JUMPER, 2008
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JUMPER
Movie Review
Directed by Doug Liman
Starring Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson
Review by Andrea Frye

SYNOPSIS:

A genetic anomaly allows a young man to teleport himself anywhere. He discovers this gift has existed for centuries and finds himself in a war that has been raging for thousands of years between "Jumpers" and those who have sworn to kill them.

REVIEW:

As kids we all wished we had the ability to transport ourselves away from embarrassing situations, wishing we could leave our rooms when we wanted, to get away, but it never seemed possible. David Rice had the same thoughts that we all did. Here he is in high school having a rough time, just like all high scholars when he finds out that he is different. Something no high scholar wishes to find out, but for David it's a blessing not a curse. Well, not yet at least.

Jumping is what David does. It's his ability to transport himself anywhere in the world. It can transport him away from danger, bullies, and a not so loving father figure. It is this ability that gives him the ultimate freedom, but should anyone have that amount of freedom? This is one of the biggest questions that resides in this movie. Sure, having the power to enter a vault full of money and exit again without ever having to open a door seems like a great power, but to Samuel L. Jackson's character, Roland, it's a power meant only for God. Only he should be able to have the ultimate freedom.

What seems to be a blessing soon turns out to be a curse for David. Eight years after leaving Ann Arbor David is finally tracked down by Roland, a man who wants David to answer for his actions. It is here in the story that the situations become complex. You think that David is the good guy, but here he is stealing money from banks leaving IOU's that he hasn't paid back, living in a life of luxury and never having worked for any of it. Is that what our protagonists of today have come to look like? If David is our good guy than Roland becomes our stereotypical bad guy. Roland's intention is to make sure that no one has the power of ultimate freedom, that no one should be able to move around as they please without having to answer for themselves. So far he doesn't sound like the bad guy, but the methods in which one wishes to achieve this goal is what makes a person good or bad. Although David steals and lies he has good intentions and would harm no one along the way. He wishes to pay back the banks at some point, but it is Roland who is willing to kill to meet his goal, his murders are what make him the bad guy. The guy that David has to run from and protect his loved ones from.

Jumper is a movie that takes you on a whirlwind of locations from Egypt, to Rome, to London and everywhere in between. The cinematography is well done with the transitions from each location to the next. The special effects of a jump make something fantastical seem realistic, but there are other parts of the movie that seem lacking.

This movie is not short of a cast of names that are popular and with popularity comes expectations; expectations that can fall short. Most people remember Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson from Star Wars and Rachel Bilson from the popular television show, The O.C., but sometimes in the film the characterization portrayed by the actors just isn't believable.

In the beginning of the movie there seems to be something between David and Millie, but what is was the audience may never know. But when David comes back eight years later would a relationship between them bloom as fast as it does on screen? Would they meet in a bar one day, leave for Rome the next, and become a hand holding, stay in the hotel room kind of couple on their first day in Rome? Personally, I think it takes a little longer and I would have liked to see their relationship grow more instead of suddenly appear.

If you're looking for a movie with strong acting and believable relationships your better off with a serious drama, but if you were looking that you wouldn't be watching Jumper anyway. This is the kind of movie where you want to see the normal person make it out of okay. You want to see the underdog against the big timers, you want to see special effects, and a whirlwind of action. All of this is what you will get in Jumper, no deep love story, no strong comedic elements, no Oscar worthy acting, just a good movie you'll want to watch when you want to be entertained, not moralized, not politicized, just entertained.

3 stars out of 4!

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