9/8/2015 - American Ultra (2015) - 4+/10

Truly toeing that line between below and bang-on average, this Bourne w/ a bong (alliteration was too good - I feel that the drug use/presence in this film is overly hyped) plays with guns, knives and 'splosions as much as it does with idiosyncrasies and misbegotten romance. The movie plays up its ridiculousness, so it is hard to hold that against it. But, this anxious everyday chump as a super soldier/hidden away killer (Eisenberg) becomes tedious once divorced from the scriptural concept and given tedious life. I just didn't care for the protagonists, which in turn made their sacrifices and triumphs empirical but inert.

This film isn't un-fun. Eis is his usual self, Topher Grace and Walt Goggins are delightfully sinister, and Kristen Stewart gets knocked about pretty good. There just isn't enough past the quirky premise and occasional wit.

I like Max Landis. I think he is smart, outspoken, and though I don't always agree with him, I find his voice valuable. Most of what is best of this film is his ideas in the plot and dialogue. Similarly, its largest flaw was his apparent dream for this project: the oddball and star-crossed romance of Stewart and Eis. It only provoked my eye-roll and shoulder shrug of indifference.
Generally, lightly passable gory action mixed with awkward slightly stoned quips of a believably goofy cinematic musing led to romp that you could take or leave. Depends on how much time you have (it is short) and whether munchies would be a mainstay of your filmgoing experience.