American Ultra Review

'American Ultra' rides on a roaring idea, but the film is only fun in parts. While the action is gruesomely cartooned, the Writing doesn't hold after a while.

'American Ultra' Synopsis: A stoner - who is in fact a government agent - is marked as a liability and targeted for extermination. But he's too well-trained and too high for them to handle.

'American Ultra' is consistently high on energy & gore. The protagonist's unreal physical strength amuses you, but later-on, it doesn't. I enjoyed some parts, particularly the initial madness. But, the last half fails. The predictability isn't the problem, its just that the idea gets exhausted after a point.

Max Landis's Screenplay scores high in the first-hour & the idea alone, is damn fresh. But, The Writing sags in the latter half. Nima Nourizadeh's Direction is hazy. Cinematograpphy is fine. Editing is crisp. Action-Sequences are brilliantly executed.

Performance-Wise: Jesse Eisenberg is a joy to watch, yet again. The supremely talented Oscar-nominated actor doesn't miss a beat & comes up with a stupendous performance. Kristen Stewart shows a marked improvement over her previous works. She's more natural this time around. Topher Grace is an unconvincing baddie. Connie Britton is feisty. Walton Goggins hams. John Leguizamo & Bill Pullman are solid in brief roles.

On the whole, 'American Ultra' can easily be watched once, despite its minuses.