By CHRIS PUNTO & NATALIE SACKET
Columnists
By now everyone should be feeling the full effect of school. Much like the star of our next movie, it may feel like you’ve been marked for extermination. It seems like you could all use some late-summer, good-time-seeking business right about now. Our pick this week:
“American Ultra” (2015)
Chris- 2.5 out of 5
“American Ultra” follows the adventures of our local stoner, Mike. Little does Mike know that he is a secret agent with latent, lethal skills. An agency is targeting him for extermination and he is put up to the task of fighting for his life! What could happen next?
This film seems like a movie that my friends and I could have thought of. Actually, we did, we talk about it all the time and say “man what if one of us was like a sleeper cell.” So with that in mind, this movie didn’t impress me that much.
All around the movie was pretty mediocre. I’ve never been a huge fan of Jesse Eisenberg and definitely not Kristen Stewart. To be honest, I liked them a lot better in “Adventureland”. If anything, this performance just makes me nervous for Eisenberg’s upcoming role as Lex Luthor, fingers crossed.
Bottom line: I can’t be too harsh on this movie. It wasn’t terrible and it’s worth a watch at the movies, on rental, or whatever. I did often find myself looking at my watch more than the screen, and that to me is a clear sign that something isn’t really good either.
Natalie- 3 out of 5
In a cinematic world bombarded by Bond remakes, Tom Cruise and too many spy movies to count, some of the new action films begin to look like all the rest. If you’re like me and are ready to break free from that formula, to take your action-loving self to the next level, “American Ultra” might be the film for you… That is, if you like wry, crass humor and quirky acting.
“American Ultra” is edgy, complete with spoons as murder weapons and cartoon apes as a major plotline. It’s a mix of a comedy and an action thriller, without entirely satisfying either genre. There are a couple laughs, but nothing quite like I was expecting from the star, Jesse Eisenberg.
Eisenberg plays Mike, a stone(d) cold killer with a troubled past and a bag of marijuana always on hand. His character is always half-baked, kind of like Eisenberg’s performance. I just kept wanting a little more from his role. Kristen Stewart plays Bella… er, I mean Phoebe, the beloved girl of his dreams.
Despite a fairly mediocre performance from the pair, they somehow spin a wonderful romance, making me root for the pair. Phoebe and Mike 4ever.
As far as content, there is a significant amount of blood, violence, and F-bombs. It’s not a film for you to bring little Timmy to.
Bottom Line: It was a nice change of pace for an action film. There are several laughs and a couple of “awww” moments, certain to keep you entertained.