The main thing that made me want to see this film was the fact that it was written by Max Landis (son of the great John Landis – Max wrote Chronicle which was a cool superhero flick). I think Max is one of the most interesting and exciting writers working in Hollywood today. And the best thing about American Ultra turns out to be the writing. This has been called “Stoner Bourne” and that pretty much sums it up (except there’s much less shaky came – although still too much for my taste – and unlike the Bourne films, everything here is played for laughs).
The film is tonally all over the place. It bounces between moments of total insanity, over the top ridiculous situations, super-serious character moments, fast-paced action, and even elements of a typical stoner comedy. It’s bizarre but in a good way, good as in something you haven’t seen before. It’s a little action film that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Nice to see Bill Pullman getting some work even if it was a bit part. Jesse Eisenberg was fine as the lead (pretty much doing what he does in every role) and I didn’t hate Kristen Stewart’s acting in this. If you think you’d like a Bourne-like movie but played more like a comedy, check this out.