As CIA agent and possible Russian spy Evelyn Salt, Angelina Jolie is a sexy, spicy cocktail mixture of Jason Bourne, Ethan Hunt, James Bond and a dash of Macgyver.
That much is clear. Everything else about her is a mystery, starting when a Russian defector accuses her of being a highly trained plant.
So Salt goes on the run. either because her cover's been blown or because she knows her bosses at the CIA won't believe she's innocent.
Throughout most of the movie, we watch her perform daring escapes, infiltrate highly secured areas, and commit murders, never sure what her motivations or intentions are. Because we're inclined to root for Jolie, we tend to trust Salt knows what she's doing.
It's all so ridiculous, and by the end you'll be left with more questions than the end of "Inception." But "Salt" isn't worth that kind of analysis.
This spy action movie was written for Tom Cruise, who turned it down to play a spy in "Knight and Day" instead. Enter Jolie, who's the best thing that could have happened to "Salt."
She's up for whatever director Philip Noyce throws at her. Despite their efforts, though, the movie's fast-paced nonsense doesn't add up to much.
For summer escapism, though, you can take it with a grain of… well, you know.
EPPLER'S RATING: * *
