Just got back from seeing Salt.  As a rogue spy on-the-run action thriller, it doesn't do anything that the Bourne series hasn't done better, but it's still a decent contender.  The story places the movie's tagline at the forefront: "Who is Salt?" is a question that keeps the audience guessing, and the titular character's motives and allegiances are constantly at odds with one another.  With espionage and Russian sleeper agents taking center stage, there's a modern day Cold War element to the proceedings, and plot twists are a frequent occurrence.

And then there's Angelina Jolie, who's very much in her element here.  She does a literal bang-up job with her role as Evelyn Salt.  She really gets into the throes of the high-octane action, moreso than any other movie she's done before, and she looks pretty damned good doing it.  Attribute that to excellent production values, too; it may have the big bang factor of producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, but it's director Phillip Noyce's workmanship quality that puts the film into sharp focus.

James Newton Howard's music score also impresses.  I didn't take a whole lot away from his recent work in The Last Airbender, but he provides Salt with a kinetically charged, intelligent sound that's head and shoulders above many other straight-up action movie soundtracks this year.  It's lean and muscular, but like The Last Airbender, thematically barren.

If there are qualms with the film, the biggest one I believe people will have is with the ending.  Personally, I see it as self-contained in its own way, but they're unquestionably leaving this one open to possible sequels.  Another problem is that not nearly enough time is spent with August Diehl's character.  He's sort of the emotional core that drives Jolie's Salt, and that resonance is lost as a result.  From what's been said, there were a lot more of his scenes shot, but then taken out of the final cut.  (You can tell, since quite a bit that was featured in the trailer is present no more.)  Finally, this is the sort of film that just seemed to be vying for a R-rating.  Several sequences are brutal enough in concept, it's just a shame the toned down rating doesn't allow them to reach their full, visceral potential.

Of the two, I ended up enjoying Salt more than Knight and Day.  The former sets out to take itself more seriously, but at least it remains consistent, and doesn't flounder into a stupor like the latter.  Comparative to other like-minded spy films in recent times, it's much, much better than the abysmal Quantum of Solace, but certainly not as good as Casino Royale or, again, the Bourne trilogy.