“American Ultra” is an action-comedy about a stoner who is secretly a CIA-trained sleeper agent. That’s both interesting and funny, which is what you want in an action-comedy. Jesse Eisenberg (most famous for his mesmerizing role as Mark Zuckerberg in “The Social Network) plays said stoner sleeper agent to great effect. While there’s no denying that Eisenberg is a fine actor, he doesn’t have a great range. One Jesse Eisenberg role is differentiated from another simply by the change of setting.

The setting for “American Ultra” is certainly not new territory, but it’s handled in a perfectly acceptable fashion. There are some new ideas and some retreats of oldie-but-goodies that make the entire experience very watchable.

Kristen Stewart, infamous for her work in “Twilight,” stars opposite Eisenberg with surprising effectiveness. Where Eisenberg is a one-role actor, Stewart is a one-scene actress. Her performance in all five “Twilight” movies essentially comprised of the same awkward head shake and eye-widening repeated over and over again. Together, Eisenberg and Stewart portray a believable, and surprisingly likable, romance that serves as a solid foundation for the heart of the film hidden amongst the spy-themed-thrills and stoner-themed-jokes.

This movie could have been something really special if it had chosen a path and stuck with it. It could have been a relationship story with spy-related action for spice, or it could have been a raunchy comedy with spy action gimmicks galore. Unfortunately, it tries to have it all and comes up short.

There’s fun to be had in “American Ultra,” just don’t expect to be surprised by any given plot point or character development. If fun spy movies are the flavor the month, then “The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is easily my recommendation.

4 of 6 stars