Wednesday, August 26, 2015

MOVIE REVIEW - American Ultra

This is a very interesting movie that really deserves bigger and better audience.

American Ultra is a real nice late summer flick starring Jessie Eisenberg and Kristin Stewart.  Being fair, this movie has some of the same stuff as many other movies.  It's violent, and it's graphic at times.  Plus it takes on the CIA and demonizes them yet again, but that's nothing new in Hollywood. But it also has elements that you have never seen before, with a story that's original and fascinating and fun. 

AU is the story of rival factions of the CIA and their long rumored mind-control and mind altering programs with experimentation on real humans.  As the competition within the CIA heats up, what program will win out?  Who will be promoted, and at what cost will they go to, to finally make the perfect CIA agent.  One who can be unstoppable? 

Meet Mike (Eisenberg).   He is a late 20's stoner who doesn't even know he was an experiment years ago, and has no idea he is the last of the Ultra Program in the CIA.  He is capable of far more than he knows.  He lives with his stoner girlfriend Phoebe (Stewart).  But when the CIA decides to kill him and rid themselves of the final chapter of a seemingly failed program, Mike is "activated" and now becomes virtually invincible to those who would do him harm

AU is fast paced, and very funny at times. This movie is quick and tidy and even though this may not be exciting enough for a large chunk of the movie going public, this is a really entertaining movie.  This is very well written, and this story is original.  Eisneberg and Stewart have real nice chemistry on screen, and the supporting cast is very strong.  Yeah, this is kind of dopey at times, but so is virtually every other Eisenberg movie.  I found this to be refreshing, and a real escape from day to day life and from the cookie cutter big action blockbusters that everyone seems to flock to.

American Ultra. Yes, this is set up for more, but I'm not convinced we need more. This is fine, fun and well done.

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