American Ultra [DVD + Digital]

A different take on the action hero. It was refreshing and fun.

I am a fan of Kristen Stewarts and while I know she isn’t everyone’s cup of tea as an actress I feel like this was one of her best roles to date. (I think she slays in everything… very understated acting) But the premise of the movie really resonates with the MK Ultra Program we have all heard so much about. The movie was funny, action packed and very entertaining. A must see!

Great Premise and Plot! And some great acting by a cast made up of excellent actors.... with one exception... This may be a personal bias but I find Jesse Eisenberg to be extraordinarily irritating.First... he always plays slouching, weak-willed wimps... in every... single... movie... that he is in. I know it is his "shtick" and that kind of character no-doubt appeals to a certain demographic out there... but he ALWAYS plays that kind of character so I don't see much "acting" going on...And even though the point of this movie is that he IS that kind of character but can turn into a super-killer when put in a stressful situation... he is SO wimpy and weak-willed the rest of the time that it destroys the occasional "go get-em dude!"-moments that could have saved this movie.Here's a little hint for the producers and directors... if you are shooting for "deeply emotional", "quirky" or even " troubled but loveable" when you create the kind of character that Mr. Eisenberg seems to do so well.... you are only making them come across as "weak", "wimpy" and "unable to function like an adult"... and therefore, when you suddenly try to "toughen up" the character (like in this movie or "Zombieland" or "Cursed", etc.), it only makes the character look even more contrived... and unbelievable.Moving on to the rest of the cast...I feel like Topher Grace (as the over-top-evil-bureaucrat) did a great job of being hate-able, but the director (or writer) let his antics get so out of hand that it sometimes became as unbelievable as Mr. Eisenbergs "wimp-turned-killer" premise.Walton Coggins, as usual, did an AMAZING job of playing the sad and childlike psychotic "Laugher"... the character could have become another over-the-top freak that was so outlandish that he totally misses the mark, but he makes the character so interesting that you hope there is a spin-off movie just for him!Nearly every other major and minor character did a great job and truly saved the movie for me... but when the main character is so irritating and unbelievable, even a great plot and lots of action cannot completely redeem things.In conclusion... if you watch the action and acting in the supporting scenes, you'll love this movie! But if you focus on the main character too much, you may walk away feeling oddly unsatisfied.

I thought this was sort of fun. A few surprises here and there. The film is different. It took me a while to figure out a few things, but I like a challenge. American Ultra has a quirky plot, which is one of the reasons I like it.I've upped my rating from four to five stars. I've watched the film again. It has a mesmerizing effect. There's an eerie quality to the mostly people-less small town where most of the action takes place.The all-time loser works in a shoddy convenient store that never seems to have any business. In addition to his mindless store duties (which he seems to relish), he creates Apollo Ape comic cartoons while on duty. He seems to have no ambition beyond getting high and remaining safely within the perimeters of his humdrum existence. That all changes when a CIA nutcase decides to terminate an unknown sleeper agent.The film actually begins after all the action has occurred with the tattered hero detailing to a CIA interrogator what happened during the fateful days. He confesses early that his girlfriend is the best aspect of his life. The romance is beautiful because of what the hero and heroine are willing to sacrifice for each other. (But, that is one goofy ugly ring.)The lead actor rocks his role. He maintains a certain amount of fragility, vulnerability and gentleness while being forced to lethally defend his life. Actually, the whole cast delivers some great character roles.Like a good agent, the hero never forgets his one major objective (no matter what happens – like the town being blown to smithereens); that objective is to propose to his girlfriend.The film is very loosely based upon the CIA's MX-Ultra mind-control experiments. Apollo Ape seems to have a premonition of upcoming events, and he comes to life through his unwitting author.My main critique is that I don't like all the unnecessary F-bombs. Go ahead – blow peoples' heads off – just don't cuss while you're doing it.After watching this film, my only goal now in life is to be activated.

Funny and well-acted and fun to watch.