American Ultra - C+

Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart

Rated R, 96 minutes

The best way to describe the uneven but often fun new action comedy "American Ultra" is "Pineapple Express" meets Jason Bourne. Part comedy, part thriller, part spy caper, it's an unusual, mildly enjoyable mash-up that sometimes works, and often doesn't. Mike (Jesse Eisenberg) is a seemingly hapless and unmotivated stoner whose small-town life with his live-in girlfriend, Phoebe (Kristen Stewart), is suddenly turned upside down. Unbeknownst to even him, Mike is actually a highly trained, lethal sleeper agent with a secret past that quickly comes back to haunt him, Mike is thrust into the middle of a deadly government operation and is forced to survive action-hero style. Directed by Nima Nourizadah ("Project X") and written by "Chronicle's" Max Landis (son of famed director John Landis), the well-cast and bloody thriller "American Thriller" is a messy mash-up that reminds of making a smoothie you've never made before and hope it ends up tasting good. When in doubt, always throw in chocolate, which seems to make all the other unusual flavors go down a little better. The "chocolate" here is the excessive amount of blood and weapons that tends to dominate the film, overtaking both good and bad elements of the movie, and director Nourizadah doesn't seem to know how to tone it down a little. The good: for the record "Twilight's" Stewart, who actually smiles a little here, and "The Social Network's" Eisenberg have some genuine chemistry making for a decent action pairing, showing that with a little training just about anyone, even a stoner, can transform into a tough action hero, killing with common items such as a spoon or dustpan. Even better is the solid supporting cast, including "Nashville's" Connie Britton, Tony Hale (a play on his "Veep" assistant role) and especially memorable character Walton Goggins of "Justified" fame in another of his creepy, off-kilter parts. The bad: the muddled plotting, which hardly makes sense and isn't fully explained, and the film's central premise seems a little unnecessary given the resources used to hunt a deadly stoner (yes, I said that) are far more dangerous than the person himself. More so, (mis)casting a lightweight, annoying actor such as Topher Grace as the film's chief antagonist is the film's biggest mistake, hurting the film to the point it's difficult to really enjoy the movie, an unfortunate move for both the movie and for a likable but hardly believable actor. "American Ultra" is very ambitious and all said once the mash-up is over, you're gonna remember the blood and action scenes more than anything else. Just be careful with that spoon, you might hurt someone.