This 2010 film by director Phillip Noyce, called simply Salt stars Angelina Jolie and boasts a 62% on Rotten Tomatoes. The story goes that there are sleeper agents in America working for the Russian government, trained as children to complete their missions together on “Day X”. Evelyn Salt, played by Jolie, is called out as one of these sleeper agents and forced from her job at the CIA in a Bourne-esque style of parkour, shooting, running, and somehow getting away after being caught three times.
The whole time you watch the film you must honestly ask yourself, “Who is Salt?”
If you’ve ever seen The Bourne Legacy, the stories are similar. In fact, any Bourne film at all is similar; however, this time around the story leads with a female heroine or villain, depending on the way you see it. The problem is that I really like the Bourne franchise so I could easily settle into this comfortable space of action movie genre. I must say however, that Jolie’s performance in this film does salvage the overdone plot.
As far as spy-action movies go, Salt certainly covers all its bases: car chases, sleeper agents, explosions, kick-ass fight choreography, Russians, Americans, and nuclear missile codes.
Its 104-minute run time makes this film easily digestible and there isn’t any downtime between plot points.
If you don’t ask too many questions the film is rather enjoyable – just don’t try to guess how it ends.
Spoiler: Jolie is as slippery as a wet bar of soap.
Adrenaline pumping from beginning to end, with twists and turns, Salt maintains the framework of a good spy flick; filled with an air of mystery, it is the female equivalent of a Bourne movie with Russian communism threatening to take down American democracy.
