Anyone who saw either of the Tomb Raiders might be inclined to think Angelina Jolie + action movie = awful monstrosity. Salt proves Jolie just needed the right material. She stars as a high-level CIA agent who is told she is a Soviet sleeper agent by a dying Russian man. Confounding her associates and showing a consciousness of guilt, she immediately runs from the CIA. Through a series of twists and turns, the viewer discovers where Evelyn Salt’s loyalties lie.
As a film, Salt is very tightly written. Each scene holds your attention-a true anomaly in this season of terrible action flicks. The movie’s fighting scenes are great-even avid watchers of the genre will not get bored as Jolie expertly Macgyvers her way out of tricky spots.
While it doesn’t feature any witty dialogue or a hit filled soundtrack, Salt does effectively create a gritty reality. Nothing Jolie does seems outright impossible, and there are much fewer plot holes than would be expected. In fact, the opening scene shows Jolie getting beaten as she fails to be superhuman. The surrounding including Live Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor as fellow CIA agents, however, does only a serviceable job. At points, they seem like a living backdrop for Jolie to shine.
Perhaps the film’s greatest shortcoming is coming out one weekend after Inception. In contrast, while not totally brainless, Salt never asks the viewer to think too much. It is just a pure action ride perfect for a lazy August afternoon. Action fans, especially those who like Alias and the Bourne trilogy, will likely find a new movie franchise to love in Salt. If you’re not, and only going to see one blockbuster movie this summer, you should see Inception. It’s the one people will rightly be talking about.
