Salt Movie Review



Let the blonde jokes commence!  Oh wait...

Disclamer:  This review is based off of the ClearPlay'd version of the film

These days spy movies are a dime a dozen.  With a wealth of movies from James Bond to 24, it almost seems like the genre is on the verge of running out of original ideas.  Fortuanately Salt has an interesting enough premise to hold the audience's attention, even if it does faintly echo that of the Bourne Trilogy.  The movie follows Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent who is accused of being a Russian spy part of a worldwide conspiracy that will end in Russian dominance.  Instead of turning herself in she makes a break for it, leading to a series of chase scenes and undercover sequences in which the CIA tries to track her down, all the while trying to stop the impending murder of both the Russian and American presidents.

     What's interesting about this movie is that until the very end the audience is completely left in the dark.  Is Salt a Russian agent or isn't she?  Even when you think you know the answer the movie takes another twist that keeps you guessing as to what her motives are.

     One of the weaker parts of this movie is its characters.  While Salt is interesting for the mystery surrounding her, practically all of the other characters are as shallow as a shot glass.  Part of the problem is that Salt is the only true main character.  All of the others are introduced and then killed off or never seen again like ten minutes later, with the exception of the two CIA agents tracking her down.  Yes, this might be a bit of a nitpick, but when you look at movies like Inception where practically every character has depth to them, Salt seems a bit underwhelming.

     So, what did I like about the movie?  While at times it was a bit unclear, it was still cool to see all of the pieces of the puzzle fit together at the end, even if a couple pieces get ignored here and there.  I'm also glad that Salt's character wasn't just defined by her ambiguity; the flashbacks did a great job at showing what she's been though and ending in particular showed just how much she was suffering.  It was also cool to see inside the Russian spy network, even if at times it was a bit unbelievable.

Conclusion:  Salt is a solid spy movie that manages to stand out in the crowd with its strong lead character and intriguing plot.  While it does suffer from the fact that it depends solely on Evelyn Salt for good characterization, it's still worthwhile, especially if you're a fan of the genre.

Rating:  8/10 "Great"

Favorite Moment:  I thought that the scene at the Russian ship was done pretty well, as it makes you question Salt's motives even if you thought you knew the truth before.