Came for the dopey high-concept and the actors. Works for about two thirds then becomes a tad brain-numbing and formulaic. I’m all for splatty violence but something about it here just didn’t sit right with me. Eisenberg is fine but I wonder when he’s going to blow our minds Social Network-style again. You know who’s a fucking great actress? Kristen Stewart. Even in a movie like this which she probably did for the paycheck, she brings her A-game and takes it super serious. There’s a moment where she breaks down crying and, fuck me, it packs a punch. That woman could convince me of anything. She’s secretly blossoming into one of the best actresses of her generation. She really fits into this aesthetic too. Really, really dig her. Also can we please stop with the “all-in-one-shot” fight scenes? Especially when they are clearly CGI tampered and all in service of video-game violence and “isn’t this cool brah?!” reactions? Does my fucking head in. Even though American Ultra came close, it didn’t make me hate Max Landis. A perfectly average flick that boasts one pleasantly above-average performance. Plus… even at the very least it works as a whacked-out sequel to Adventureland
