Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg) spends his time getting stoned, working at the Cash & Carry and writing a graphic novel about a superhero monkey. He and his bail-bondsman his Phoebe (Kristen Stewart) are a match made in Heaven. He’d like to take her to Hawaii but whenever he tries to leave the city limits he experiences panic attacks. What Mike does not know is that he is actually a sleeper agent created by the CIA. I swear I am not making this up. And it just so happens that they have targeted him for termination. As a result some of the agency’s deadliest agents are sent to kill him. Mike’s former handler, Lasseter (Connie Britton), activates his dormant skills, turning the stoner into a killing machine. Further complicating matters is obsessed agent Yates (Topher Grace) hot on his heels, the newly reborn super-assassin summons his inner action-hero to try and save himself and the love of his life from complete destruction.
This film is absolutely ridiculous. But it does not fall into a category I call Ridiculously Entertaining like 2014’s LUCY. It is essentially Cheech and Chong meets LUCY or BOURNE. Unlike those films this one is brain dead and fails to live up to its premise. It has a few moments of stoner humor at the start of the film but by the time the plot kicks in the film it flatlines. It provides a chuckle or two along the way but not enough to recommend seeing. The tone of the film is inconsistent by trying to mix dark humor with ultra-violence. I have seen it done successfully dating back to PULP FICTION though I should have my critics’ credentials revoked by even mentioning these two films together. The bottom line is that the film stinks, however I do not fault the main actors who try their best to bring life to the material but it is DOA. Eisenberg and Stewart have worked together previously in the very good ADVENTURELAND and maybe they wanted to work together again. They should have found a better film. Past performances from Stewart shows that she is a natural for playing a stoner since based on the TWILIGHT films she barely evokes any emotion.
The filmmakers have used the trope of trying to make the audience empathize with the characters confusion by not giving the audience any idea of what the motivations of the events are. Why was Mike chosen to be an agent? What was his role supposed to be? Why all of a sudden is he wanted dead? Why is Lasseter trying to save him? The questions could go on but at some point those questions should be answered. I like a little guessing game as much as the next person but it is a cop out to leave those questions unanswered. I found no rooting interest in the main characters. Just because they are quirky does not make them interesting. The only thing I was rooting for was the credits. The film sets itself up for a sequel which could make a good film, with different writers and director. The concept is there but the film failed in its execution. No pun intended. ADVENTURLAND is currently streaming on Netflix. Skip this and see that one instead
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