This isn't really all that surprising though. The script, from Kurt Wimmer – a writer and director well known for his sloppy cinematic thievery – plays like a greatest hits of the spy thriller genre, knocking off at least six or seven films by my count (probably more). A dash of Bourne Identity series here, a pinch of Die Another Day, From Russia With Love and Mission: Impossible III there, a little Manchurian Candidate for flavor, and a hint of Three Days of the Condor and voila... you've got Salt. There's even a few winks to the Jack Ryan series, of which director Phillip Noyce was a part, having directed Clear and Present Danger.
But despite its sloppy, often outlandish story and obvious twists, the film does work -- if only as an enjoyably intense and surprisingly bleak B-movie that rarely lets up once it gets going. The supporting cast is a delight, chewing scenery as often as possible. And Angelina Jolie does her best with her somewhat blank heroine. Admittedly though, the spy thriller genre is getting a little worn out for the popular actress. This is, at least, the fourth spy/hitman thriller Jolie has worked on, and she's got a fifth (The Tourist) in theaters now. While Salt is probably her best spy effort to date, it's time to move on to a different genre, or find a franchise and stick with it.
As far as spy thrillers go, Salt never really exceeds any preconceived expectations. It focuses far too much on mindless action, and less on the film's more intriguing subtext. There's never a moment where we're allowed to explore the characters in ways classic genre thrillers have done in the past. This doesn't render Salt an unwatchable experience, just an occasionally taxing one. Had the film perhaps cost a little less ($50-60 million instead of $110), it might have been forced to actually focus more on what really matters, and we might have seen a far more enthralling thriller. But, if you're in it for the exciting action cues, the film delivers in spades. If you're looking for a meaningful spy thriller, though, Salt might provide some entertainment and a few gritty thrills, but it will ultimately disappoint.
Salt comes to Blu-ray as a feature-packed "Deluxe Unrated Edition." Oddly though, the film is missing the usual DVD/Digital Copy of the film. Sony has included not one, but two extended versions of the film, as well as the original 100-minute theatrical cut. Quite surprisingly, the differences here between each version are somewhat vast, especially the 104-minute "Extended Director's Cut" which alters the ending significantly and rearranges a few sequences for a more brutal, gritty, pessimistic take. The 101-minute "Extended" cut also adds a few scenes (while removing others), rearranges some scenes, and features another alternate ending. As an added bonus, the Blu-ray includes a footage marker so audiences can see what's been changed. Of the three cuts, I found the "Director's Cut" to be the most satisfying, though each version is quite interesting in its own way.
The BD50 AVC encode is a pretty major upgrade from the somewhat murky DVD. Gone are the nasty shadows, uneven blacks and occasionally hazy color banding. Now, the film boasts far more texture, depth and details, and generally just looks better overall. Obviously, the film's cinematography is still flat, but this transfer does its absolute best to give the film's visuals some serious pop. Fans should be pleased with the results.
Also magnificent is the disc's high-res 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix, which delivers an even more rousing, epic presentation than the 5.1 DD mix on the DVD. Bass cues come rather often during this finely mixed, aggressive track. Dialogue comes off crisp and clean, and surround channels are given a hefty workout, particularly during the film's exciting action beats. While I would still hold off calling this mix reference, it's certainly praiseworthy, and should give your system a nice workout.
Standard extras (featured on both the DVD and Blu-ray) include two dull EPK featurettes (totaling less than 15 minutes), a radio interview with director Phillip Noyce, and a commentary track, also from Noyce. The two featurettes are pretty pointless, but the insightful radio interview and engaging commentary make up for the faults.
BD-exclusive materials delve much deeper into the narrative, as well as the film's spy-thriller roots. For starters there are four additional featurettes. "Real Agents" is an interesting 12-minute featurette highlighting real spies who discuss what the world of espionage is really like. "Salt: Declassified" is a fairly informative 30-minute making-of featurette, complete with cast and crew interviews and on-set behind the scenes footage. "False Identity: Creating a New Reality" examines the film's special effects. And finally, "The Modern Master of the Political Thriller" is a weak, back-patting look at director Phillip Noyce.
The Blu-ray also includes a wonderful, behind-the-scenes making-of picture-in-picture track titled "Spy Cam." I highly recommend giving it a look. Finally, the disc features BD-Live connectivity, movieIQ, previews and bookmarking functionality. All featurettes are presented in high definition.
Salt is a film filled with entertaining set pieces and a generous amount of action, and the supporting cast is a true delight. But the film borrows far too much from other spy thrillers to prove fresh or original. And Jolie is starting to wear a little thin playing a spy/hitman character. That said, this Blu-ray delivers plenty of thrills, some nifty bonus features, three cuts of the film, and a terrific high-definition presentation. The film might not be as fresh as we had hoped, but this disc makes the experience worthwhile.