6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.2 |
Before becoming a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt swore an oath to duty, honor, and country. She will prove loyal to these when a defector accuses her of being a Russian sleeper spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture, protect her husband, and stay one step ahead of her colleagues at the CIA.
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Daniel Olbrychski, August DiehlAction | 100% |
Thriller | 57% |
Adventure | 50% |
Crime | 23% |
Martial arts | 15% |
Mystery | 3% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Bonus View (PiP)
BD-Live
movieIQ
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
We bring her in or we bring her down.
Phillip Noyce is kind of like the cinematic equivalent of the author who churns out those readable but not necessarily memorable paperback Spy
Thrillers that sell for $4.99 at the grocery store checkout isle. Movies like Clear and Present Danger, Patriot Games, and The Saint are all solid if unexceptional Thrillers
that deliver reasonable entertainment in a slick package but aren't the kind of movies that are going to go down as cinema legends or even the elite of
their genre. Noyce's latest film, Salt, isn't going to find a place of prominence, either, but it's still the director's crowning achievement, his
finest film considering not only its technical prowess but the quality of its story. Salt is a deceptively good movie, one that looks like another
recycled bore on the surface but that instead offers up a wonderfully suspenseful narrative that's packed with fantastic twists and turns, all on top of
some of the slickest action of the year.
Angelina Jolie: Bourne for the part of Evelyn Salt.
Salt's 1080p high definition Blu-ray transfer is exceptional. The transfer is practically flawless, with anything resembling a problem -- a few soft elements and colors that appear a bit washed out, both of which are primarily confined to the beginning of the movie or in flashback scenes -- seeming to be more a result of filmmaker intent than an error in the transfer process. Generally, this is wonderful image that's typical of an exemplary Blu-ray transfer from 2010. Detail is rich and striking at every turn, with faces revealing more information than the actors would probably like while the transfer picks up every minute texture around various cityscapes. Concrete, street signs, building façades, and the like are all gorgeously rendered both in the foreground and in backgrounds where clarity remains impeccable and detailing strong. The image enjoys a fine sense of depth, helped primarily by the amazing detailing that's evident even in the furthest and most inconsequential corners of the frame. Colors are well balanced, too, the transfer offering little in the way of bright and dazzling hues but handling the grays of the urban jungle, Jolie's blonde and jet-black hair, and other shades with satisfying precision. Blacks are decent but speckled with noise, though flesh tones appear accurate in every scene. Salt is accompanied by a fine layer of grain that adds the finishing touches to a wonderful film-like texture. Banding, aliasing, and other eyesores appear absent. This is another first-class transfer from Sony.
Salt's DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack approaches the pinnacle of what brand-new films on Blu-ray should sound like. Much like its video presentation, Salt's soundtrack lives up to every reasonable expectation and never looks back, delivering a full-bodied and nearly seamless listen that's the perfect compliment to a modern-day Action/Thriller. From the opening moments as heavy metal doors slam open within the hellish confines of a dank North Korean prison, listeners will know that they're in for a treat. That effect -- and everything else about the track, for that matter -- is big, spacious, and refined, supported by plenty of surround sound delights that compliment rather than dominate the proceedings. The picture's action scenes are, of course, the highlight; explosions and gunshots are both expertly handled, each delivering plenty of raw power but also managing to feature faultless clarity as the sounds pound through the listening area and transport the listener into the middle of the mayhem. The track also handles other big-time sound effects with ease; a semi that rumbles down a highway in chapter six feels as if it's practically powering its way through the listening area, marking one of several such superb moments in the film. The surround channels carry action effects, music, and atmospherics, all seamlessly balanced and helping to create a 360-degree sound field. Whether minute but critical atmospherics such as general office clatter or voices that echo through a cavernous church and, by extension, around the soundstage, the track never comes up short in seamlessly integrating any number of sonic delights, both grand and unassuming alike. Dialogue is prioritized up the middle, and while a few syllables here and there seem to have a bit too much bass in tow, the spoken word never strains for clarity. Salt's lossless soundtrack is dynamic and exciting, adjectives that describe plenty of Sony's stellar soundtracks.
Salt pours out a nice array of extra content for this Blu-ray release. Included is a splendid audio commentary, a picture-in-picture track, and
several
featurettes. The disc also features three cuts of the film: theatrical, unrated director's and unrated extended, all of which offer different endings, the
third cut inserting something that's a wholesale change from what's included in the other two cuts.
Salt is a smart and very well made Thriller that's not content to simply follow formula. Phillip Noyce's latest picture is easily his finest, not only showcasing top-rate action scenes that are some of the best around, but telling a story that's as engaging and surprising as longtime genre fans could want. The twists and turns and big action pieces will leave audiences more than satisfied, particularly considering that Salt had "everyday Thriller" written all over it by the look of the promotional materials. With its good performances and numerous surprises that keep on coming right until the final few seconds, Salt is easily one of the more pleasant surprises of 2010. Sony has once again turned in a first-class effort, this time with Salt; the Blu-ray disc features top-quality video and audio alongside a strong array of bonus features. Highly recommended.
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