Salt

Angelina Jolie rocks as usual.  It is so refreshing that someone with her looks is a good actress as well, and in each movie I have seen her, she plays a different and believable character.  For instance, Steven Segal is always the same low key bad ass no matter what the role or what the location.  The movie is action packed to the point of absurd, but if it weren't absurd with all of these improbabilities and the impossible constantly happening, well, there wouldn't be a movie now would there?  Jolie has great support from her costars Liev Schreiber (The Sum of All Fears and Defiance) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (wow, just realized he was in Endgame which I reviewed a week ago)  

Jolie is CIA and while at work, an old Russian (ex KGB of course) dude cruises in with prognostications of future doom for the US and the World!!!!!  Oh my Godddd!!!  Okay, old plot start and all of that, but still, it is all good and there are enough twists to keep you into it and there is a good balance between plot and just action.  All action is just like all frosting and no cake.  Granted, I could eat frosting all day and say to heck with the cake, but the cake like a movie plot keeps people employed (bakers/writers) and you have to have a good foundation (plot/cake) on which to pile the frosting/action; otherwise, you eventually get sick.  Jolie pushes the limits on how bad she can be and how far she can go to convince you that she is actually evil, but that is not her style in any of the characters she chooses to play: she will most often play the misunderstood super good chick...never evil.  So with that in the back of your mind, you begin looking for the turning point or key that will suddenly change the light that is shining on all of her bad stuff and suddenly illuminate it to be good and just.  It happens.

Writing and directing are good and the cinematography is good as well.  With all the jumping, running, rolling, shooting, and all, I didn't get sick because the camera was always steady and level.  Liev is a rocker.  The dude has had a ton of support roles but never any leads.  Don't know if that is his style or what, but I tell you, as soon as you start thinking about it, well, he may always be the Salieri to someone else's Mozart.  If it pays and you are good at it, why not.  Good film!