Salt opened in second place after another #1 Inception weekend as strong word of mouth sustained Inception's second win in a row. Even on Friday, at several industry parties here in San Diego for Comic-Con, I heard from several Hollywood players pronouncing that Inception would top Salt although the Jolie's headlining $37 million take is considered respectable, if not unremarkable. After all, this is a woman, perhaps the only woman in the business, who can open an action film with no built-in comic or novel fanbase, carrying a healthy start on her own.

Now it's time to work the international box office where Salt should recoup its budget and more.

So here she is, full Russian drama in red, wearing a Susan Lucci pageant gown with that fringe and matching lips. Daytime Emmys meets socialite Euro. But my Jolie is not a Hungarian soap opera star. Why is she dressing like one? Hate it. And those bony legs...the thinness is really aging her. Imagine how much more beautiful she'd be if she put on some weight?

After getting mobbed in Russia, Angelina took off for Japan, arriving in Tokyo today with four of the six Pitt kids, putting on a display of family happiness that you will undoubtedly see on every blog and website through the morning, especially since The Chosen One Shiloh came along in her signature "Montenegro" steeze. Her cute is matched by her brother Pax. That suit is killing me, as is the photo of the Jolie supposedly (according to the paps) giving Maddox sh-t for messing around with his brother ... Just Like Us! Or, rather, you!

What timing? Why not plan a family holiday when the studio is paying for the plane? The studio surely doesn't mind the expense if the kids get trotted out for free marketing to spend some time with the Hello Kitties who will lose their sh-t, as they always do, when Angelina blesses them with the Jolie treatment at the premiere.

No, they're not losing money on Salt.


Photos from Wenn.com and YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/Gettyimages.com