Tour-de-force by Jolie makes Salt watchable

Rating: Null/10 (20 August 2010)

CIA agent Evelyn Salt interrogates a Russian defector, Orlov, who tells her about "Day X", an operation organized by a powerful Russian since the Cold War, which will lead to the destruction of the United States. Orlov mentions that at the funeral of the late Vice President in New York City, the visiting Russian President will be killed by Russian spy Evelyn Salt. Salt, shaken at the accusation, attempts to contact her husband Mike, a German arachnologist, fearing for his safety. Meanwhile, Orlov escapes, prompting Salt to escape — causing the CIA to think she is a spy but is she? And if so what are her motifs ?
I was looking forward to watching Salt, I really like the spy genre even tough it's hard to find a great film in that category and, when I saw the trailer, I was instantly reminded of Jennifer Garner in the amazing TV show Alias. It seemed right up my alley. Something about sexy girls kicking ass, maybe? Unfortunately, Salt disappointed me. Not that it's a terrible film but it's average at best. The premise is great and holds a lot of potential but it evolves into something completely ridiculous and over the top. The plot is so flimsy, so far-fetched that, if you're going into this film expecting a smart, well-constructed story, then you're going to be just as disappointed as me. I'm not even going to talk about that final scene. See it and judge for yourself.
I have to say that regarding the action, the film delivers in spades. There's plenty of chases, stunts, fighting sequences and so forth. And for the most part it was all very nicely choreographed; there's a bit of cgi in the mix and the usual cuts but still, it looks great. And so does Jolie. Not only does she look gorgeous but she did a terrific job considering all the physical stuff she had to do, and overall, she delivered a strong performance. Granted, it's not enough to make this into a great film but Jolie may very well be the reason why Salt is watchable.
6/10