Hey, is that the Pillsbury doughboy? We must be on the wrong movie set!
One of the staples of current Western drama and comedy is the unexpected, and American Ultra (2015) kicks off with it. Mike is a druggy with an odd problem: Any time he comes close to leaving town, even for vacation, or to ask his girlfriend to marry him, he breaks down with anxiety.
Why she sticks with him is part of the fun.
Stuck in a dead-end job at a convenience store, things heat up when a couple of guys decide to kill him in the parking lot. Mike, shockingly, fights back, killing both of them.
One of them he kills with a spoon. From its looks, I’d say it was a blunt spoon, too.
And that’s not all. A secret organization is out to eliminate Mike because he’s the only survivor of a drug experiment gone wrong. Sound bad? It’s worse. The decision to eliminate Mike doesn’t come from the top, but from a guy with his own organization of killers. A rogue supervisor.
Who wouldn’t mind getting rid of the agent who’s responsible for Mike.
Oh, Mike’s girlfriend? Try to guess. Go ahead. Yes! His handler, as it were.
While not predictable like some really bad movies, it goes more for laughs than thoughts. Some of the most intriguing characters, such as Rose the drug dealer, or Big Harold, hardly last any time at all, while others, like the newly ascendant group of killers, tend to die in groups, unable to make their mark.
So, despite the laughter, it’s more than a little disappointing. Still, if you value the unexpected response, it might be worth your time.
