"American Ultra" tries very hard to be a good movie. But since it can't decide what kind of movie it wants to be, it misses the mark on all fronts.
For instance, this could have been a good comedy. Jesse Eisenberg plays Mike Howell, a neurotic stoner who spends his days puffing away on an endless supply of joints, drawing cool underground comics, and working as a convenience store clerk. All while trying to work up the nerve to propose to his equally stoned girlfriend (played by Kristen Stewart). It's what he knows and he's happy enough doing it.
What he doesn't know is that he's actually a brainwashed, highly trained, phenomenally deadly CIA asset. One day he gets 'activated' and all hell breaks loose.
The government is out to get him, assassins come out of nowhere, bullets fly, and things explode. Many people die in many inventive ways, most at the hands of poor, confused Jesse Eisenberg. You know how your stoner friend can make a bong out of anything? Eisenberg can use anything to kill a person. If it's handy, it's lethal. Add a supporting cast that includes Topher Grace, John Leguizamo, and Tony Hale and the jokes should write themselves. But director Nima Nourizadeh has his actors take this far-fetched plot far too seriously and what humor there is falls flat.
"American Ultra" could also have been a good action movie. Early on there's a thrilling shoot out that puts you in mind of the famous police station massacre in the original "Terminator". There's another scene later in the movie that reminds you of the department store shoot out in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith". In between, people chase each other, beat each other up, and there's even a drone strike. So there's plenty of action going on. But there's no real momentum to the story. There are good guys and bad guys, but we're never quite sure who is what and therefore the stakes never get as high as they need to be for this to work as an action movie.
Conversely, "American Ultra" could have been a good drama. Eisenberg and Stewart make a very believable couple, as anyone who's seen "Adventureland" can tell you. What's more, their characters here really seem to care about one another. There's a heartfelt scene between the two as they sit observing the clean up after a random car accident. It's honest and poignant and the characters reveal themselves beautifully. Then the movie separates the two for most of the middle section and that connection is lost.
So what we end up with is a mish-mash of styles and stories. Maybe it has something to do with there being too many chefs in the kitchen. Watch the end credits and you'll see that there are 18 different people listed as 'producer'. You'll also notice that four or five different production companies were involved. They say a camel is a horse made by a committee. Maybe that's what happened here.
Still, there are things to like about "American Ultra". Just not enough to make it a good movie of any kind.
For instance, this could have been a good comedy. Jesse Eisenberg plays Mike Howell, a neurotic stoner who spends his days puffing away on an endless supply of joints, drawing cool underground comics, and working as a convenience store clerk. All while trying to work up the nerve to propose to his equally stoned girlfriend (played by Kristen Stewart). It's what he knows and he's happy enough doing it.
What he doesn't know is that he's actually a brainwashed, highly trained, phenomenally deadly CIA asset. One day he gets 'activated' and all hell breaks loose.
The government is out to get him, assassins come out of nowhere, bullets fly, and things explode. Many people die in many inventive ways, most at the hands of poor, confused Jesse Eisenberg. You know how your stoner friend can make a bong out of anything? Eisenberg can use anything to kill a person. If it's handy, it's lethal. Add a supporting cast that includes Topher Grace, John Leguizamo, and Tony Hale and the jokes should write themselves. But director Nima Nourizadeh has his actors take this far-fetched plot far too seriously and what humor there is falls flat.
"American Ultra" could also have been a good action movie. Early on there's a thrilling shoot out that puts you in mind of the famous police station massacre in the original "Terminator". There's another scene later in the movie that reminds you of the department store shoot out in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith". In between, people chase each other, beat each other up, and there's even a drone strike. So there's plenty of action going on. But there's no real momentum to the story. There are good guys and bad guys, but we're never quite sure who is what and therefore the stakes never get as high as they need to be for this to work as an action movie.
Conversely, "American Ultra" could have been a good drama. Eisenberg and Stewart make a very believable couple, as anyone who's seen "Adventureland" can tell you. What's more, their characters here really seem to care about one another. There's a heartfelt scene between the two as they sit observing the clean up after a random car accident. It's honest and poignant and the characters reveal themselves beautifully. Then the movie separates the two for most of the middle section and that connection is lost.
So what we end up with is a mish-mash of styles and stories. Maybe it has something to do with there being too many chefs in the kitchen. Watch the end credits and you'll see that there are 18 different people listed as 'producer'. You'll also notice that four or five different production companies were involved. They say a camel is a horse made by a committee. Maybe that's what happened here.
Still, there are things to like about "American Ultra". Just not enough to make it a good movie of any kind.