“Echo choir has been breached”
Director: Nima Nourizadeh
Written by: Max Landis
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Connie Britton
Swift shot: It’s a stoner spy flick that doesn’t take itself too seriously. What makes the film work is the chemistry, or is it chemicals, between Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg. You really believe they are a happy stoner couple with one serious hang-up that prevents them from moving on to that next step, maturity. American Ultra is based on an actual government attempt to create super-soldiers, called MK Ultra. Think that’s a myth? Ok, try some of these on for size: Secret Government Experiments. So, just maybe this little farce de force isn’t as far-fetched as you’d like!
Mike (Eisenberg) is the loveable loser archetype, he’s happy with his life and is incredibly in love with his babe, Phoebe (Stewart). Thing is, Mike’s always been petrified of leaving his small West Virginia town of Liman. It’s made clear early on in the film that most of the town is aware of his phobia, but he is trying to overcome his fear and fly with Phoebe to Hawaii . . . where he intends to propose to her. It’s this desire to leave town that puts everything into motion.
Hopefully this isn’t much of a spoiler, but Mike is a sleeper agent, “recruited” by the CIA to be an operative of theirs should the need arise. The CIA isn’t allowed to run agents on American soil, so if this got exposed, it would be bad news for anyone in charge of Operation WISE MAN. Mike’s creator, Victoria (Britton) is content with her position within the CIA, but one night she gets a call that WISE MAN, specifically her pet project, Mike, is scheduled to be neutralized. It’s made clear that the call advising her of this decision is merely a courtesy call, and she’s not permitted to interfere. Of course, she interferes and sets out to at least give Mike a fighting chance against the dastardly CIA.
Shortly after her contact with Mike, he becomes activated, and bits and pieces of his former life start to bleed through his Swiss cheese brain. (Yes, that’s a nod to Quantum Leap, for no particular reason). Mike and Phoebe have to escape the Operation TOUGH GUY attack dogs of one overzealous “desk jockey” at CIA, Yates, played by the effortlessly annoying Topher Grace.
So, you have a basic chase and pursuit spy flick with a not-so-subtle stoner agenda, where the loser hero has to rise up to the challenge to survive, keep his girlfriend alive and figure out just why he is able to kill people with spoons, soup, and dust pans!
With a freakish appearance as Laugher, Walter Goggins pretty much owns every scene he is in, as the antithesis of Mike. Laugher is a grim reminder of what Mike’s life could have been like under the not so careful tutelage of the CIA. Laugher is the one person that has been sent to dispatch Mike that actually stands a chance. There are many from Operation TOUGH GUY that are sent, almost in waves, to take Mike out.
I liked that American Ultra determined to just be a foolishly fun action flick and while I could easily point out two major problems with the premise, I still enjoyed this one. For example, if you want to kill someone who is trained to be lethal at close ranges, send in one Marine Scout Sniper. Short movie, one shot, one kill, credits! And I could also harp on the fact that not even the President of the United States is permitted to have a drone attack on an American citizen, on American soil [ask Rand Paul]. But, we are supposed to believe that the CIA will let some prick named Petey (Tony Hale) make that call? It was a scene that was ridiculous for anyone that knows anything about military operations. Still, I guess Max Landis added the scene to allow for suspense as we are worried our stoner spy boy is about to get flattened by an incoming drone strike.
Those minor nit-picky bits aside, I saw this film surrounded by people who called it complete crap, said stuff like “I have a degree in film, and I thought this was complete garbage.” Well, that’s their opinion, and it’s why I became a critic, to stand up for the filthy fun movies that get torn apart by other “critics” because sometimes brainless entertainment is actually entertaining. Also, the studio bribed me with a cup o’ soup as I left the theater, so now I feel obliged to give them a good review. But, who are we kidding, Rick Swift isn’t bought off with chicken soup! Yea, I liked this one, and I don’t care if you didn’t. It was made for the skinny dweeby bag-boys of the world who doodle and dream of being a bad-ass killer.
And call me nuts, but I got this total D.A.R.Y.L. vibe with this flick. If you aren’t familiar with that ’80s gem, get acquainted. I have to give credit to Kristen Stewart for pulling off a believable character and keeping me invested in what actually happened to Mike and Phoebe. Also, I hated Birdman, so, what the hell do I know, right?
