Jumper

Starring: Hayden Christensen, Jamie Bell, Rachel Bilson, Samuel L. Jackson and Diane Lane

Written by: David S. Goyer, Jim Uhls, and Simon Kinberg Based on the book by: Steven Gould

Directed by: Doug Liman

It’s a funny story. I went to see this movie when it was out in the theaters and had to leave during the middle due to a family emergency. What I had seen thus far was definitely intriguing and over the last few months I painted different endings to the film and where it could have gone.

I was better off leaving it to my imagination.

The premise, while nothing new, set groundwork for what could have been an entertaining film. Indeed, even the ideas added to the premise was interesting. So on the surface, it had great potential. So what was the problem? The surface was all we got.

Characters? Vapid, non-likable, surface archetypes.

Action sequences - Fun but not nearly as much as it could be. It was difficult to follow the action at times, which might have been what they were going for - the frenetic pace and all, but it didn’t work at all.

Storyline - Vague references to other jumpers, and the Paladins, led by Samuel L. We learn almost NOTHING about them, except they hunt and kill jumpers.  Why?  Jealousy.  Yes this superpowerful, super-rich organization who has dedicated their life to killing Jumpers.  And all we get is because Jumpers can jump. And the bond is so strong, that it supersedes even a mother-son  bond?

Are you kidding me with that?

The film opens with the first time David Rice jumps, after he has fallen through a frozen lake.  Most people believe he’s dead since that night, he leaves his house.  Quite a big decision.  They imply that his dad isn’t much of one. Played by Michael Rooker, he’s not going to win any father of the year awards, but he doesn’t seem to be malicious.  I haven’t read the book, but from what I gathered, Rice’s father was an alcoholic, abusive father, giving David much more of a reason to leave.

So he leaves and robs a bank, which does make sense actually.

And then the film goes down hill.  The movie is about an hour and a half, and about a quarter of that is establishing that the older David Rice, played by Hayden Christensen has made a life out of stealing what he needs, and jumping wherever he pleases.  There are about three scenes too many that attempt to make the audience say “Oh, that’s so cool”, instead of actually trying to develop who David is.  The small attempt to do so consists of David seeing victims of a natural disaster, and although he could save them, he ignores it.

Then Samuel L and the Paladins find him, and confront him forcing him to go on the run.   He uses this time to go back home and visit childhood sweetheart, Millie who he sweeps off her feet by offering her a trip to Rome.  When in Rome, they visit the Colosseum, and we are introduced to the one character that is if not well defined, at the very least engaging in Griffin.   He is a jumper too and he has spent his life hunting paladins.

It’s only natural that he seek out Griffin.  But he has to save Millie first and that causes him to be arrested by the Italian police.  While being questioned David is shocked to see his mother who left when he was five, come in, give him the keys and tell him he has 30 seconds to leave and then she leaves.

After that it becomes a less than slick action piece that involves David realizing that Millie is now in danger for having known him, David recruiting reluctant Griffin to help him, fighting Roland, losing Millie to him, fighting Griffin who wants to bomb the lot of them, leaving Griffin and going to fight Roland transporting him to a cave that opens up to a massive cliff, seeking out his mother who is revealed to be a Paladin and finding a half sister before then going off with Millie.

Yippie.  So they build up this David-Griffin Marvel Team Up and it lasts for about ten minutes before David leaves him in electrical cables unable to jump.  We leave Roland alive and open for a sequel, and then we find out about his mother the Paladin…and yeah I ranted about that before.

Overall it’s just a mess really and it could have been so much better.  I think honestly it would have made a better television series, where we could really get in depth about the history of the jumpers and paladins, etc.

Instead we’re left with a 90 minute MTV music video.  Unfortunate.

D+