through the sporadic blemishes in the script written by Kurt Wimmer. Unlike 'Wanted', this flick proceeds with a slightly more political agenda at hand, primarily the corruption uprooted from Russia since the beginning of their fallout with the United States during the Cold War. This film focuses on Evelyn Salt (played by Angelina Jolie), a CIA operative who is a living a peaceful life with her German boyfriend Michael Krause (played by August Diehl) and being held as one of the most respectable agents at her job. Her life comes crashing down when she is accused by a captured Russian agent Orlov (played by Daniel Olbrychski) of being a Russian sleeper agent with a plan to assassinate the President of the United States. With the law enforcement along with Agent Peabody (played by Chiwetel Eijiofor) pursuing her and her boss Ted Winter (played by Liev Schieber) the only one who fully trusts her, Salt must set out on a mission to clear her name.

For a movie set on exhibiting Jolie in her frenetic ass-kicking mode, this one delivers for the most part. Watching the actress step into action with a frenetic gun-blazing, bone-crunching convulsion makes the tasty icing on the cake most action junkies crave for. But those who make the decision of taking the ride seriously fall victim to witnessing the flaws in the film's attempt at establishing a solid political complex. Adding substance to the plot is a political theme involving international corruption and relations between the U.S and Russia which ties knowledge the historical threats of the Soviet Union during the Cold War back in the 50s. It also makes the unfortunate feat of occasionally convoluting the plot, especially when throwing in a few twists and turns that will take audiences by surprise or leave them scratching their heads. Regardless, anyone willing to escape these blemishes are in for a nice treat, and that witnessing Angelina Jolie shoot, punch, and kick were way through the story in a sleek James Bond-style. Tension is kept high and the action falls nothing short of beauty, especially when adding explosions, car crashes, and vehicles slipping to the equation. For what the movie offers, it does enough to meet the appetite of cinema-goers hungry for a blend of sleek action thrills with brainy political subtext to go in the mix.

Salt is an entertaining ride, if somewhat forgettable in terms of cinematic action mayhem. For those craving a sweet kick of action, this makes a fresh choice, though it nothing that reaches the peak of its genre. All that can be said is that fun and thrills is the best thing this movie delivers if nothing more.