Now Playing: Salt

After last week's stellar Inception, I was kind of waiting to be disappointed by Angelina Jolie's Salt.  I'm still waiting.

Let's get the obvious criticisms out of the way: Jolie herself.  Say what you want about the woman, she is a bankable action star.  Save for Milla Jovovich and Tricia Helfer, is there another female action star who could actually carry a vehicle (or, dare I say franchise) like this?  Jovovich has Resident Evil, Helfer has BSG - but I don't think any of them can even come close to the earning of Jolie herself.  So, Jolie as Salt?  A character written with Tom Cruise in mind?  Wicked.  She has enough real acting chops (see Changeling and Girl, Interrupted) to cover the stuff that Cruise couldn't have and the no-fear attitude to sell the rest.  Too bad about Liev Schreiber though - will that guy ever catch a break?

This is a typical first-in-a-franchise kind of movie: lots of characters, back-story and things-that-go-boom.  And what an ending - jebus, could there BE more of a cliff-hanger?  The fights were well-choreographed (albeit, the cameras were a little shaky) and were fairly believable.  The disguises were really fun too!  also: no quarter given to Evelyn, just because she's a chick.  She's still tortured, beaten and gassed with the best of them.

So, Salt - a great summer action movie.  4 out of 5 stars.