Movie Review for Jumper (2008)

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Review #619 of 365
Movie Review of Jumper (2008) [PG-13] 90 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $11.75
Where Viewed: United Artists Denver Pavilions Stadium 15, Denver, CO
When Seen: 14 February 2008
Time: 9:35 pm
DVD Release Date: 10 June 2008 (click date to purchase or pre-order)
Film's Official Website • Film's Trailer

Soundtrack: Download now from John Powell - Jumper - or - order the CD below

Directed by: Doug Liman (Mr. & Mrs. Smith)
Screenplay by: David S. Goyer (Batman Begins) • Jim Uhls (Fight Club) • Simon Kinberg (X-men: The Last Stand) based on the novel by Steven Gould

Featured Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Hayden Christensen (Awake) • Jamie Bell (Flags of Our Fathers) • Rachel Bilson (The Last Kiss) • Diane Lane (Untraceable) • Samuel L. Jackson (Resurrecting the Champ) • Michael Rooker (Slither) • AnnaSophia Robb (The Reaping) • Max Thieriot (The Astronaut Farmer) • Jesse James (The Amityville Horror ) • Tom Hulce (Stranger than Fiction) • Kristen Stewart (In the Land of Women)

Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word or less review of this film]
Click to see photos from the Premiere of Jumper
Click to read the spoiler points for Jumper
Imagine if you could will yourself into creating an instantaneous worm hole to any place on earth anytime you wanted to go anywhere you wanted? What would you do with such an amazing and awesome gift. With all due deference to Steven Gould's novel version of Jumper, the film adaptation with screenplay warmed over by three highly talented screen writers David S. Goyer, Jim Uhls, and Simon Kinberg and directed by Doug Limon, the resulting film is probably the product of two many disparate chefs spoiling the soup so to speak. On the one hand, you have a pretty intriguing concept and a 'newish' super power with immense possibilities, a pretty cool actor to play the lead in Hayden Christensen, and a 'devilishly' perfect actor for your villain in Samuel L. Jackson. Yet, on the other, you have a 'hero' who's not terribly heroic—he's got tremendous comic book super hero knowledge but zero super hero tendencies including little more than promissory note-leaving for vast sums of money he loots from bank vaults; who's not very strong—emotionally and physically, he's pretty weak in all respects; and who's not very bright—he failed high school algebra, cannot figure out what to do with his power other than zip around the world looking for the best waves to surf and girls to bed down, and cannot get to the bottom of his own life story until the last two, sequel-inspiring minutes of the film despite it being blatantly obvious to those not 'synaptically impaired' some 40 minutes into the film. Ah well, guess you cannot blame people for trying.

The story sort of begins with young David Rice (Max Thieriot) trying to get the courage to make a move on the girl of his one-sided affection, Millie (AnnaSophia Robb) using a snow globe featuring the Eiffel Tower he's purchased for her at a second hand store. David, who's mother Mary(Diane Lane) left when he was five, has never been that suave with the girls, so this overture is a big step. Unfortunately, her overly testosterone-hyped friend Mark (Jesse James) doesn't take to kindly to David's ploys and tosses his globe onto an Ann Arbor, Michigan frozen river. While attempting to rescue the globe which miraculously doesn't break, David falls through the ice, into the river, and would have drowned were it not for his 'new-found' ability to somehow 'jump' through space and end up in the school library with a flood of water. Later that evening, a fight with his father causes and his discoveries of his ability's potential turns him into a runaway living in a flop hotel in New York City. Shortly thereafter, he conceives of a nearly infinite source of income.

'jump' into a different ticket line and postpone Jumper to the DVD or legal download later list.
He will 'jump' into bank vaults, and jump out with the money. His logic as to the morality of his actions are cleared by the notion that he's "…only 15, what would you have done? Fast forwarding a 8 or so years into the future, David is 'grown up', living in a fancy Manhattan apartment loaded with cash and toys and postcard murals from everywhere he's ever been. His life is pretty fierce. He goes anywhere, does anything, and lives utterly without responsibility or consequences, until, that is, he starts to find out a few unexpected things. It all goes sour one day when Roland (Samuel L. Jackson) is in is apartment when he gets home from a 'jump' to London and back. Within seconds, everything he's grown to love about life is different. Roland, it turns out, is not with the IRS nor the NSA or any other three-letter government agency. He's a bad guy with a terrible mission, and this time it's to catch and kill David.

Well, again, the story relies on an interesting and what should and could have been an engaging premise. Unfortunately, what happens is a life of danger and terrible consequences for David based on barely explained mythology and inexplicable events and motivations of some of the main characters. As good as Hayden Christensen can be as an actor, this probably wasn't the best role for him. He comes across as too sensitive without there being much sensitivity in his character. Samuel L. Jackson's villainous Roland is utterly without motivation other than bloodlust spouting things like "Only God should have this power!" Rachel Bilson does her best with her mostly caricature role. The only breath of fresh air in the film came form Jamie Bell whose character is wildly entertaining, properly motivated, and spirited. He's probably the most under-utilized, most talented actors of his peer group and the real star of this film. As for Diane Lane and Kristen Stewart fans, stay home, their combined screen time must be less than four minutes and fifteen seconds.

Much like the advertising campaign for the film which has included an ultra-cheesy "American Idol" cross-over tie in, Jumper looks like its going to be a lot better than it turns out. Possibly, an obviously planned sequel will take things further, fill in blanks, clear up plot problems, and have a Superman II-like effect overall. Otherwise, use your ability to 'jump' into a different ticket line and postpone Jumper to the DVD or legal download later list. [Note: Without Jamie Bell's performance, Jumper would have been an average $9 or below average $8.50 film.]


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Cast Members
Hayden Christensen • Jamie Bell • Rachel Bilson
Diane Lane • Samuel L. Jackson • Michael Rooker
AnnaSophia Robb • Max Thieriot • Jesse James
Tom Hulce
Director
Doug Liman
Writers
David S. Goyer • Jim Uhls • Simon Kinberg
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Review-lite Jumper (2008) [max of 150 words]
Possessing more hype than substance in the end, were it not for Jamie Bell's role as Griffin that semi-redeems the film from pointless doldrums, then Jumper could be quickly relegated to a complete pass up list, instead, it falls on the 'wait for DVD' list. Unfortunately, too many writer-cooks sort of spoiled this adaptation of Steven Gould's novel with a nearly unlikable 'hero' David Rice (Hayden Christensen) and a malevolent villain Roland (Samuel L. Jackson) who lacks clear motivations.
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

it was a wise move for the makers of Jumper to keep Christensen's lines as brief as possible.

it had some great effects as well, made me feel like i was jumping around with the characters myself.

27 March, 2008 14:01

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