Matinee Melee: Action thriller ‘Salt’ surprisingly flavorless

CASEY PHILLIPS: “Salt” may be the most inappropriately named film of the year. For 100 minutes, Angelina Jolie plays a sexy secret agent on the run from her fellow operatives, played here by Chiwetel Ejiofor and Liev Schreiber. All the while, shaky camera work keeps things looking lively as Salt puts serious hurt on her pursuers, changes her hair style (and face) and leaps from ... well, everything — building to building, truck to truck and down an elevator shaft. Is this sounding like Jason (Janet) Bourne yet?

The casting is decent, the acting is passable, the action is well-shot and the fight choreography and stunt work will keep you from dozing off. All in all, “Salt” is reasonably entertaining. It’s just too bad the Bourne films did it all eight years ago. The biggest surprise was that Kurt Wimmer, not Robert Ludlum, got the writing credit.

HOLLY LEBER: “The Bourne Identity Crisis”?

Fortunately, “Salt” doesn’t go so far as to leave a bad taste. It does, however, fancy itself more than it is. This is a fairly derivative action film with good energy masquerading as an edge-of-the-seat thriller. It thinks it’s crème brûlée, but it’s really tapioca pudding.

Angelina Jolie — here’s the thing about her: There are Angelina Acts movies (“The Changeling”) and Angelina Action movies (“Wanted”). “Salt” tries to be both. It’s not. This is the kind of movie that basically shows that Angie’s still got it; she’s not just wiping noses. And, yes, she does still have it, to an extent, but, again, in an overblown manner here. Come on, do you seriously mean to tell me that the chick would walk away from a vehicle going off a bridge without a hint of a limp?

CASEY: Asking for realism from a summer blockbuster might be pushing things, Holly, but moments like the “truck off the bridge” scene do support the conclusion that “Salt” doesn’t make much sense. Too little time is spent justifying Salt’s brutally efficient spy games, and the “twist” halfway through actually manages to deflate the first 40 minutes of exciting uncertainty. As a result, the conclusion feels rushed, unjustified and unfulfilling.

HOLLY: There’s room for more than just a fine line between realism and preposterousness, but, yes, you have a point (other than the one at the top of your head).

For as twisted as “Salt” tries to be, I wanted more. And no, the ’80s style twist of Russians as bad guys wasn’t enough. The end was clear from the beginning, and I was just hoping that it might surprise me and throw in a little unexpected spice.

CASEY: Indeed. Ze Russians only work as villains if your hero is James Bond or Sly Stallone. Oh, and about the title. A more appropriate moniker would be “Vanilla.” Zing.