American Ultra

I had a great time with this movie. Jesse Eisenbergs character is really likable and and laid back, even in the face of explosions and gunshots. It's not An Oscar worthy movie, but it is what it is. A fun action movie.

I just watched it for the 3rd time over the last 6yrs and was still entertained. It's not a perfect movie, but it's fun and if you're just looking for pure entertainment, it's worth the watch: funny moments, full of action and some solid actors (along with a couple so-so ones). Laugher was great and even brought some emotion to his last scene. Flaws: Stewart in the female lead wasn't a great choice and it wasn't Toffer's best acting, the drug dealer was cartoonish and it could've benefited from some additional character development and more details about the back story. I'm giving it 8 stars, because despite all its flaws, it's genuinely an enjoyable watch and you won't be bored. I don't regret watching it... again.

The story of this movie has been told over a million times in recent years. A ...special secret (!) program of the CIA that generates Jason Bourne-like super soldiers. Such programs had over the years lots of cool names like Daylight, Treadstone, etc. etc....so for this movie...Wiseman (!) it is! Wiseman is supposed to cost ...$400,000,000 and American Ultra had a budget of $28,000,000 but it doesn't show...

The movie has an amateurish style and direction. It is aesthetically not pleasing and it looks like they shot it in a parking lot over the course of a weekend.

I'm not a fan of Kristen Stewart but I consider her a good actress with a broad range of facial expressions and emotions and she delivers in this movie too. Topher Grace is adequate too but the rest of the cast looks like they prefer to be somewhere else including Connie Britton and the veteran Bill Pullman.

There are some actions scenes where the mighty spy kicks some ass but overall the movie fails to produce a satisfying result.

Maybe in the hands of a more capable director and a reworked script (written by the son of John Landis) this movie could be better. At least for 90 minutes of action fun...

American ULTRA is an action-packed comedy that doesn't deserve the bad rep it's been getting. The writing was really strong; Max Landis injected clever and quirky dialogue into a pretty simple story, giving it its own definitive personality. There's a ton of pot smoking, there's a whole lot of killing, and Jesse Eisenberg plays a badass action hero. Yea. If you're not down with any of that, don't watch this movie.

The chemistry between Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart, who've worked together before, is one of the best things American ULTRA has going for it. You completely believe them as this young couple; the 'tree and car' metaphor in the film, despite being top-tier pot talk, was quite touching. I can't really say the same thing about Topher Grace though; almost everything he said was outright cringe-worthy and over-the-top. It's strange though because, on paper, his character is a perfect match for the kind of tone this film was going for. Unfortunately, he just ended up feeling out of place.

Many people are describing this movie as a cross between Pineapple Express and Bourne Identity, and it's difficult to argue against that. I know what you're thinking; it's a bizarre marriage indeed. But when you watch this, the amalgamation actually works. The jokes don't always hit, but the action hits hard. And while it's engaging and well choreographed, the film never takes itself too seriously; the balance between stoner comedy and crazy, bloody violent action is handled well, not as seamless as one would hope though. And through all the insanity that transpires, American ULTRA still manages to maintain a heart.

I can positively say that I enjoyed watching American ULTRA. Is it a great movie? Hell no! I wouldn't even call it good, but it's funny when it needs to be, the violence, while excessive at times, always fit the story, and it's original. If you're someone who wants Hollywood to simmer down with all the reboots and sequels, then go see American ULTRA in theatres. You'll have fun and, at the same time, be supporting originality in cinema.

Before he ruined Lex Luthor (popular way of thinking), see him in this. Although you probably have seen Jesse Eisenberg in a couple of other things too I reckon, this is where he does shine with his "special powers". Some may argue if he has more than one thing going for him (acting/power wise), but that would be kind of unfair to him and the movies he did so far.

If you like movies with a weird touch, that have a strange story to tell and are not too squeamish about it, you could do worse. You could also do a bit better of course, but let's not focus on the negative things, but rather on the positives. This is entertaining enough to enjoy for what it is. I don't think it was successful enough to turn it into a series, but it works for what it is