Jumper (2008)

A disappointing adaption of the Jumper novel by Steven Gould. The creative team behind the 2005 action hit Mr. & Mrs. Smith, which brought Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie together to the tune of $186 million. Director Doug Liman, who started out doing indies like Swingers and Go, made waves in 2002 with his update of Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Identity.  

 

Jumper is an exciting concept of rich young man with unimaginable possibilities, known as a jumper he has powers of teleportation. Yes! It sounds exciting but unfortunately felt more like a television episode with a large budget rather than a feature film with a beginning, middle and end. One thing I can't complain about are the special effects, they're indeed very well done.

 

Jumper isn't the type of action film that relies on its stars, none of them are really mentioned in the trailer and it becomes more evident when you realise that a major star like Diane Lane, who usually headlines a film, is taking a smaller secondary role. Hayden Christensen and Rachel Bilson produce some-what adequate performances but it's Jamie Bell that brings along a refreshing welcome of madness. One might think that Samuel Jackson's track record might help get people to see it, since he's starred in a lot of big film, yet he still has to prove himself as a box office draw on his own, as recent high-profile attempts like Snakes on a Plane and Black Snake Moan have failed to bring in the audiences expected.

I felt this film had such potential but unfortunately the final piece just didn't come together as well as I'm sure everyone involved would have hoped. The competition is high this week with the release of There Will Be Blood and National Treasure: Book of Secrets still playing. I will be keen to see how well the film does. No doubt it will draw in some younger fans thanks to its ultra-cutie Rachel Bilson and the surprisingly sexy Hayden Christensen. It's not all bad, but I was expecting something better.