Local reviews 'Salt' after Albany premiere [PHOTOS, VIDEO]

ALBANY -- It's not a Hollywood premiere, but it'll do.

Tonight, the movie Salt starring Angelina Jolie debuted in Albany, where some action scenes from the movie were filmed downtown last spring. 

The doors to the Palace Theater opened at 7 p.m. with the screening at 8. Free tickets were handed out earlier this month over the course of two days and they were gone in a flash.

RELATED:

“Salt” tickets sold out (July 9, 2010)

Albany-filmed scenes seen in new “Salt” trailer (April 1, 2010)

Filming for “Salt” continues; actress Jolie spotted (April 26, 2009)

BLOG: 'Salt' director: Albany's downtown freeways tax-waste tragedy, great for filming (July 21, 2010)

VIEWER REVIEW  

CBS 6 viewer Geoff Arbuckle attended the Albany premiere of "Salt" Thursday night. Here is his review of the film:

No analysis, no over-thought, no need to look into things that aren’t there. “Salt” is nothing more and nothing less than an entertaining spy thriller.

It’s easy – all you have to do is show up and enjoy the ride. Throw in a few twists and a couple chase scenes and you’ve got yourself one of the better spy movies since the “MI” days.

Tom Cruise was an original thought, but according to OkMagazine.com -- Angelina did some better convincing and took it from him. And if you can take anything from comparing “Salt” to “Mission Impossible” – Sony made the right choice.

Beautiful, sexy, cunning and tough as nails. Evelyn Salt is the new “Bourne,” or for gender purposes – the new “La Femme Nikita.”

But what made this movie more than just 100 minutes of over-the-top stunts, unlikely twists and Bond-like escapes from peril, was its setting.

To the greater Capital Region – this movie was more. I stood there, an hour and a half prior to the screening up a block and around the corner from The Palace -- in line.

People were desperate for seats. Asking anyone and everyone if they had extra tickets.

You could sense the excitement in the silent masses as the movie began. How long would it take?

Luckily – we didn’t have to wait long. It was like a kid hearing the ice cream truck off in the distance. That grungy, blue tanker started rolling along the highway underneath her. Surrounded by authorities – backpack and hat on, we all knew what was next. And as quickly as she hit the top of the big rig – the crowds cheered. A seemingly normal high-action chase scene had The Palace Theater entranced. For five minutes cars crashed and characters launched themselves off overpasses with Albany as the backdrop.

It was more than just a movie to us. And yes, perhaps the excitement led people to give a skewed; over exaggerated review of the film and how good it actually was -- but what do you expect?

Once everything settles and you take “Salt” for what it is, it’s simply an exciting story that I assure you – won’t leave you bored.

Combine that with a good supporting cast with the likes of Liev Schreiber (Defiance) and a story that – though unfathomable, is certainly entertaining, and you’ve got yourself what the biz deems a summer blockbuster hit.

Nothing more; nothing less. Just enjoy.

Geoff runs a media production for an up and coming company, Mainline Nation Clothing, and blogs for The Knickerbocker Ledger. You can follow him on Twitter @ArbuckleTV.