Jumper
It’s hard to understand why science fiction seems to be the genre which produces so many films that have the potential for greatness, yet, because of the underdeveloped plots, horrific writing, and empty acting, the audience is left horribly unsatisfied. Unfortunately, just like M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable, Doug Liman’s Jumper leaves us wishing the plot would have picked up with the story that is introduced at the end of the film.
Liman’s Jumper revolves around, David Rice (Hayden Christensen), who discovers he has the supernatural ability to teleport, after falling through the ice as a kid. Once discovering this power, the teenaged boy does what any boy his age would do with his newfound ability; he leaves home to rob banks without opening doors.
The story of the film begins 8 years later, when we are introduce to Rice living the high life in New York, using his powers to avoid, even the smallest of life’s inconveniences, like reaching over to pick up the remote control. Here, we find the
re is a secret society (calling themselves, “Paladins”), lead by, ghostly white haired, Roland (Samuel L. Jackson). The “Paladins” are a group dedicated to hunting down and ritualistically killing people with these abilities “that only God should possess”. It is unfortunate how it cannot be said the film continues with the story of a war between the “Paladins” and the “Jumpers”. Instead, it takes a turn and becomes the story of Rice reconnecting with the girl that he had a crush on and only mildly touches on the war, mostly as a device to show off the film’s special effects.
Considering the studios were thinking the film would be an equivalent to a comic book superhero movie, it’s amazing how they decided to cast Christensen as the leading man. He has simply never dropped his whiny persona or shown any true on-screen charisma. It just goes to show how the studios are not paying attention to the fans that watch their films. Simply spend 5 minutes with a diehard Star Wars fan and you will instantly know the truth about how they feel on Christensen’s performance as Darth Vader.
One positive note about this film; the special effects were fun to watch. Not only did the film have a ton of expensive toys and flashy cars, but they were constantly “jumping” around the world, to exotic locals, at tremendous speeds. Although some of the stunts were unbelievable, they kept your heart pumping almost as fast as the pace of the film.
But in the end, the film’s conclusion leaves you with nothing but disappointment and a longing for explanations. The origins of the “Jumpers” were never explained, none of the loose ends were tied off, and all the characters that you wanted to be killed off are still around. Although the ending leaves room for a squeal, where hopefully all this will be taken care of, it is doubtful that anyone would sit through another installment, if it can be expected to be anything like the first.
Agree or disagree? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.
Technorati Tags: Action, Hayden Christensen, Jumper, Review, Samuel L. Jackson, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, special effects
I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. This movie will be remembered as The Godfather of our times. Whenever somebody does something you don’t like you should shout “only God should have this power!”