"NO WAY OUT" meets "THE BOURNE IDENTITY" with a sex change; Jolie scores with sexy ass-kicking aplomb

Rating: 9/10 (4 August 2010)

SALT (2010) *** ½ Angelina Jolie, Liev Schrieber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Daniel Olbrychski. "NO WAY OUT" meets "THE BOURNE IDENTITY" with a sex change could've been the pitch for this fast-paced, adrenalized high octane action thriller with Jolie (in a role originally slated for Tom Cruise!) as CIA agent Evelyn Salt who finds herself accused as being a Russian mole and on the run to clear her name (or is she?) with the clock ticking in an assassination plot for both the US President & USSR Vice President (!!) Double jeopardy has never been this fun or excitingly sexy largely due to Jolie's star presence in swift, ass-kicking form too boot! Directed with finesse by veteran Phillip Noyce and a diamond-cut, pretzel twisty doozy screenplay by Kurt Wimmer.