Spy movies are nothing new on the big screen. Excellent conspiracy films like The Bourne Identity, and casual comedics like Knight and Day have given spies a great name in Hollywood. Salt, which opens today, offers up a lady spy thriller starring the acting genre’s biggest actress, Angelina Jolie.
Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) is a CIA agent with a harsh past. After being accused of being a traitor by a Russian spy, Salt goes on the run. Utilizing a lifetime’s worth of skills, she runs rapid, causing havoc in New York City, all the while maintaining her claim of innocence. Through a series of narrow escapes and extreme measures, audiences finally get the answer to the question “Who is Salt?”.
Angelina Jolie is by far the saving grace of the film. Her action skills and universal appeal take a cliché film like Salt from forgetful to acceptable. I don’t know if it’s her United Nations worth of kids or relatively ethnic sounding name but Angelina Jolie has a unique ability to transcend multiple races. She pulls off her blonde, Russian CIA agent role surprisingly well for the dark haired Tomb Raider her name reminds us of.
More of less, Salt is your run of the mill spy, traitor, action movie complete with the utterly predictable ending “twists” (that we all see coming), which turns all the unexplainable actions into explained ones. I do admit there are some pretty killer scenes including steering by stun-gun and an epic last kill, but overall Salt is highly predictable and not very original.
It has to be said that the recent Russian Spy Ring discovery does make this movie a little more exciting than it would have been without it. Considering the film is geared towards a generation of people who know little about the Russian Spy conspiracies during the Cold Ward, a current news story does amp up the authenticity and interest. It’s a nice perspective that audiences can tie into their movie going experience… and make you want to kick some U.S. infiltrating ass.
In the end, Jolie does her thing as the reigning lady of action, and with a plot as simple as this, it’s something to be noted. Salt is a solid spy flick, but not something you need to see again, or watch a sequel of (I hope you heard that Phillip Noyce). The film would be nothing without Angelina and if you’re a big fan you won’t leave entirely disappointed.
Overall rating 3/5
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