American Ultra
Published 2016-01-23
Film info
- Title American Ultra
- Director Nima Nourizadeh
- Year 2015
- Run time 1hr 36m
- Genres Action, Comedy
- Tagline Everyone's getting smoked
- Cast Kristen Stewart, Topher Grace, Connie Britton, Bill Pullman
Mike shares a small-town life with his girlfriend Phoebe. But Mike's sleepy world goes wild after he discovers that he's actually a CIA sleeper agent with lethal fighting skills—and the target of government hitmen. Mike, the ultimate slacker, transforms into an ultra-attacker as he and Phoebe fight to survive in this exhilarating adventure.
Live blog
| Time | Comment |
|---|---|
| 3:19 | Smoke underwater is clever/weird. |
| 5:56 | Love the shot of two cars in front of a factory. Amazing. |
| 8:34 | Whenever I see people drawing now, I just think what they could do with an iPad Pro. |
| 11:55 | “They might love to read it, if you wrote it down.” |
| 16:26 | “Just clearing the portfolio.” That’s one way of putting it! |
| 23:03 | You’ve got to have a lot of force to kill someone with a spoon. |
| 24:01 | “He was armed with a spoon, sir.” |
| 25:17 | She’s insanely patient with him. |
| 26:52 | “It was just a thing that happened.” |
| 33:07 | Love her analysis of everything he did wrong. “You don’t just say gun.” |
| 42:27 | Ooh, actual airdrop. |
| 45:22 | She’s kind of bossy, but I like her. Ballsy. |
| 49:37 | Ah, yea, that explains why she’s so patient with him. |
| 56:23 | “…and your face is all messed up.” Ooh, burn. |
| 1:05:35 | Slo mo frying pan deflection is incredible. |
| 1:12:31 | Big shoot-out in a supermarket. So many potential weapons. I’ll never shop the same way again. |
| 1:20:48 | Aww, that so is the moment! Except for the state of his face. |
| 1:25:41 | Ooh, six months later. |
Thoughts
I was worried we were going to end up with two unfinished films in a row here, because the first 19 minutes and 50 seconds were pretty drawn out and unengaging. But soon, they flipped a switch, and I was invested, keen to know what happens and desperate for Kristen Stewart to be even more kick-ass than she already was.
It turns out our twenty minute rule is about perfect, because it stopped me turning off this film which evolved into a really good action movie. It's got that edge to it, where it can be a bit gory in places, but Jesse Eisenberg instills the whole thing with a lovely gormless humanity, which blends perfectly with Stewart's undercover skills.
I loved their relationship, how it broke down and got back together. Topher did a fantastic job as the guy you love to hate, and overall it told an interesting story pretty well. Just get through the first twenty and you'll be fine.
Rating: 3 / 5