Review: ‘Jumper’

Travis:

Jumper (2008) was directed by Doug Liman, a relatively fresh film-maker of such very entertaining films as Swingers, Go, The Bourne Identity and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. I don’t know about you, but I’m seeing a very steady and positive trend forming here. Liman clearly has a knack for this style of film-making. Hayden Christensen (Star Wars) plays David Rice in this motion picture adaptation of the Steven Gould novel. David encounters a near death experience as a high school student, resulting in his discovering he has the ability to jump, or teleport, to another place. With the town believing him dead, he quickly realizes he’s better off disappearing and starting his life over than returning and attempting to explain the insane truth of how he survived. Before he goes, David leaves a sign for Millie, his high school crush, to let her know he’s not dead.

David embarks on a life of luxury and freedom that only the wealthiest of people are afforded. He achieves this status through a series of bank robberies using his ability to avoid the gates and vaults in his way. Unfortunately, David did not consider the need for subtlety. His actions draw attention to his whereabouts, leading Roland, played by Samuel L. Jackson, to track him down. Roland is the leader of an ultra-extremist religious organization, conducting a witch hunt for Jumpers. Roland’s organization, which has apparently been in existence for centuries, tracks down Jumpers because they believe they’re an abomination in God’s eyes. David’s life of pleasure comes to a halt, as does that of his high school crush, played by Rachel Bilson (The Last Kiss), with whom he had just reunited. Now David, along with fellow Jumper Griffin, played by Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot), must find and stop Roland before everyone David knows and loves die by his maniacal hands.

Jumper is successful because it doesn’t attempt to portray itself as more than it really is, maintaining a realistic atmosphere and giving the characters real human strengths and weaknesses. The cast is actually fairly small, while still eluding to the concept that there are many Jumpers and Paladins (those hunting Jumpers) out in the world. This movie is really entertaining on its own, with low profile but very effective special effects, but clearly serves as an introductory chapter to a potential sequel, at least. There are a few characters, such as David’s mom, and others whose stories in Jumper are left open-ended and can serve as rich and fruitful source material for an engaging continuation of the storyline. I particularly am interested in learning more about Griffin’s life and story, having found David and reluctantly teaching him the ways of the world for Jumpers.

I really liked the simplicity that was taken in telling this story; a story that could have easily been overwrought with expensive special effects or embellished plot twists that have no real purpose. I vaguely liken Jumper to a hybrid of Stargate, without the aliens, and Equilibrium, without the dark and dreary futuristic politics. The movie is pleasantly more of a well-told character-driven story than that of a CGI effects laden show-and-tell project, which is a welcome change of pace from many of the recent so-called sci-fi movies being made.

[rating: 3/5]