Review of American Ultra (2015) by Dean B — 23 Aug 2015

This was probably pitched as "The PIneapple Express" meets "The Bourne Identity," and that's as good a summary as any. Mike (Eisenberg) is an agoraphobe who's afraid to leave his poor West Virginia town; he toils at a supermarket quick-stop and dotes on his too-good-for-him girlfriend Phoebe (Kristen Stewart).

Everything changes when a mystery woman (Connie Britton, kicking butt and taking names) walks into Mike's store and says a strange combination of words, unlocking abilities Mike had apparently been brainwashed into forgetting he'd had; mayhem, courtesy of the CIA, ensues.

The violence is over-the-top and brutal, as was the buzz-killing "Pineapple"'s climax; we barely have time to get to like some characters, such as John Leguizamo's, before we say "adieu.

" If you can get past the gore, there's lots to like here; absurdist humor, a certain degree of style, and even a feminist slant via Britton and Stewart's no-nonsense turns. Future cult status seems highly likely; it'll go great with something to smoke and a couple pizzas.