Angelina Jolie stars in Salt
Salt opens this weekend and everybody's buzzing about the movie and Angelina Jolie. What can we expect? The critics have spoken but, unsurprisingly, there's no clear answer.

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: "When exploited properly [...] this thing that Jolie does is, well, very cool. Making us believe in the woman who can do anything, and I mean anything, is Jolie's distinct contribution to today's cinema."

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: "Salt appears to have been assembled in the same food processor as most mainstream action films. So much of its fights and chases share a generic sameness both in their sloppy construction and where they’re situated."

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: It's a "damn fine thriller" even if it is "gloriously absurd." Ebert thinks it's "exhilarating to see a genre picture done really well."

In reading several reviews, I suppose it can be narrowed down to lots of sparkle, but no substance.

As many are pointing out, Angelina is the only actress right now who can successfully star in an action movie. It's hard to picture the Lara Croft movies without her and she held her own in the guy-fest Wanted. 

Still, I'm with Kurt Loder on this one and like my action movies with enough "style, pace, and personality" to balance the non-stop action. It seems that Salt doesn't really deliver on that front, which is a shame because the trailers look cool.

But, really, who am I kidding? This time tomorrow, I'll probably be lined up to get my over-priced ticket and stale popcorn just to see Angelina back on the big screen. Women action heroes are few and far between, and I'll take them where I can get them. 

If it's completely unbearable, you can always sneak into Inception.

Are you planning to see Salt this weekend?

 

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