Now don’t get me wrong, I do like the blockbusters made by big studios. They are usually very well made and barring an omnishambles in production, looking at you Fantastic Four, they provide some sort of entertainment. In that way, they are like Nando’s or Wetherspoons. You know what you’re getting. But then again, that could be seen as a flaw. Sometimes, we need to be shaken up a bit, have something that isn’t the same old same old. That’s when we delve into the world of independent film, which can offer bigger highs but sometimes bigger lows. But some production companies try to be some way in the middle like Lionsgate, who have recent produced American Ultra.
Mike (Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network) seems to be a regular stoner who works at a shop and wants to propose to his girlfriend Phoebe (Kristen Stewart, Twilight). However in reality he was secretly trained as a CIA operative until the programme was discontinued and his memory wiped. But after trying to leave town one too many times, CIA agent Adrian (Topher Grace, That 70s Show) decides to eliminate him to make sure he doesn’t reveal the CIA’s secret programs.
While this is an action film, despite a lot of the adverts making this out to be a comedy, it interestingly decides to start off slowly. For the first twenty minutes we have a slow burn as we see Mike and Phoebe interact with each other and see what they are like as a couple, which I love. A lot of action films tell you a couple is in love and just expect you to believe it, while American Ultra decides to show it. By the time we get round to the action, we are completely invested in the characters. We want Mike to get out of this situation and we want his relationship with Phoebe to work. Maybe more action films should spend some time just letting us get to know the characters before blowing everything up.
Now I suppose some people may criticise that Jesse Eisenberg is simply playing to type again. After all, he’s a meek geek who is very awkward around everyone. But in my opinion, that works to the film’s advantage. This is the exact opposite of the sort of person you’d expect to be an awesome action star and because Eisenberg plays that awkward geek so well, the sort of shock he pulls when he manages to kill two incredibly well trained operatives is amusing and very well done. Maybe Eisenberg should test himself more in his roles, but he uses that cliché to great effect here.
And we have a very fun supporting cast here too. I mean, Kristen Stewart is actually likable in this. Yes, I know that’s unbelievable, but stick with me here. She smiles, she cares about someone and does kick some legitimate ass when needed too, plus her chemistry with Eisenberg is superb, making you believe in this couple. I know some praise her performance in Adventureland but as I haven’t seen that, I have to declare this is the first time I’ve seen the point of her as a credible actor. Elsewhere Topher Grace is a lot of fun. He’s camping it up a lot and you’d think it wouldn’t work compared to the rest of the film, but it gives a bit of respite to the darkness in the film. If I was to criticise, I don’t think Connie Britton (Nashville) is given enough to do as I think there is an interesting conceit to her character, but it is wasted.
This is an action film so after we care about the characters, we need something to eat our popcorn to. Luckily, we have some pretty fun set pieces here. Now I’m not going to claim there is anything revolutionary here, but the fights are well choreographed and work well. I especially like the concluding action scene in the cash and carry where Eisenberg just tears through so many operatives in increasingly creative ways. Now some scenes don’t work. The director Nima Nourizadeh (Project X) is genuinely trying to be creative with this fight set in ultraviolet light halfway through the film and I applaud that. I’d rather film take risks and fail rather than none at all. But this is one risk which doesn’t pay off. It looks weird, doesn’t boost the action and simply distracting.
There are a few other faults which I have to pick at as well. I think that the conclusion is rather drawn out as it aims to try and tie up every loose end in detail which gets rather tiresome when you’ve seen everything you want to. Just because you started slowly, doesn’t mean you can end like that too. The film’s habit of introducing characters only to either waste them or kill them off quickly, looking at another CIA agent called Petey (Tony Hale, Arrested Development) and drug dealer Rose (John Leguizamo, Ice Age), was rather frustrating as you wanted to know more about them, though I think that might to be the film’s credit rather than it’s detriment.
So in one of the nicer surprises of the year, American Ultra has turned out to be a very fun action film. It gives us a cast of characters who you either warm to quickly or enjoy their villainy and then blows some stuff up for our excitement. Now there are a few bits of roughness that a big blockbuster wouldn’t have, but it’s those rough patches that make you warm up the film, like a puppy which has a bad habit of chewing your shoes once a while. Eventually it becomes endearing. So take a risk and go ultra, American Ultra.
Best Moment: The closing action at the cash and carry is very well done and works so well. An action highlight of the year.
Worst Moment: I appreciate the risk and it could have worked really well, but the ultraviolet fight scene just doesn’t work.
4/5
Adam Allcroft's Film Reviews 