Jumper Review
by [email protected] (sdo230 AT gmail DOT com)February 15th, 2008
Jumper
reviewed by Sam Osborn of TheMovieMammal.com
More of a July surprise than a February dud, Jumper is a Summer spectacle in the disguise of a winter dump-off. It's grand and silly, exciting and ridiculous, and all that we go to the movies for...at least all we go to the movies for between the months of May and August.
It seems 20th Century Fox didn't trust Hayden Christiansen and Samuel L. Jackson as names large enough to find an audience the size of, oh say, that of Christian Bale and the posthumous Heath Ledger in The Dark Night, launching in June. My guess is that Fox saw a full slate for the Summer calendar and a tidy opening on Valentines Day weekend, aligning itself against Step Up 2 The Streets; dreams the size of 300's domestic box office returns prance through their heads.
But who cares about release slates and film economics? Not you, surely. But then again, maybe you should. You see, Jumper's story has been set up as an episodic franchise. If there weren't many more millions to be made on the big screen than on the little one Jumper would probably be more fitted for your TiVo, lined up right alongside "Heroes." Its story runs along the lines of potential that The Matrix once did; dealing with a personal rescue rather than the overarching plot, leaving much to be dealt with in the succeeding episodes. That is, as long as there's enough guys willing to ditch their girlfriends who would otherwise be putting their money towards Step Up 2.
Based on the popular book by Stephen Gould, Jumper's tale involves an ancient and ongoing war between Jumpers and the army of Paladins. Although this sounds initially more like comic book fodder than big- picture franchise, Jumper's been adapted by three of the more potent action writers currently working. Between the three of them--David S. Goyer, Simon Kinberg, and Jim Uhls--they've separately written Batman Begins, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Fight Club.
As a born Jumper, David Rice (Hayden Christiansen) has the power to teleport wherever he likes--as long as he's visited the location before. His bank's vault? No problem. David can rob it without ever opening the door. But on his trail is Roland (Samuel L. Jackson), the leader of the shadowy Paladin clan. With a wig as bright as the silvery moon, Roland and his cronies wield electric batons, high voltage being an affective disruptive agent to a Jumper's powers.
On the escape with David is his childhood sweetheart Millie, played by "The O.C." femme Rachel Bilson. Both actors seem forced into their roles, Mr. Christiansen reportedly having replaced Tom Sturridge, whose name may not have been large enough for proper billing. Ms. Bilson does better than Anakin Skywalker, her role requiring more smoldering than dialogue. At this she's an obvious winner. The pairing, however, lacks chemistry and makes us wonder if Miss Bilson will be dropped like a Bond bimbo in the probable sequels.
But playing international full-contact hopscotch is the real draw of Jumper. Teleportation may seem like a gag as old as "Beam me up, Scotty," but with Jumper, the trick is out of this world. It's like the difference between your kid brother in karate class and a Bruce Lee double-punch. Jumper flings its heroes from Egypt to London to New York and Prague--in a matter of seconds. Double-decker buses are weapons to be flung across continents, heroes chasing each other across the Sphinx and Big Ben, Tokyo and the Empire State Building.
It's fast and it's clever, much like Director Doug Liman's previous films, The Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Go. He has a talent for bringing an idea as low-brow as Mr. and Mrs. Smith and turning it into a wickedly exciting blockbuster. With Jumper, Mr. Liman's in familiar territory. In less capable hands--and with less of a Dream Team behind the script--this new franchise could be little more than Winter slop. Instead it's a candied Summertime preview. And among the doldrums of February, that's a satisfying treat indeed. Sam Osborn of TheMovieMammal.com
Jumper: Directed by Doug Liman. Screenplay by Jim Uhls, David S. Goyer, Simon Kinsberg. Starring Hayden Christiansen, Samuel L. Jackson, Rachel Bilson. MPAA Classification: PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence, some language and brief sexuality.
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