SALT
RYAN: We’d like to welcome Jennifer Aniston’s nemesis, Angelina Jolie, back to the big screen this week in the new action-packed movie, Salt.
CAROLINE: This movie started out as a vehicle for Tom Cruise, but when he dropped out, Angelina was more than happy to step in and play a badass. And there aren’t many women who can do that.
RYAN: I loved her in Wanted and both Tomb Raider films, so I’m thrilled to see her in another action movie. I totally buy her in this genre.
CAROLINE: Me too; I just wish she weren’t so gaunt. She looks like a stick figure running around.
RYAN: She also has a questionable blond wig in this movie, as she did in the movie that won her an Oscar, Girl, Interrupted.
CAROLINE: Ugh, that wig is terrible! No one would buy that as her real hair. First of all, she looks bad as a blond, so the color was tragic. And second, what’s wrong with her regular hair? Just keep her brunette and we’ll all be happy.
RYAN: Yes, but if she started out brunette, she wouldn’t be able to transform into a black-haired badass. And while I’m happy to suspend disbelief for an action movie, there were a few scenes where I was like, “Come on, she would have cracked a rib, twisted an ankle or at least broken a nail doing that.” But she always escapes unscathed.
CAROLINE: That bothered me a little bit, honestly. It was so implausible. I loved the chase scene that takes up a good part of the first half of the movie, and it was totally tense and exciting, but they also took it too far at times. No one can jump from truck top to truck top at 40 miles an hour and land with no problem. She was almost too invincible. They could have toned it down a little and made it more realistic while still being exciting.
RYAN: And badass as she is, when three guys are coming at her with guns and she can fight them off with a few punches? I mean, come on.
CAROLINE: Especially because she weighs about 110 lbs.
RYAN: And while we’re bitching, the guy who plays her husband was so not hot enough to be Angelina Jolie’s husband.
CAROLINE: OMG, I know! The first time he came on screen, I was like, “That guy’s not supposed to be her husband, is he?” He was not cute. Such bad casting.
RYAN: I will accept nothing less than Smith Jerrod hot for Angelina Jolie. This guy was totally unsuitable for her.
CAROLINE: Liev Schreiber is great as her CIA colleague, though I always feel like he should be off playing Hamlet somewhere. He’s such a good actor. This movie is kind of beneath him; though his character does have some cool moments at the end.
RYAN: There was one point about halfway through the movie where I thought I totally knew what was going on and that I’d figured out all the twists, but then I was totally proven wrong. I like movie that keeps you guessing.
CAROLINE: Some of the twists were a little implausible to me. I really liked the first hour of the movie, but then it got a little hammy. I didn’t love this movie like I could have. I enjoyed it, but the plot got a little ridiculous.
RYAN: I hear you, but I was still totally engaged the whole time. It’s a summer popcorn movie with the added intrigue of the Russia vs. USA/Cold War revisited plot line.
CAROLINE: The audience giggled a few times though at scenes that got silly and over-the-top. Maybe I’ve seen one too many action/thriller movies this summer, but I was a little over this one. Not that it’s not fun and enjoyable, because it is. It just gets a little hard to follow at times with all it’s bizarre twists.
RYAN: I still really enjoyed it and would recommend it. Angelina is a good actress and I really liked her in this.
CAROLINE: I think she’s great in this type of role too. I just wish she weren’t a skeleton.
— BOTTOM LINE —
RYAN: It’s a really good action movie, and I’m glad it was her and not Tom Cruise. I really don’t like him these days, even though I’m sure Angelina is crazy in her personal life as well. I can’t think of another leading lady in Hollywood right now who could play this role like she did. Maybe Jennifer Garner because of how awesome she was on Alias.
CAROLINE: This movie totally had Sydney Bristow written all over it. It made me miss Alias so much. I definitely liked this movie, but I didn’t love it. It had a couple too many twists and became improbable and hard to follow and it was a little tedious to try to piece it all together. But I did love the action and I was pretty riveted for the first half. After that it dragged a bit; though watch for an awesome action move from Angelina toward the end of the movie.
— RATING —
