Salt is the new espionage-thriller starring Angelina Jolie as the title character Evelyn Salt. Salt is a CIA operative who one fateful day, while interrogating a rogue agent, is herself accused of being Russian spy who will attempt to assassinate the Russian president. Salt flees from her CIA colleagues and the FBI agent who wants to question her as she attempts to clear her name and discover the root of the mystery behind her past.
While the premise of Salt starts off very intriguing, it becomes apparent that Salt isn't all that different from espionage films of the recent past, and quickly falls into very familiar territory. A lot of the elements and plot twists that occur have been well covered by previous films in this genre, and Salt doesn't improve on them in any meaningful way. There are also numerous plot holes that undermine the credibility of the story. Some of the scenes just really make you scratch your head because they don't make any sense. The action sequences also border on ridiculous at times, which while not totally uncommon for this type of film, it does decrease the believability of the plot.
The other problem with Salt is that everyone seems to just be going through the motions. For all the hype that Angelina Jolie received for this film, she really doesn't bring anything to it that any other highly paid, A-list actress would have brought. Many of the scenes that are supposed bring about emotion from the viewer just don't pay off, and you never really feel emotionally invested in the characters or care much about their fate. This is especially true about the relationship between Salt and her husband (played by August Diehl), which is mainly displayed through slow and tedious flashbacks that remove the viewer from the story rather than engaging them. Jolie and Diehl don't look comfortable together onscreen as a couple, which makes it hard to believe the impact their relationship is supposed to have on the story.
In their supporting roles, Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor try to bring some life to the film, but their characters aren't that well developed. It isn't until the last third of the movie that the story finally starts to pick up and you get to see some of the plot twist elements play out. Though by that time the viewer hasn't been given much incentive to be invested in the outcome and likely won't care.
Salt isn't a bad film, but it doesn't really stand out either. Compared to Jolie's action-oriented films of the past, Salt really doesn't hold up. While the performances are all tolerable and the action sequences are decent as well, there isn't really anything memorable about the film or that would make you want to see it again. I'd recommend it only if you're a huge Jolie fan or there aren't any better options.
While the premise of Salt starts off very intriguing, it becomes apparent that Salt isn't all that different from espionage films of the recent past, and quickly falls into very familiar territory. A lot of the elements and plot twists that occur have been well covered by previous films in this genre, and Salt doesn't improve on them in any meaningful way. There are also numerous plot holes that undermine the credibility of the story. Some of the scenes just really make you scratch your head because they don't make any sense. The action sequences also border on ridiculous at times, which while not totally uncommon for this type of film, it does decrease the believability of the plot.
The other problem with Salt is that everyone seems to just be going through the motions. For all the hype that Angelina Jolie received for this film, she really doesn't bring anything to it that any other highly paid, A-list actress would have brought. Many of the scenes that are supposed bring about emotion from the viewer just don't pay off, and you never really feel emotionally invested in the characters or care much about their fate. This is especially true about the relationship between Salt and her husband (played by August Diehl), which is mainly displayed through slow and tedious flashbacks that remove the viewer from the story rather than engaging them. Jolie and Diehl don't look comfortable together onscreen as a couple, which makes it hard to believe the impact their relationship is supposed to have on the story.
In their supporting roles, Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor try to bring some life to the film, but their characters aren't that well developed. It isn't until the last third of the movie that the story finally starts to pick up and you get to see some of the plot twist elements play out. Though by that time the viewer hasn't been given much incentive to be invested in the outcome and likely won't care.
Salt isn't a bad film, but it doesn't really stand out either. Compared to Jolie's action-oriented films of the past, Salt really doesn't hold up. While the performances are all tolerable and the action sequences are decent as well, there isn't really anything memorable about the film or that would make you want to see it again. I'd recommend it only if you're a huge Jolie fan or there aren't any better options.
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