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Salt
- Review Date: July 20, 2010
- PG-13
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- 2010
Common Sense Media says
Jolie's shallow, ludicrous thriller has lots of violence.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that action thriller Salt -- which stars Angelina Jolie as a CIA agent on the run -- is quite violent: There's lots of fighting, shooting, stabbing, killing, chases, and explosions, as well as a brief torture scene and a flashback scene suggesting that a child was beaten. Strong language isn't constant, but you'll hear both "f--k" and "s--t." Sexy stuff mostly stops at kissing (though one scene also features Salt removing her underwear from beneath her skirt), and some Russian spies drink vodka, but it's not prominent. Teen fans of Jolie and action may be intrigued, but it's not as entertaining as her 2008 hit Wanted.
What's the story?
CIA agent Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) is just about to enjoy an anniversary dinner with her husband (August Diehl) when a Russian defector turns up and calmly claims that she's a Russian spy. She escapes, claiming to be looking for her now-missing husband, with agents Winter (Liev Schreiber) and Peabody (Chiwetel Ejiofor) hot on her trail. Appearing like a Russian spy but sometimes acting like an American agent, she must remain in hiding. And, at the same time, she must risk getting close to some of the world's most powerful leaders and potentially starting another world war to achieve her mysterious goals.
Is it any good?
SALT could have been a pretty good summer popcorn thriller, but director Phillip Noyce (The Bone Collector, Rabbit-Proof Fence) and Jolie lend it too much weight without providing any depth -- it takes its silly plot a bit too seriously. And although it tries to throw in some twists and surprises, they're not very well executed or surprising. Plus, the action is uninspiring, and the characters don't have any real depth. Some flashbacks seem like a last-minute attempt to help explain just who Salt really is, but they don't help.
In other words, there's not much at stake here, and what's left isn't really that much fun. Only Jolie's sharp onscreen ferocity helps pass the time in an interesting way, but even she feels a bit bored and/or stranded by the lack of material and imagination.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about the violence in the film. How did it make you feel? Why do you think it worked that way?
Was Salt acting out of revenge or for the best interests of the country? Or both? If both, how did she balance the two?
Was Salt right in killing and stealing to reach her goal? Could she have reached it any other way?
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Adult
January 9, 2011
AGE
Unnecessary violence and poor values
As an action movie, "Salt" was technically well-done and included interesting twists. However, I think the movie does more harm than good. Unlike other action movies like "Equilibrium" or "Spider-Man," "Salt" was devoid of any relevant messages or even thought-provoking ideas. The violence was disturbing and unnecessarily graphic. Salt is another "heroine" that should not be emulated. In "Salt," values like kindness, nobility, mercy, and gentleness are replaced with vindictiveness, ruthlessness, and craftiness. In conclusion, I think everyone--no matter the age--would do well to steer clear of this movie. If you want an action movie, I would suggest something that presents a valuable message/idea, or at least avoids the perpetual, exhausting violence of this movie. Salt is a terrible role model. I think it's important to remember that movies--whether we want them to or not--affect the ways we think. Why poison our minds (and waste our time) with a movie that provides cheap thrills, little value, but much violence?
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Parent of 15 year old
July 23, 2010
AGE
Good action flick, younger ones wouldn't get it
Is saw Salt today and honestly i wasn't dissapointed. It was violently pleasurablle and i took my son to see it and we both loved it.
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Kid, 12 years old
January 9, 2011
AGE
Salt.... See it!
Okay, so I saw this movie last night and was satisfied, but not thrilled. The action was cool and the car chases were fun, but the plot was just a mess. I mean, she's a Russian spy and then **SPOILER ALERT** she turns to help the Americans? What's up with that? Angelina Jolie looked bored while acting, which killed some of the scenes. With predictable twists, a weak plot, strange ending (Salt 2, anyone?), and just bad acting, this is definitely a movie that isn't one of my top movies. I still say to watch it because of the fun action and engrossing car chases. So overall, don't expect an Academy Award nominee movie, but more of a fun escape from the terrible movies out now.
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Parent of 15 year old
July 24, 2010
AGE
Should've Been R...
SALT is a decent action thriller that is so unabashedley over-the-top, implausible, and impossible that it could be bad...but it isn't. It's corny, ultra-violent, and ridiculous, but it's a whole heck of a lot of fun to watch. And, you can be almost certain that there's a sequel.
The plot revolves around Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie), a CIA agent who is accused of being a Russian spy. She runs away from the CIA, and they chase her in cool action scenes. However, this isn't your average run-of-the-mill Enemy of the State picture. Because here, Salt really is a Russian spy. Or is she? You don't really know until the final minutes of the relatively short film. Parents need to know that every single one of those minutes is packed to the brim with constant violence that isn't very graphic, but is very harsh. Salt is into "take no prisoners" warfare, and she leaves a massive trail of bodies behind her, both of conspirators and innocents. Lots of sequences of gunplay are intense and harrowing, especially when you see people shot at point-blank range. In addition, people are exploded, crushed, stabbed, and, in one graphic scene, strangled by a chain. While it's all pretty stylized, it's hard to see how this one slipped past an R rating. One can't help feel that the movie's violence and ominous tone are a little excessive. Parents, don't take your kids to see it. However, the good news is that there is no sex, and language is mild. SALT is a fun movie to watch, but it doesn't live up to its expectations (and the trailers are decieving as to the premise of the film). As we left the theater, another movie-goer said that he was laughing at the movie the whole time it was playing. The difference between him and me is that I wasn't laughing at the movie; I was laughing with it. Take SALT in good fun, and that's exactly what it is.
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Teen, 15 years old
April 6, 2011
AGE
i rate this title IFFY for ages 15+
What to watch out for
*
Messages:
The main message here seems to be "trouble could be lurking under your very nose" -- Russian spies could be anywhere, and there's nothing you can do about it unless you're a trained super spy. A slightly more positive message is hidden for the purposes of a "twist" in the movie's plot.
*
Role models:
Salt is a hero who's made to look like a villain for most of the film. Her ultimate aim is to prevent the world from being destroyed, but she also acts out of revenge. She kills many people during her journey and steals things whenever she needs them, and she never trusts anyone.
*
Violence:
Heavy action violence, with lots of shooting, stabbing, fighting, punching, chasing, and explosions. The heroine is tortured in the opening scene; she's pummeled, and gasoline is poured down her throat. A man kills two guards with a shoe knife. Salt is shot and wounded; she stabs and kills a man with a broken vodka bottle. A flashback of Salt as a little girl shows her bruised and clad in bandages, as if she had been horribly beaten.
*
Sex:
Some romantic kissing. In one scene, Salt removes her panties from under her skirt, using them to cover up and disable a security camera. She's also shown in her underwear during the opening scene. There's a shot of a Long Island bar called "Jugs and Strokers."
*
Language:
The most frequent words used are "godd**n" and "s--t." "F--k" is used at once. Also "Jesus Christ" (as an exclamation), "d**n," and "h**l."
*
Consumerism:
One very prominent Pepsi billboard, a brief glimpse of a Heineken truck, and images of board games like Operation, Connect Four, and Othello.
*
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
The Russian spies drink a lot of vodka in a "background" way.
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Teen, 15 years old
April 18, 2011
AGE
Jolie's latest action thriller is a fun, twisty thrill-ride for teenagers
Salt is a pure action film. It has some phenomenal stunts by Angelina Jolie and lots of eye candy in the form of explosions in nearly every scene and, well, Angelina Jolie. There are no redeeming qualities to the film- it is sleek, stylized and completely forgettable. But while the movie is playing, all of the audience members will have a blast with it. The twisty plotline follows a dedicated CIA agent who is forced to abandon everything that she loves after she is accused of being a Russian sleeper spy. As the stakes get higher and agents from both countries close in on the agent, Evelyn Salt (Jolie), it becomes uncertain which side she is actually playing for. There are many explosions and many people are killed by Salt. Salt is tortured in one scene and people are stabbed, punched and killed gratuitously. There is no sexual content in the film and language is kept mostly clean. Kids may have trouble following the plotline, but teenagers will have a lot of fun with this fast-moving action thriller.
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Kid, 11 years old
February 23, 2011
AGE
iffy
Love it as a movie. I think it will be fine for ages 11, depends on the kid.
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Teen, 14 years old
January 11, 2011
AGE
agellana joile was alrithgt but borig
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Kid, 12 years old
December 24, 2010
AGE
Salt
Amazing movie. Salt was definetly one of my favorite movies of 2010. It does have alot of violence, two or three sceens I had to look away. Also there is also alot of swearing. The Russians also drink alot of vodka. This thriller will keep you wondering until the end and maybe even after the movie is finished. I would recommend this to anyone 13 and over, but it a spectacularly done movie.
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Parent of 3, 9, and 12 year old
January 15, 2011
AGE
Great for older kids that can follow an in depth storyline...
I really enjoyed it, and the kids seemed moderately entertained. Lots of killing... but if u pay attention one death she actually fakes!
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| Studio: | Columbia Pictures |
| Director: | Phillip Noyce |
| Cast: | Angelina Jolie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Liev Schreiber |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 91 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | July 23, 2010 |
| DVD release date: | December 21, 2010 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | intense sequences of violence and action |
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