‘American Ultra’ one of the more enjoyable films this summer
Synopsis
Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg) wants to share more than just love and pot with his girlfriend, Phoebe (Kristen Stewart), and plans to propose to her in Hawaii. After an unsuccessful attempt to board a plane, they head home and Mike tries to think of a better time and place to propose. Meanwhile, CIA agent Victoria Lasseter (Connie Britton) learns that her new boss, Adrian Yates (Topher Grace), is going to terminate her program “wise man” and all the assets connected to it, including Mike. Victoria decides to activate Mike to give him a chance to survive, but thanks to years of smoking weed, nothing seems to happen when she says the code words to him. Will Mike be able to remember his training in time to save his girlfriend and himself from Yates?
“American Ultra” was one of the most enjoyable films we’ve seen this summer. Its fast pace and amusing dialogue will keep you entertained for an hour and a half. Stewart did a great job in her role as Mike’s girlfriend. Eisenberg has yet to disappoint. His portrayal of a stoner hippie experimental CIA hitman is great, and almost every funny moment is derived from him. Director Nima Nourizadeh takes this complex and dark idea and flips it on its head, producing a simple, fun and funny action comedy.
What worked
One of the things we enjoyed about this film was the special effects. What blew us away was how they made each action scene look realistic, and it wasn’t over the top with explosions or 10-minute fistfights. Eisenberg does a stellar job playing Mike; he embodies everything that was entertaining about this film. . The chemistry between Eisenberg and Stewart is palpable, creating a couple that feels very real. We did like seeing John Leguizamo play a paranoid drug dealer, and although he only has a few lines in this film, they are some of the funniest. Walton Goggins was by far our favorite antagonist, mixing charm, insanity and childlike naiveté to form a unique bad guy, a window to showing what Mike could have been. We also enjoyed the humor in this film. There were plenty of scenes that had us laughing, but we really liked the subtle and underlying jokes. The writers do a good job of making fun of everything from the government to action films.
What didn’t work
With how enjoyable this film was, there were a couple of parts that didn’t blend well. I thought Grace overacted his character, which already is an over-the-top villain. This might be nitpicking, but we could’ve gotten more of a backstory on how Mike became an assassin. Also, there was nothing groundbreaking in the film. After Mike is activated, the plot becomes very predictable, and we could guess what was going to happen at the beginning of every scene.
While the film was enjoyable, we realize that a violent action romantic comedy isn’t for everyone. It is nothing mind-blowing, but overall this film was very entertaining, and we highly (no pun intended) recommend seeing it, at home or in the theaters. We give this film a blunt 7 out of 10.
Nate Gomes and Dylan McMullen are friends and co-workers who have worked as local television videographers, producers and editors for more than seven years. If you have any questions or comments about their movie reviews, you can contact them through email at watchmenmoviereviews@gmail.com.
‘American Ultra’
Movie rating: 7 / 10
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg as Mike Howell, Kristen Stewart as Phoebe Larson, Topher Grace as Adrian Yates, Connie Britton as Victoria Lasseter, Walton Goggins as Laugher, John Leguizamo as Rose
This story was originally published August 28, 2015 at 3:21 PM with the headline "‘American Ultra’ one of the more enjoyable films this summer."