Mike Howell, a convenience store cashier and recreational drug addict plans to propose to his girlfriend Phoebe Larson with an engagement ring. While working the night shift, a mysterious woman in a trench coat and sunglasses speaks a series of codes to him. Howell’s CIA agent senses immediately return to him, and he soon learns that he is one of many secret sleep agents. Howell is a trained killer and is a main part of the CIA’s Ultra Program. Larson is kidnapped as an attempt to catch Howell. Howell does all that he can to find his missing girlfriend. ‘American Ultra’ hit theaters on Friday, Aug. 21. The comedy film was rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America.
Rotten Tomatoes rated the film 47% on the Tomatometer. Its average rating is 5.6/10 based on 102 reviews (48 Fresh, 54 Rotten). Its Audience Score is 58%. Its average rating is 3.4/5 based on 9,190 ratings. IMDb rated the film 6.5/10 based on 1,182 user ratings. Metacritic gave the film a Metascore of 50 based on reviews by 30 critics (9 Positive, 19 Mixed, 2 Negative). Its User Score is 7.7 based on 19 ratings. The film runs for 1 hours and 39 minutes.
‘American Ultra’ stars Jesse Eisenberg as Mike Howell, Kristen Stewart as Phoebe Larson, Topher Grace as Adrian Yates, Connie Britton as Victoria Lasseter, Walton Goggins as Laughter, John Leguizamo as Rose, Bill Pullman as Raymond Krueger, Tony Hale as Agent Petey Douglas, Monique Ganderton as Crane, Stuart Greer as Sheriff Bernie Watts, and Lavell Crawford as Big Harold.
The film was directed by Nima Nourizadeh. The producers of the film are David Alpert, Anthony Bregman, Mark Fasano, Kevin Scott Frakes, Britton Rizzio, and Raj Brinder Singh. ‘American Ultra’ was written by Max Landis. The $12 million film features music by Marcelo Zarvos. Cinematography is by Michael Bonvillain. It was edited by Bill Pankow and Andrew Marcus. Its production companies are The Bridge Finance Company, Circle of Confusion, Likely Story, Merced Media Partners, PalmStar Media Capital, PalmStar Entertainment, and Tadmor Entertainment. The film was distributed by Lionsgate.
Jesse Eisenberg at 'The Social Network' movie premiere at Madrid, Spain on October 2010.
Movie Reviews:
“The movie evaporates in the mind, but Stewart and Eisenberg have real movie-star chemistry,” wrote David Edelstein from New York Magazine/Vulture.
“The movie has the sleepy vibe of some of those scuzzy '90s crime thrillers. It aspires to Natural Born Killers, but has barely enough competence to get close to something like Feeling Minnesota,” wrote Wesley Morris from Grantland.
“As misfires go, American Ultra can at least claim not to be boring,” wrote James Berardinelli from ReelViews.
“You never fully buy "American Ultra" - you're not supposed to - but it's a decent ride with some nice turns,” wrote Tom Long from Detroit News.
“I just wish there was a little more feeling, and a little less flash. And a lot more of Landis' dialogue, and a lot less of what feels like Nourizadeh's audition for an even bigger, dumber movie,” wrote Stephen Whitty from Newark Star-Ledger.
“Ultra works by making a potentially messy story rather simple, and by using its carnage as an extension of its comedy. It has no interest in piling on plot minutiae. It's too busy getting to the next bit of mayhem,” wrote Chris Vognar from Dallas Morning News.
“An amusing idea, but the ugly violence and weepy dramatics effectively kill any comedic buzz,” wrote Rafer Guzman from NewsDay.
