Review of American Ultra (2015) by Harry W — 24 Apr 2016

Despite maintaining a polarized response, my fondness for action comedy films caused American Ultra to catch my eye.

Though I had heard it was an action comedy, I had to repeatedly check online to assure myself that American Ultra is considered a comedy film. There was certainly enough action in the film to constitute the first part of its generic contract, but I have no reason to believe that American Ultra is a comedy. The story is essentially a watered down version of Pineapple Express (2006) combined with elements of an action formula which is all too familiar. It's about two stoned protagonists who get caught up in government conspiracy which reveals the protagonist to be a sleeper agent with swift abilities. The concept is ludicrous and just manages to keep getting dumber as the film goes on without enough gimmicks to actually carry the film anywhere. There isn't any kind of genuine development or hooks in the dialogue to progress any sense of development forward in the film at any point whatsoever. I didn't find any point in American Ultra where I cared about anything or laughed at it, but boredom was certainly a recurring theme which really makes it a difficult thing to recommend.

You can tell that it has the best intentions as a film with the appeal of its stars and laid-back approach to the drama in an action narrative, but its tonal inconsistency is too hard to look past. Writing credit goes to Max Landis who proves that the comedic genius of his father John Landis is not hereditary. While Chronicle (2012) displayed his potential as a writer, American Ultra is far more reliant on an excess of pre-established formulaic plot points which it fails to divert in an creative directions and instead just takes itself far too seriously to encourage laughter among audiences. Amid the serious obsession of the film there is no genuine drama to enjoy though, because the narrative also manages to come up short on thrills and characters. Oddly enough, American Ultra relies so heavily on action formula while pretending that it doesn't and eventually just collapses under the weight of genre indecision.

Still, there are certainly some stylish elements of American Ultra to be more favourable of. With its small budget American Ultra is not one to rely on big set pieces and visual effects to disguise action incompetence. Instead, there is a reliance on visual technique and actual choreography to execute it which is something I can certainly respect since most Hollywood action films these days seem bent on ruining everything that makes the genre iconic. The action scenes in American Ultra make use of well-placed cinematography and timely editing which unfolds against an energetic soundtrack to give an empowering feel to everything. The experience is bolstered all the more by the rather large quantity of blood and gore which encourages reality in the experience and finds fun in violence. There is particularly one cool scene towards the end of the story which takes place entirely in a single shot and displays Jesse Eisenberg showing off extended fight choreography against multiple characters. This signifies that American Ultra could have done more as an action film, but with a generic plot and an endless circulation of juvenile dialogue and cliche dramatic story elements, it has nothing to offer. If maybe there was some action to distract viewers, then the film could have succeeded in at least one of its three genres. But the sporadic entertainment offered to audiences as an action film within American Ultra play second fiddle to its obsession with dull drama supposed comic elements, neither of which give anything of lasting value to the experience.

If audiences are die-hard fans of the cast, then perhaps that will be enough because there is certainly a lot of talent on board in American Ultra.

Jesse Eisenberg is among the better things to enjoy in American Ultra. Proving his worth in both comedy and action with his leading effort in Zombieland (2009), American Ultra is a walk in the park for Jesse Eisenberg. Rather than laying it on too thick, Jesse Eisenberg takes a restrained approach to his performance and brings a feeling of confused isolation to it which is an ideal fit for the character. He carries genuine humanity in the part, yet at the same time he manages to move with the swift speed of an action hero in the right scenes. The contrast is quite large, but he proves more than capable of achieving both sides to the character and maintaining it with a consistent level of engagement for the entire film. Jesse Eisenberg's natural charms make him a somewhat compelling lead, even if there is nothing to bring humour out of him in the process.

I was optimistic about the casting of Kristen Stewart after seeing the extent of her charisma in Still Alice (2014), and it paid off because Kristen Stewart delivers a consistently engaging performance in American Ultra. Due to the rather spaced-out nature of her character it is clearly a good fit for her, and so even though her character is a pathetic archetype she still manages to draw charm from Kristen Stewarts. Amid the obsession with taking the film seriously, Kristen Stewart approaches her role as an emotionally vulnerable woman caught in a complicated situation and delivers it with actual feeling. The result is a likable character who shares a restrained yet touching chemistry with her male counterpart and gives audiences more to care about within the story. Kristen Stewart's lead effort in American Ultra is a sign that even in the face of lacklustre material, the Golden Raspberry award-winning lead actress from the abhorrent Twilight (2008-2012) film series does in fact have some credible talent to offer as an actress.

Walton Goggins is also a good touch. Given that 2015 served as the year where he gave the greatest performance of his entire career in The Hateful Eight (2015), another display of his raw edge is nothing short of welcome. The role relies solely on his gimmick for portraying insanity with elements of comedy to it, and he caters to that with aggressive dedication. The man plays the part as being truly insane, a higher standard than the role really demanded in the first place and a reminder of just how talented the actor is. Walton Goggins delivers antagonism with straight ease in American Ultra, and he makes a consistently rich presence.

I've always had mixed feelings about John Leguizamo as an actor, but American Ultra reminded me why I've derided his efforts in countless films. The man's mimicry of an African-American stereotype is intentionally pretentious, but it is excessive beyond any sense of humour and cringe-worthy to say the least. His brief appearance in American Ultra is ridiculously awful, and oddly enough its the one sign of the film attempting any real jokes while displaying how much Nima Nourizadeh is divorced from the concept of humour. John Leguizamo transcends the excessively serious story to claim the status of the least-funny part of American Ultra.

Topher Grace isn't a funny addition either, and there is no intimidation that comes with his role as the antagonist of the story. The presence of Bill Pullman and Lavell Crawford are the only minor cast members who are likely to bring any joy to audiences due to the former's long history in cinema and the latter's status as a popular stand-up comedian.

Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart carry American Ultra with inexplicable dedicated performances, but beneath them is an obsessive reliance on action formula without any compelling drama to bolster their efforts or comedy to detract from the excessively serious tone, the film wastes a handful of decent action scenes on a film which has nothing to do with them.