BLU-RAY REVIEW: AMERICAN ULTRA
11/23/2015

OVERVIEW: Jesse Eisenberg (Now You See Me) and Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Saga) star as two slackers-turned-secret weapons in the action-comedy American Ultra arriving on Digital HD November 10, and on Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital HD), DVD (plus Digital) and On Demand November 24 from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. The knockout adventure from the director of the hit comedy Project X also stars Topher Grace (TV’s “That 70’s Show”), Connie Britton (TV’s “Nashville”), Walton Goggins (TV’s “Justified”), John Leguizamo (John Wick), Bill Pullman (Independence Day) and Tony Hale (HBO’s “VEEP”).

Armed with a stockpile of extras, the American Ultra home entertainment release includes a behind-the-scenes documentary, a look at the unique weapons used in the film, gag reel, and audio commentary with the director. In addition, the American Ultra Blu-ray features DTS:X immersive audio technology. DTS:X replicates and conveys the fluid movement of sound by accurately matching sounds to what is visually occurring on - and off - the screen to create a richer soundscape than has previously been possible.

SYNOPSIS: American Ultra is a dynamic thrill ride that mixes explosive action with edgy humor. Mike (Eisenberg) shares a small-town life with his girlfriend Phoebe (Stewart). 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.

REVIEW: 

Mike Howell: I just killed two people!
Phoebe: That's awesome.
Mike Howell: They had guns and knives and they were being total d--ks!

Meet Mike Howell, mild mannered everyday young adult trying to make ends meet in small town America whose primary loves are his girlfriend Phoebe and weed. That's pretty much it, so as you can see, he's a simple guy. But wait, there's something else, something hidden inside him and it's going to have to come out if he's to survive. As he is to discover, there is a reason why he has panic attacks. It's all part of the package that is Mike's inner bad assness. This film is ultra in so many ways beyond the title. It has ultra action and thrills, it is ultra violent thus ultra bloody and gory, it is ultra intense and actually a bit funny too. Believe it or not, it is even romantic. This movie combines several great aspects of other movies and brings it all together in this fun filled adventure. Off the top of my head, I would say that it's something like a Scott Pilgrim meets Beatrix Kiddo meets Jason Bourne. Yeah, something like that. Now I should mention that because of its violent nature, it is a strong movie for the kiddies so parents should keep that in mind.

Watching Jesse Eisenberg kick ass is not something we see everyday and it was a treat. I believe he along with Kristen Stewart in the role of Phoebe were very well cast. They look the part and they played the part well. They were quite convincing. Other interesting performances include Topher Grace who is so good at being a douchebag, John Leguizamo who is so good at being wacko, and Walton Goggins whose character is appropriately named Laugher, gives us an ultra creepy hitman/agent. You might not recognize the name, but if you look him up I'm sure you'll recognize him.

So how is this movie reminiscent of the three characters I mentioned above, you ask? Well, let me explain . . . see, first of all in the character of Mike Howell we get the mild-mannered, regular dude who reminds me of Scott Pilgrim (who later uncovers some pretty amazing fighting skills). The violence, blood and gore content reminds me of Kill Bill and Beatrix Kiddo who takes a beating but keeps fighting back. Now the more in depth comparison is that of Jason Bourne because the storyline we get here is very reminiscent of the Bourne story. Sure you can say that "it's already been done, thank you" but this is a different angle and still plenty of fun. So is the dialogue, which is kept simple and dare I say almost light-hearted, probably on purpose to lighten up the movie some. It fits well with this film. Director Nima Nourizadeh (Project X) put this all together well in an entertaining, not-to-be-taken-so-seriously movie. This being only his second major motion picture direction, he is really establishing himself and getting better. In the midst of Summer blockbusters, this is a good slightly off beat picture to enjoy.

Review By Cine Marcos 
cinemarcos@smartcine.com

BLU-RAY: The film is presented in widescreen in a 1.85:1 aspect ration preserving its theatrical format. The picture is just flawless. Not only the picture looks great in this release, also the sound it is good, a 5.1 Dolby Digital in English that provides a good complement to the picture. It also includes  English, French  and Spanish subtitles.

VIDEO:
Widescreen (1.85:1) 16x9

AUDIO:
English DTS:X AudioTM, Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD Master AudioTM, English 2.0 DTS Digital Surround Audio Optimized for Late Night Listening, English Descriptive Audio

Subtitles - English, Spanish, English SDH

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Blu-ray™ unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6X the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.

DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet™ lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download.

DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away.

“Activating American Ultra” Documentary

“Assassinating on a Budget” Featurette

Gag Reel

Audio Commentary with Director Nima Nourizadeh