Got a chance to see Salt this week. As the title character, Angelina Jolie is basically a human pinball. A top CIA agent accused of being a Russian double agent, she goes on the run to clear her name, find her husband who has come up missing, and attempt to save the world from sure devastation. In the process, she bounces around for most of the movie -- inching across building ledges, jumping out of helicopters, leapfrogging across the tops of big rigs, and careening down elevator shafts. She also gets beaten up a lot. But no matter what, just like a Timex, she takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
Salt is a no-nonsense action flick, filled with twists and turns. Phillip Noyce does his usual solid job with crisp, straightforward direction that never lags. Kurt Wimmer’s script keeps you guessing throughout, and is surprisingly topical, given recent developments in the news. Sure, it goes over the top at times and you’ll be shaking your head at some of the implausible feats Salt keeps pulling off. But Jolie plays the character with gusto and somehow manages to make her relatable.
But the reason I liked Salt the most is all the fun things I learned as a result. Sure it’s a popcorn movie, but it’s full of useful tidbits.
Here are some I picked up:
- Russian spies are very, very patient.
- If you want to ensure that the “you know what” will hit the fan, just mention that you’re giving up active duty for a desk job.
- A well-equipped CIA office has a lot of hidden steel doors to entrap intruders, even on the empty floors.
- Panties prove to be a very effective method of blocking a security camera -- especially if they are black.
- If you are in a pinch, common household products can be used to nullify a brigade of charging opponents.
- It’s possible to walk along the ledge of a high-rise building wearing a backpack and holding a dog.
- Be sure to keep a poisonous spider in your apartment. You never know when it might come in handy.
- There’s nothing better for a quick getaway on the open road than the top of a tractor-trailer.
- Just because someone is in custody doesn’t mean they’ve been captured.
- And along those lines, no matter how tight security, you can always find a way in or out.
- It’s a real pain in the ass to launch a nuclear strike, even a preemptive one.
- And make no mistake, girls fight just as good -- and many times better -- than boys.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
