Salt is a preposterous, bloated spy thriller that does not appear so preposterous and bloated while in progress. It requires of its audience an unshakable willing suspension of disbelief, and in return keeps its end of the bargain, with leading lady Angelina Jolie leaping onto speeding 18-wheelers, effortlessly gunning down Russian spies and CIA agents alike, and immobilizing her would-be captors while handcuffed in the back of an SUV. Salt doles out one smart, well-executed action scene after another. It could pass as a very expensive b-movie, or as the first entry in a potential blockbuster action series.

Jolie’s CIA officer, Evelyn Salt, spends the majority of the movie on the run following accusations of working for a ring of Russian spies bent on reigniting the Cold War. She is chased by Winter (Schreiber), who believes she is innocent and wants to protect her, and by Peabody (Ejiofor), who believes she is guilty and wants to kill her. We do not immediately know the truth — does it matter? It is action for action’s sake. It is easy to get lost in these scenes, to forget who is chasing her or why. Like last week’s Inception, Salt is exhilarating enough to grant audiences permission to enjoy themselves without calling immediate attention to the surrounding mayhem and illogicality. There is enough hammy dialogue and superhero-like physicality here to fill a dozen pulp comics. This is intentional, done in honor of the genre and in the name of fun. It is clear the filmmakers had a great time making Salt — why should we not have a great time watching it?