User Reviews

Just watched the BlueRay of this movie and I really liked it. Good action, exceptional acting, good story. Not a mind blowing, but still interesting.

I've also listened to the director's commentary for the movie where he said that the Russian people had a negative reaction after watching this movie. In particular, that they were offended of the way Russians are shown in the movie. Well, I hope the director reads the reviews on this website and I would like to make a tiny remark. He completely missed the point of why they were offended.

It was not due to the fact that Russian government had (or has) spies in the US, but due to the image he gave to the Russians in his film.

1. Russians don't address each other as "comrade". Never did. 2. Russians don't drink vodka on every other occasion. And certainly don't carry a bottle on their person just in case. In fact, Russians drink more beer than vodka. 3. Russians don't kiss each other as a form of greeting. Only if they are very good friends (or would like to seem so) or relatives and either both girls, or of opposite sex. Russian men never kiss each other, even if they are best friends or relatives. Male relatives kissing is much more common in Europe and even US, than in Russia. 4. The Russian spies that were caught in the US last year were not observing the life of US. Any simple person can do that without being a spy. For example, I often talk to my relatives in Russia and tell them how I live in the US and how life in the US is in general. Of course, I don't tell or know any secrets; THAT is the spy's job.

Also, just a side note to others, who might only know about Russia by films such as this one: Russian people don't dream of attacking US (or any other country for that matter). They have problems of their own. So please, stop exploiting these beaten-to-death stereotypes in the movies. Otherwise, the cold war will never really end.

Other than that -- great movie. Enjoyed it very much.

Just to clarify: I am Russian and lived in Russia for 26 years.

It almost seems as if it were scheduled to make up for the headiness of Chris Nolan's Inception (yeah, I know, it wasn't THAT smart, but compared to the vast majority of American blockbusters...). It's pretty much a Bourne rip-off. It stars Angelina Jolie as a CIA agent who is exposed as a Russian sleeper agent by a Russian defector. Whether she is one or not, her bosses (Chiwetel Ejiofor and Liev Schreiber) decide to keep her under wraps. She'll have none of that, though, as she fears for the safety of her spider expert husband. So basically, like Bourne, it's about a defecting agent running from her employers while simultaneously trying to foil the bad guys. The film does have a couple of semi-clever twists, but it also contains a metric ton of stupidity. There's no real set-up for Jolie being some kind of Bourne-like superwoman, yet as soon as the action sequences start she's either MacGuiver or Jackie Chan. Weighing in at about 95 pounds (seriously, Angie, eat a burger) she's able to beat the everloving crap out of every trained CIA, FBI or Secret Service agent who gets in her way. The filmmaking is reminiscent of Bourne, but, unlike Bourne, the choreography is confusing and implausible. Very little of the plot makes any sense, from the reason for the initial exposure to Jolie's motivations to the final sequence. Any moderate examination reveals the film to make no sense whatsoever.

Having sat through the movie "Salt", I can now say that this is definitely an action movie well worth checking out.

The story told in the movie is fast-paced and full of action right from the very beginning, and there are some really nice twists and turns of events along the way. The story deals with Russian agents trained to infiltrate and sabotage USA, which seemed fairly nice enough. (Remember this is entertainment, not real life!) And we follow Evenlyn Salt as the main character.

As for the cast in "Salt", well it was fantastic. Angelina Jolie put on a good performance as Evenlyn Salt, and you could actually buy into her character the way she portrayed it. And also hats off to Liev Schreiber, he also put on a very memorable performance in the movie.

For me, this movie was the kind of action movie that kept you nailed to the seat, because you wanted to see what happened next. And also the storyline was really well thought out, because it keeps you in suspense and keeps you guessing at who is who, who is telling the truth, and what is really going on.

"Salt" delivers a good, wholesome entertainment experience, and if you haven't already seen it, you should get to it. It is high adrenaline-filled action from it starts and right up until it ends. The only downside to the movie was the "last second save", I hate that in movies because it is annoying and been used too much already.

And notice how Evenlyn Salt is all covered with dust and grime when she gets into the police car, after the scene at the church, and then when you see her inside the car, not a speck of dust on her hair. Lovely blooper right there! ha ha...

I wonder is there any more stupid image of Russia in the history of American movies? Where did you get these surnames? Ask any Russian on the net for a huge bunch of real Russian surnames. Where did you get this ring kissing ritual? Stupid.

An image of Russian super-spies drinking vodka on the stinking rotten ship, which somehow serves them as a base is also unrealistic. Just as 50Kg woman which can be thrown against the wall and have no even single bruise after.

I wonder, do all Americans still know Russia as it is shown in this film? Or it is just comfortable to utilize 30 year old image because developing new one and showing it can reduce cash flow? But the action itself (if you switch off your brain for 1h30min) is good. It is the only thing we can enjoy in this movie together with a good actor play.

Great action sequences. Questionable plot. Limited character development.

I enjoy spy films, and remember having liked the 1994 "Clear and Present Danger" (starring Harrison Ford), also directed by Phillip Noyce, so I decided to see "Salt" and bought the Blu-ray. The disk has all three versions and lots of interesting extra features, including a commentary by Phillip Noyce, and interviews with real-life spies, such as the famous former Counterintelligence KGB General Oleg Kalugin, now an American citizen.

"Salt" is an enjoyable film, better, I say, than all Bourne films, or "Mission Impossible" (with the possible exception of the first one, directed by Brian de Palma, where Angelina Jolie's father plays), and also better than many James Bond films, with, perhaps, the exception of the 1963 "From Russia with Love", from which "Salts" borrows something - remember Colonel Rosa Klebb played by Lotte Lenya ?

Moles in the CIA (and FBI), "sleepers", "illegals in dormant state waiting to be activated for sinister purposes against the West, Soviet/Russian (KGB, SVR, FSB) defectors after defectors ... all are true and not new - see "Telefon" (1977, with Charles Bronson), "The Fourth Protocol" (1987, with Pierce Brosnan, "The Good Shepherd" (2006, also with Angelina Jolie), "The Company" (2007, TV with Michael Keaton).

Angelina Jolie, Liev Schrieber, and Daniel Olbrychski do well as Evelyn Salt, and, like many others, I liked watching them, but I have two serious problems with the plot. Not so much the impossible acrobatics and escapes and infiltrations ... but the premise of the film itself:

• How is it possible to depict (and make us believe that) The Secret Service is so ineffective ... Bystanders ... ?

• The "defector".

1. A Russian spy comes to the CIA, and reveals top secrets about former Soviet, now Russian operations against the United States. He even uncovers the identity of a mole inside CIA ranks. OK - Good deeds ! But, if he is a genuine defector, why, after being interviewed, does he kills his CIA guards, and then escapes ... Doing this only discredits his testimony. That is not how a genuine defector behaves.

2. If, on the other hand he is not a genuine defector, but an active enemy agent, someone who came to activate "sleepers", why does he have to come in and reveal everything to the CIA, including uncovering the identity of a top mole in the CIA, thus, gravely endangering the mission his agents (the sleepers) are to carry out ? If he only needed to provide instructions to his undercover agents, he could have used other methods of communication. This is not how an offensive (let us call him "a non-genuine defector") behaves.

3. If, further, this was just a temporary defection, with the sole purpose of uncovering to the CIA the identity of a mole (the Theatrical and Director's Cut versions of th film, but not the Extended version suggests this), than it was not at all necessary to reveal the rest of the plan to the CIA (that this mole, a Russian agent will soon attempt to kill ...), and, definitely, it was absolutely wrong for the defector to kill his guards and escape. So, bad logic. Am I wrong ?

We, the viewers like thrillers, action, adventure, spy stuff (deception after deception, double-cross, multiple against and allegiances), but we also like solid, smart and plausible intelligence (brain, analytical) work behind the action - e.g. "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1979, TV) and "Smiley's People" (1982, TV) both with Alec Guiness Not too much "intelligence" work in "Salt", just a lot of (great !) action sequences ... there is too much Phillip Noyce expects us to accept, take for granted.

On the positive side: "Salt" may also be viewed the soul-searching journey of a double-agent who struggles with the question: "On which side am I ?" or "On which side should I be ?" In the end the agent decides where the allegiance should be placed, and chooses the side who advocates morality and humanity.

If you do not ask (too many) questions, "Salt" is definitely enjoyable.

As with any action movie, this film must be taken with a grain of salt (sorry: couldn't resist). Don't think, just watch, anticipating a continuous series of perils narrowly escaped by nearly, but not completely, impossible feats of body or brain. Why a 7. Several reasons. 1. A flaw (I think). The double-agent Colonel has three stars (Lieutenant General) on his epaulets, not a silver eagle. 2. Our heroine kills only bad guys: misinformed American agents, cops, and soldiers she merely kung-fu's unconscious (and they stay so throughout the particular scene). Deliberate? 3. Speaking of bad guys: they're all male - despite the background brainwashing scenes showing boys and girls. Ditto for the good guys: Jolie is the only female (who speaks more than 5 words) in the flick. Deliberate? 4. When Salt is trying to convince Peabody that she's on his side, she comes up with several iffy reasons, but not the obvious clincher: "Ask the President when he recovers who was the bad guy - me or Winter".

I went into this thinking Angelina Jolie looks hot and it will be exciting. Instead it's an overblown mess with jerky camera angles and a plot so convoluted that you could drive a car through the plot holes. Ms Jolie plays a spy for the CIA who turns out to be a Russian sleeper cell spy as well. So she runs and runs and runs and sports a black wig and expensive sunglasses like a character from the Matrix. And they do what I always hate in movies , they zoom in during the fight scenes which makes it all blurry and jerky ,what's the point.By the end of the movie I was so put out especially with the shameless setup for a sequel, Jolie running off into the woods,fade to black.I left the movie theater thinking I'll bet critics like that windbag Ebert will like this movie yet trash another movie that is way better.

3/10 and that's generous.

I thought that this film would be an exciting mix of action, thriller, espionage and drama. Instead it's an overblown farce and a plot resembling blancmange. Angelina Jolie plays a spy for the CIA who turns out to be a Russian spy as well. So she gets exposed and runs away (but somehow doesn't look anything the action figure of Lara Croft but quite ungainly and pathetic) and uses a black wig and sunglasses like a Matrix character which doesn't hide her at all. In fact, at one point when trying to allude the CIA she disguises herself in a Russian fur hat and fur coat. Hilarious! In another scene she randomly picks some dry cleaning off a rail in a hotel and surprise surprise the suit fits like it's tailored. Her disguise to go into the White House is just so ridiculous that you actually feel shame for the director and make up artist. Interestingly throughout the film special agent "Salt" does not kill a single American, however she kills every Russian she can. And we are supposed to be wondering if she's a Russian spy? This film is so bad and panders so shamefully to the uneducated ill informed American conception of an evil enemy that really the only thing missing is the idea of an Arab funding it all from a cave in Afghanistan.

The film ends, thankfully, but unthankfully with Jolie running off into the woods,fade to black and you can just here the film studio setting up storyboards for a sequel. Oh please NO.

Total rubbish. 1/10