American
Ultra
(2015/Lionsgate Blu-ray w/DVD)
Picture:
B+/B Sound: A/B Extras: B Film: B
Jesse
Eisenberg (The
Social Network)
and Kristin Stewart (Twilight,
Snow
White and The Huntsman)
reunite on the silver screen for a film much different than that last
one we saw them together in, the charming indie love story
Adventureland.
Directed by Nima Nourizadeh (Project
X),
American
Ultra
(2015) is a kinetic piece that has action, suspense, laughs, and
solid performances and filmmaking.
One
of the better films of the year in terms of pure entertainment,
American
Ultra will
hopefully find a wider audience than it did earlier in the year in
cinemas during its disappointing theatrical run. Thanks to
Lionsgate, the film looks incredible on Blu-ray and is paired with
some interesting and in depth extras that don't disappoint. This is
definitely a disc worth checking out.
Small-town
stoner Mike Howell (Eisenberg) spends most of his time getting high
and writing a graphic novel. What Mike doesn't know is that he was
trained by the CIA to be a lethal killing machine. When the agency
targets him for termination, his former handler activates his latent
skills, turning the mild-mannered slacker into a deadly weapon. Now,
the utterly surprised Mike must use his newfound abilities to save
himself and his girlfriend from getting smoked. The film features a
stellar supporting cast as well with Topher Grace, Connie Britton,
Tony Hale, John Leguizamo, Bill Pullman, and Walton Goggins! It was
also written by Max Landis, who is the son of Mel and wrote the
original World
War Z novel.
The
film opens with a peak into the third act and then showcases some
incredible editing that gets us right into the mind of Mike Howell
from the beginning. His character is part stoner and philosopher and
part efficient killer that could give Jason Bourne a run for his
movie. There are many great sequences in the film including a
shootout and attack in a grocery store, a armored vehicle pushing a
car off the side of the road, and quite a few scenes with heavy
pyrotechnics.
This
is presented in lush 1080p high definition with a widescreen aspect
ratio of 1.85:1 and a still-rare release in the
new lossless DTS X 11.1 format (English), joined by the English
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 7.1 core version we covered that doesn't
disappoint, plus Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English: DTS
2.0 Stereo. The film is also paired with a standard edition DVD with
an anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and a lossy 5.1 Dolby
Digital track, which sounds fine for the format but doesn't match the
Blu-ray, of course. Also included is a Ultraviolet Copy of the film
for your tablet or smart phone.
Extras
include...
Audio
Commentary with Director Nima Nourizadeh
Activating
American
Ultra
Assassinating
on a Budget
Gag
Reel
Far
superior to other films of its kind like The
Pineapple Express, this
film is recommendable.
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
