American Ultra: Blu-ray Review
The Movie:
Mike (Eisenberg) shares a small-town life with his girlfriend Phoebe (Stewart). But Mike’s sleepy world goes wild after he discovers that he’s actually a CIA sleeper agent with lethal fighting skills-and the target of government hitmen. Mike, the ultimate slacker, transforms into an ultra-attacker as he and Phoebe fight to survive in this exhilarating adventure.
If you would’ve just thrown this movie at me and said that it’s a stoner spy movie I would’ve thrown it back at you and said “No thank you.”. It just doesn’t seem like it’s the right combination but I’ll tell you right now that after about 30 minutes in I totally “got it”. It had the perfect blend of action and adventure with stoner jokes thrown in sporadically and kind of had this Mr. and Mrs. Smith vibe to it at the same time. I think the thing that grabbed me the most was the sleeper agent element and how this seemingly normal guy was activated and could do amazing things. The supporting characters in the film were all very “out there” and for the most part they were very likable except Topher Grace. He somehow manages to get cast in films where he is always the one that people don’t like or that comes off as a whiny asshole and this film was no exception. Don’t get me wrong, it makes for a good villain but I feel like he has a great acting ability but always seems like he’s not giving his full potential. I’m not really a Kristen Stewart fan but she was actually pretty enjoyable in this film. It was nice to see her in an action film rather than the usual indie or fantasy films that she does. Eisenberg is his usual self but it’s that quality that makes his quirkiness work really good with this character. Is this the best movie that I’ve seen? Far from it BUT it is a lot of fun to watch and will cure you of any boredom that you may have. It’s at least worth checking out if you have some time. 7/10
Special Features:
Activating American Ultra – A pretty extensive BTS feature that shows the ins and outs of making the film.
Assassinating on a Budget – A quick feature with clips of Mike trying to figure out the most cost effective way of killing someone.
Gag Reel – Hilarious collection of line flubs and goofing off on set.
Audio Commentary with Director Nima Nourizadeh
