Movie Review: American Ultra

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American Ultra

Release Day:  August 21, 2015
Director:  Nima Nourizadeh
Writer: Max Landis
Main Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Connie Britton, Topher Grace, John Leguizamo, Walton Goggins, Tony Hale.
MPAA Rating: R (for strong bloody violence, language throughout, drug use and some sexual content)
Genres: Action | Comedy | Adventure
Running Time: 1 hr. 39 min.

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American Ultra is a fast-paced action comedy about Mike (Eisenberg), a seemingly hapless and unmotivated stoner whose small-town life with his live-in girlfriend, Phoebe (Stewart), is suddenly turned upside down. Unbeknownst to him, Mike is actually a highly trained, lethal sleeper agent. In the blink of an eye, as his secret past comes back to haunt him, Mike is thrust into the middle of a deadly government operation and is forced to summon his inner action-hero in order to survive.

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American Ultra revolves around pothead Mike (Eisenberg) and his live-in girlfriend, Phoebe. Things start off with Mike having some sort of a panic attack at the airport thus ending the start to what was supposed to be an incredible vacation in Hawaii. Turning around and heading back to Liman, West Virginia just means he’s more messed up than he thought. Working at the convince store Mike entertains himself with fixing things on the shelves, change the sign out front and his ever amazing “Apollo Ape” comic he invented to entertain himself.

 Imagine his surprise when he’s about to start eating his soup that he see’s two very suspicious guys trying to do something to his car. Next thing you know these insanely well-trained killers are coming after him. Much to his own surprise his mind kicks in and armed only with a spoon and a cup of noodles things get out of hand very quickly. You see, things aren’t always what they look like. Before Mike was a stoner cashier he was actually a grade A assassin! It turns out to be that he was actually part of an old CIA program that generates the perfect assassin. They shut down the program, left him in Liman, erased his memories and gave him an extra dosage of anxiety and paranoia. Trying to leave brought up some red flags. Yates (Topher Grace) see's this as a problem hence why trained killers are now after him.   

 American Ultra is a laugh out loud stupid funny kind of movie with an extra ounce of blood, violence and action. I expected the laughs, but was pleasantly surprise with the latter. With a fantastic screenplay by Max Landis (Chronicle), director Nima Nourizadeh (Project X) keeps things moving effortlessly. You know Eisenberg and Stewart already had chemistry, but it unfolds ten times over in American Ultra. They connected so well and bouncing off of one another during their first encounter after Mike calls Phoebe to tell her he killed two people had everyone in the theater dying laughing. American Ultra would not have been the same without the well rounded supporting cast. From Connie Britton to the holy freaking psycho that is Walton Goggins. If you’re looking for some laughs with a side of action make sure you head to theaters this weekend to catch American Ultra.

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