shadow_blade-89459 "American Ultra" (2015) is a hilarious action comedy that plays on the "what ifs" of someone with a creative imagination. The film is about stoner, Mike Howell, played by Jesse Eisenberg, as he struggles to understand his newly activated abilities as a sleeper agent as the CIA tries to kill him. Nothing he knows seems to make sense anymore including the love of his life, his girlfriend, Phoebe Larson played by Kirsten Stewart. This film made me relive the crazy undercover agent thoughts I had as a child because it has very silly, childlike storyline that proves to be entertaining.Though this film has an enjoyable story, I couldn't help but notice the visual effects were a little hit and miss. For example, all the explosions and blood on the actors appeared realistic, but some of the impact splatters looked amateur. It seems almost as if all the effects budget was spent on the explosions, but not enough was put toward the digital effects. If the audience can get past those minor miscues, this film is worth viewing.

Ayal Oren Saw it last night on TV, and it did make me think. The plot is obviously silly and filled with huge holes and contradictions. But this is part of the territory of the sub-genre it so evidently parodies. That is the secret agent who was trained into a super human killing machine, combined with the damaged start. In a way it's a satirical version of La Femme Nikita, with hints toward Jason Bourne and The Long Kiss Goodnight.So, that's what the movie parodies, but if it didn't have any satirical aim, the whole thing would've been a waste of time money and talent, and if one misses the satire, that what one is left with. Well I find it to be a rather pointed satire of the Bureaucratic new attitude to spying, in which people are assets and life or death are simple side effects of managerial decision.The entire thing is a very tricky combination, since the plot is riddled with problems, as I already mentioned. But Jesse Eisenberg delivers a fantastic performance as the stoner who's a killing machine and doesn't know it. Topher Grace is also brilliant as a bureaucrat who got promoted into a position of power he doesn't understand, and still looks at the world as one big administrative system which bureaucracy can control and manage. The others perform their roles all right, but without Eisenberg and Grace the whole construction crumbles as a house of cards. With the two of them it's a fairly enjoyable experience.

ecology0 I like action adventure and I like comedy, and there have been some successful combinations of the genres of late; (Spy, Red, Red2). This one did not fail to please. Excellent performances all round as the initially gormless lead goes from total shock about the re-emergence of abilities from....he knows not where, to boilerplate action hero.

SnoopyStyle Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg) is stuck in the small town of Liman, West Virginia. His girlfriend Phoebe Larson (Kristen Stewart) is the only good thing in his life. He's a convenience store clerk and has panic attacks whenever he tries to leave town. CIA Agent Victoria Lasseter (Connie Britton) is told that her Ultra program and Mike is to be eliminated by her CIA rival Adrian Yates (Topher Grace). Victoria goes to activate Mike turning him into a skilled action hero.The basic premise has good potential and Eisenberg could be fun as an action lead. The CIA stuff is distracting and Topher Grace is barely functional in his role. The movie would improve by cutting out half of that part. The potential is never fully realized. There are fun moments that could have been much better. I can't pinpoint the exact problem but much of the blame has to be laid at the feet of sophomore director Nima Nourizadeh who made the indie party movie Project X. There are numerous little problems that add up to be a bit of a disappointment.