Review of American Ultra (2015) by Cheryl F — 04 Sep 2015

The trailer really sold me on this movie. This looked like a mash-up of "Bourne Identity" and "Pineapple Express". An R rated action-comedy flick about an unassuming stoner brain switching into a lethal assassin? I'll see that. And the movie does deliver on the action side, but unfortunately not as much on the comedy side.

What I really liked about "American Ultra" was its setting. Taking place in bumfuck nowhere, West Virginia, the chaos really feels isolated and cut off from mainstream society, giving it a cool dark indie feel. Another positive for me is the unapologetic mean spirited tone and bloody violence throughout the movie. If this were a romantic-comedy or a teen/family friendly adventure, the tone would be a huge detriment, but it fits fine for a stoner action film. The action scenes themselves are visceral and fun, but the movie itself could've used one more big fight scene in the middle to even out the pacing a bit.

One thing that surprised me was the chemistry between Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart. They play very well off each other and I rooted for them as a couple. Pretty much all of the supporting cast does a good job considering the material they had to work with.

Where "American Ultra" comes up rather short is delivering laughs. There are many many moments where it tries to be humorous, but it just doesn't pull it off. The humor is rather dry and forced and it keeps the tone grimmer than it should be. If the jokes were more creative, light-hearted, and frequent, the movie could've been a pretty fun time.

I did expect more from "American Ultra" than what I got, but it wasn't at all unpleasant to sit through. It's perfectly watchable as a rental.