BLU-RAY REVIEW

Salt

Featured In Issue 153, January 2011

Picture5
Sound5
WSR Score5
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
35011
(MPAA Rating):
Unrated / PG-13
(Rating Reason):
Intense sequences of violence and action
(Retail Price):
$34.95
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
104 / 101 / 100
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
A, B & C
(Theatrical Year):
2010
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
12/21/10
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Phillip Noyce
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS HD Lossless 5.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(French Language):
(Spanish Language):
(Chinese Language):
(Subtitles):
(Cantonese Language):
(Mandarin Language):
(Japanese Language):
(Italian Language):
(German Language):
(Portuguese Language):

As a CIA officer, Evelyn "Salt" (Jolie) swore an oath to duty, honor, and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture. Salt's efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues, and the question remains: "Who is Salt?" (Gary Reber)

The Deluxe Unrated Edition Blu-ray includes three versions of the film, including the original theatrical film (01:39:59) plus an additional unrated director's cut (01:44:04) and extended cut (01:41:04) not seen in theatres, with two alternate endings. Special features include a filmmaker commentary; Spy Cam: Picture-In-Picture Bonus View on the theatrical version; six featurettes: "The Ultimate Female Action Hero" (HD 08:05), "The Real Agents" (SD 12:33), "Spy Disguise: The Looks Of Evelyn Salt" (SD 05:26), "The Modern Master Of The Political Thriller: Phillip Noyce" (SD 09:15), "False Identity: Creating A New Reality" (HD 07:14), and "Salt: Declassified" (HD 29:47); a radio interview with Director Phillip Noyce (HD 27:12); up-front previews; and BD-Live functionality.

The 2.40:1 1080p AVC picture is cinematic throughout and exhibits a natural appearance. The color palette is nicely balanced, with rich and warm hues. Contrast is excellent with deep, solid blacks and revealing shadow delineation. Resolution is inconsistent, with some scenes exhibiting a soft appearance, while other scenes, and in particular, close-ups of facial features and object textures, revealing subtle detail. The cinematography creates an emotional visual trance that is effectively thrilling throughout. The action scenes are riveting. This is an absolutely engaging visual experience that never lets up. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is absolutely exciting, with an incredibly active James Newton Howard orchestral music score that presents an aggressive enveloping surround presence and enhances the sense of holosonic® immersion. The prominent music, recorded and mixed by Shawn Murphy, is wonderfully dynamic, expansive, and engaging throughout, for a thrilling enveloping sonic experience. The other sound elements, such as atmospheric effects and Foley, are effectively supportive. Soundfield directionality is excellent, with effective pans and locational effects. Deep bass extension in the .1 LFE channel is effective and provides a sub-25 Hz low-frequency foundation that heightens the suspense. Unfortunately, dialogue is less than desirable, with problematic intelligibility at times and wanting spatial integration. While dialogue is not exemplary, the overall excellence of the other elements ranks this as a thrilling soundtrack experience. (Gary Reber)