Salt
(guest review by Mike Anthony)


Hello Todd.  Here's another review for your consideration.
 
Pass the Salt, Please!!  Not as in "pass on the movie SALT"; but rather "gimme some more of that fine SALT movie!"
 
I've been on a lucky-streak when it comes to movies for weeks now; having thoroughly enjoyed Inception, Predators, and Knight & Day (which is suffering from some poor marketing; and not up to the usual "Cruise-control" of the box office bucks).  In a real life twist; I learned Tom Cruise was going to star in SALT; but withdrew and it was redesigned for Angelina Jolie.  And in SALT she deliever the goods.  She's very Action-Capable; and this film helped to make up for my lackluster A-team and Jonah Hex disappointments earlier thjis summer.
 
The movie is a spy-thriller with some action and intense chase-scenes tossed in for extra seasoning.  Very, very enjoyable to see a female lead handle action/fighting for her life and the lives of others.  Which others?  Keeps you guessing; but not  in one of those confusingly layered espionage plots some spy thrillers suffer from.  Which is great because it is never enjoyable to have to keep asking yourself or your seat-neighbor "who's that?" and "what does that mean" and "when did that happen"?
 
Short and sweet; this approximately 1hour and 40 minute movie delivers just what the recipe calls for.  This is one time you don't have to worry about sodium content; except maybe on your popcorn.
 
Rating:  Four out of Five Cookies.
 
Three good things about the movie:
1.Starts up like a buzz saw.  I love movies (and books) that begin with sudden scenes such as : "We were walking in the park; it was a beautiful day.  Then the first bullet slammed into me."  This movie does that quite well; it grabs you by the collar and says "come here; we're goin g for a ride!"
2. fun watching a female lead not only hold her own but excel in a role like this
3.I loved the ending and found it to be a satisfying close; nicely bookending with the abrupt start.
 
Three bad things about this movie:
1. the whole husband angle is the main weak link; never really gets you invested--no real spoiler here.
2. not a bed thing I guess, but a copy-cat scene involving a spy-shoe---and we're not talking like Maxwell Smart's Shoe-Phone here!
3. a character's medical situation (a grave one) was never expanded on (or resolved) as far as I could tell.

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