Stoner sleeper-agent tale ‘American Ultra’ gets high marks

Think of him as Bong. James Bong.

Sure, he isn't what you would call dapper. And given his amnesia and crazy, brutal fighting style, Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg), the stoner sleeper agent at the heart of the trippy "American Ultra," is technically closer to a THC-fueled Jason Bourne. But that doesn't exactly have the same ring to it.

Regardless, the action-comedy "American Ultra," equal parts gonzo and ganja, is a breath of fresh, albeit smoky, air.

Stuck in tiny Liman, W.Va., Mike spends his days "working" at the rundown Cash-N-Carry convenience store. During his downtime, which seems to be most of his shift, Mike smokes up and sketches Apollo Ape, the monkey astronaut at the heart of the graphic novels he'd write if only he were motivated. Mostly he just wants to go home to his bail bondsman girlfriend, Phoebe (Kristen Stewart), and their awful shag carpet.

Mike and Phoebe are the picture of indie comedy love, with their matching ankle tattoos and the way she mothers him through the crippling panic attacks that keep them from ever leaving Liman. Mike is so helpless, he can't even be trusted to cook some eggs without nearly burning down their house.

He's also routinely hassled by the sheriff (Stuart Greer), who's brought him into the station so many times, he suggests Mike leave a toothbrush there.

Not surprisingly, when the CIA's Victoria Lasseter (Connie Britton) stops by the Cash-N-Carry and hits him with some spy code trigger words in an attempt to activate him, Mike just giggles. The only thing more powerful than the mind control the agency used on him years ago just may be the pot Mike gets from his flashy dealer buddy, Rose (John Leguizamo at his most nuttily entertaining), who dresses a bit like a slightly more subtle MC Hammer.

It turns out Lasseter has been leapfrogged at the CIA by Adrian Yates (Topher Grace), a cowardly desk jockey who wants to eliminate every trace of her success — including Mike, the agent she molded through her secret program. To do so, he's sending in the killing machines from his even-more-secret super-soldier program. So it's up to Mike to shake off the cannabis cobwebs and get down to putting the blunt in blunt force trauma.

Written by Max Landis ("Chronicle") and directed by Nima Nourizadeh ("Project X"), both low-budget whiz kids, "American Ultra" isn't based on a graphic novel, despite all evidence to the contrary. It's one of the comic book-iest movies you'll ever see that has zero ties to the comic world. Instead, it's inspired by MK Ultra, a similar real-life CIA program, which gives the film its only dose of reality.

"Adventureland" co-stars Eisenberg and Stewart work well together in the comedy, despite the fact that Stewart's never been known as a barrel of laughs. She's good, but Eisenberg is perfect as the action hero slowed by stoner logic.

While the painfully clueless Mike seems more likely to have a nervous breakdown than to break someone's bones, once he's finally activated, Eisenberg makes a seamless transition to the trained killer. The actor is now the only reason I'm looking forward to next spring's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," where he'll play Lex Luthor.

As unlikely an action star as Eisenberg is, Britton is even more so. Seeing the actress wielding a gun the size of her "Nashville" co-star Hayden Panettiere isn't the instant freakout of Colin Firth's fisticuffs in "Kingsman: The Secret Service," but it's an enjoyable departure nonetheless.

And, much like he did on FX's "Justified" and "Sons of Anarchy," Walton Goggins adds a depth and humanity to his role as one of the assassins pursuing Mike that probably wasn't anywhere near the script.

I don't want to set the bar for "American Ultra" as high as Mike is throughout much of the movie. There's a very real chance you could find it too precious or even annoying.

But if you're in the right frame of mind, it's deliriously fun.

It's also very nearly as surprising a sleeper as its hero.

Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com. Find him on Twitter: @life_onthecouch