Salt

I am really torn and undecided about this movie. I am a guy who loves action and espionage movies. I understand Hollywood does not have a reputation for being realistic so I try to cut them some slack for all the "fake" things in movies, but I lost count of how many times I kept saying to myself "yeah right" during this movie.

Evelyn Salt is played by Angelina Jolie and she probably weighs 115-120 pounds, yet she beats the crap out of every man she comes in contact with. These aren't just your average guys, they are security personnel, policemen, special ops, and secret servicemen! Now I know there are some women out there who have lethal skills who could kick a man's trash, but that's just not the case with a skinny twig throwing men around twice her size.

Then there is the issue of jumping off of overpasses onto speeding trucks, not just once but several times. Inertia and the laws of physics apparently don't apply to her. I wouldn't be so critical if Salt was a superhero movie, but she is just a lethal double agent.

I was hoping for a more realistic feel after the opening scene showed her face bloodied up and bruised while detained and tortured in North Korea during a flash back, but I was let down. Despite non stop action involving dangerous stunts and her body taking a beating the entire movie she never got hurt. She only sustained a bloody nose and a cut by the end of the movie.

There were obvious Bourne Identity, Mission Impossible, MacGyver, and James Bond themes in the movie. As much as I liked the action, I really had a hard time buying Jolie as a wrecking ball of destruction. I was also surprised with all the blatant Russian stereotypes which you might have expected during the cold war era, but not today. Then there was the scene when she drove a car remote control from the back seat via taser shocks to the unconscious driver. It didn't surprise me when the president activated some nuclear war heads and the obligatory female computer voice began a long countdown.

Salt is entertaining and has some good qualities and overall I think I liked it alright, but at the same time it is hard to accept. I like Jolie and Liev Schreiber, but I think this movie asks too much from the viewer. Ask not what the viewer can do for your movie, but ask what the movie can do for the viewers. I give it 6.9 Stars.

Driving off an overpass with no seat belt.
 She holds onto the seat to avoid injury.

Bazooka made from a chair, cleaning
supplies, and a fire extinguisher. MacGyver?