Over the Top...Down the Rabbit Hole...and Traveling through Another Dimension, this Colorful, Shining, and Outrageous Action-Comedy hits its Target Audience square in the Cerebral Cortex causing a Mind Melting Trip that is Ultra-Pleasant but not without Side-Effects.

There is an Underlying Anxiety to all of the Fun and Danger because in some Alternative Universe that is Reality, this Type of Thing is too Close to the Truth to be Enjoyed without being a Cautionary Tale of Conspiracy Theories that often turn out to be True.

MK-Ultra, a Government Sponsored Black Ops Embarrassment uncovered in the 1970's revealed Disturbing Mind Control Experiments performed by the CIA using Unsuspecting Citizens as Guinea Pigs. Unbelievable and too Complex to be included here, suffice to say this Movie is more True than You would Believe.

Therefore, it's not a Laugh a Minute but it does Contain some Black Comedy, but relies more on Ultra-Violence and Super-Style to give the Message Meaning and be Entertaining with a Cartoon Look.

Not Everything Works, but Most of it Does, and the Film feels Awkward, Odd, and while it is Slick, Sleek, and Artsy, the Anxiety felt by Jesse Eisenberg's "MiKe" (get it) transfers to the Audience like some kind of "Contact High".

Overall, its Pulsating Presentation is part of the Uneasy Charm and will most likely be Enjoyed by its Target Audience, others not in on the "Vibe" will probably Protest its Conceits and won't have a Clue about any of it.

Note...The end Credits Cartoon is a hilarious Hoot.

Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg) is stuck in the small town of Liman, West Virginia. His girlfriend Phoebe Larson (Kristen Stewart) is the only good thing in his life. He's a convenience store clerk and has panic attacks whenever he tries to leave town. CIA Agent Victoria Lasseter (Connie Britton) is told that her Ultra program and Mike is to be eliminated by her CIA rival Adrian Yates (Topher Grace). Victoria goes to activate Mike turning him into a skilled action hero.

The basic premise has good potential and Eisenberg could be fun as an action lead. The CIA stuff is distracting and Topher Grace is barely functional in his role. The movie would improve by cutting out half of that part. The potential is never fully realized. There are fun moments that could have been much better. I can't pinpoint the exact problem but much of the blame has to be laid at the feet of sophomore director Nima Nourizadeh who made the indie party movie Project X. There are numerous little problems that add up to be a bit of a disappointment.

And "pointless" is actually a positive aspect in this context as it really would have hurt the movie if it had taken itself seriously on any occasions. "American Ultra" is not a very long film, only runs for slightly over 90 minutes and that already includes 5+ minutes of closing credits. For director Nima Nourizadeh, it is only the 2nd turn behind the camera and for that, it is a pretty solid outcome. The writer is Max Landis. I have seen some of his short films that include basically nothing but self-indulgent rambling from him and it's occasionally very painful to watch, but he did a sold job with this movie here. Admittedly, the cast helps a lot in carrying this film. Eisenberg is certainly not the best choice for an action here, but he was okay here. Stewart is pretty good as usual too.

Topher Grace, Connie Britton, Tony Hale and Walton Goggins play the major supporting players. Goggins ("Justified") is delightful to watch as usual and also has the best moment in terms of acting in his final revelation scene. Hale was a bit wasted, he can do a lot more than what he showed here, the other 2 I mentioned were okay overall. Occasionally this film reminded me of a more-action, less-fantasy version of Kick-Ass or Scott Pilgrim. "American Ultra" is a decent watch for (not too) young audiences and there were a couple pretty funny moments, such as whose car it is, intercourse with apes, the puppy references etc. These are easy to appreciate. Do not watch this one if you expect a serious gritty action drama, this is not it, even if Stewart totally nails all her dramatic moments and this film is another piece of evidence how she is doing so great right now. But it is still an enjoyable watch overall and I recommend it. Thumbs up.