Rated: PG-13

Release Date: 07/23/2010

Production Company: Columbia Pictures

Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Andre Braugher,
Gaius Charles and Victor Slezak.

Director: Phillip Noyce. Producers: Lorenzo di Bonaventura, William M. Connor and Sunil Perkash. Executive Producers: Samuel Dickerman, Rick Kidney, Hannah Minghella and Mark Vahradian. Screenwriter: Kurt Wimmer. Cinematographer: Robert Elswit.

By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs

Just when I was ready to crown "Inception" as the best action movie so far this year, along comes Angelina Jolie in the taunt, new, spy thriller "Salt" to flip the script and make me change my mind.

"Salt" is every bit of an action movie that will have you cheering for Jolie who plays Evelyn Salt, a real kick ass woman who isn't afraid to get her pencil skirt torn or her killer stilettos scuffed. She's actually a CIA agent who is accused of being a Russian mole.

Now, Evelyn is worried that her German-born husband, Mike Krause (August Diehl) is a target too.

She's on the run from her boss-- Peabody (Chiwetel Ejiofor)--who suspects she really is a spy, and her colleague, Ted Winter (Liev Schreiber) who is willing to give her the benefit of the doubt that she isn't. At the center of all this mayhem is Russian madman Orlov (Daniel Olbrychski).

Director Phillip Noyce ("Catch a Fire"), and screenwriter, Kurt Wimmer ("Law Abiding Citizen" and "Street Kings") both know their way around a solid action flick. They do an exceptional job with "Salt."

Sure, some of the scenarios Evelyn finds herself in are absolutely preposterous, but that's all really besides the point. It's what she does to get out of many of them that makes your eyes pop and heart race in anticipation of her next moves.

And boy can Evelyn Salt move. And shoot. And fight. She's James Bond, Jason Bourne, Sylvester Stallone and Fred "The Hammer" Williamson all rolled up into one tough and pretty package.

That Jolie did the majority of her own stunts in "Salt" is remarkable. She does everything from jumping off a bridge onto the top of a fast moving 18-wheeler, to scaling a building with more agility than Spider-man. And she still looks incredibly sultry and sexy even when she's banged and bruised up. And to think this role was initially earmarked for Tom Cruise.

And did I mention the car chase scenes? They're unbelievable too.
In fact, everything works in "Salt." As extreme as it is, what's great about this movie is it knows exactly what it wants to do and does it all in a mere 100 minutes.

The recent news of femme fatale Anna Chapman, the alleged leader of the Russian sleeper spy ring in New York, adds even more intrigue and luster to "Salt's" storyline. "Salt" is clearly Angelina Jolie's star moment and she shines. And with the film's brilliant ending, we know we haven't seen the last of Evelyn Salt.

Editor's Note: You can also catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment by tuning in to the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at 6:40 p.m. on radio station KFBK 1530 AM. Or log on to www.KFBK.com.