2008 Woodie Awards
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'Jumper' drops the ball in leap from book to screen
The movie sticks to the tired and typical sci-fi/action flick method and fails to live up to its potential
by Matt Sevits | Associate Pulse Editor
"Jumper" could have been an awesome movie. It has a number of factors in its favor: An attractive cast that includes Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson and Samuel L. Jackson; an intriguing premise about a guy who can teleport, or "jump," anywhere he wants; and an omnipresent marketing campaign. But "Jumper" is based on a book, and book-to-film adaptations are rarely successful. In fact, "Jumper" ends up being nothing more than ordinary.
The first half of the film dedicates its time to establishing its main character, David Rice (Christensen), and his discovery and exploitation of his ability to "jump." It's the ultimate fantasy ability similar to apparition in the "Harry Potter" books. Who wouldn't want to be able to go anywhere at any time? Better yet, David uses his power to rob banks, thus ensuring himself a wealthy, care-free lifestyle full of sightseeing in exotic places. Beyond this, the rest of the film's premise is largely undeveloped - likely a result of condensing the book's contents into a 90-minute film.
When members of a mysterious organization, known as the Paladins, track David down and begin hunting him, the film takes shortcuts to explain the film's complex backstory.
That shortcut comes in the form of Griffin, another Jumper who has been hunting Paladins for years. He knows everything David needs to know: The Paladins claim to be with the government, but they really just want to kill David. They have been hunting and killing Jumpers since the beginning of time (The Spanish Inquisition? Yeah, that was the Paladins). They have a machine to re-open wormholes and follow Jumpers. Griffin knows everything, and he becomes a teacher of sorts for David, except that his bits of knowledge typically come at inopportune times.
Before he knows it, David is engulfed in a full-out war with the Paladins, a war that isn't nearly as action-packed as the previews would have you think. Just as the action gets started, people start "jumping" around - effectively bringing the action to a halt.
The climactic battle scene in the desert is the only action sequence that gets adrenaline pumping, as David and Griffin start "jumping" larger items, like buses and buildings. After watching people "jump" for an hour, it's exciting to see something as large as a bus teleported to the desert as a weapon.
Besides the film's mechanics, the casting of "Jumper" also fails to impress.
Christensen, best known for the "Star Wars" prequels, is easy enough on the eyes, but wringing emotion out of him proves difficult; his handsome, chiseled facial expressions rarely change throughout the film.
Rachel Bilson makes her first appearance on the big screen since "The O.C." ended, but she is cast in the stereotypical "damsel-in-distress" role.
Another stereotypical casting choice is Samuel L. Jackson, whose appearance in underwhelming, overhyped action and horror flicks has become tired and expected.
Anyone going to the theater to see "Jumper" shouldn't expect to see a movie that breaks any molds - if anything, the film proves just how stale the sci-fi/action mold is.
msevits@dailyemerald.com
Jumper
| What: | A run-of-the-mill sci-fi/action pic, based on the novel of the same name by Steven Gould, that follows a man's adventures in "jumping," an ability that lets him teleport. |
| Who: | Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson, Samuel L. Jackson and Diane Lane |
| Rating: | 2.5 stars out of 5 |
When members of a mysterious organization, known as the Paladins, track David down and begin hunting him, the film takes shortcuts to explain the film's complex backstory.
That shortcut comes in the form of Griffin, another Jumper who has been hunting Paladins for years. He knows everything David needs to know: The Paladins claim to be with the government, but they really just want to kill David. They have been hunting and killing Jumpers since the beginning of time (The Spanish Inquisition? Yeah, that was the Paladins). They have a machine to re-open wormholes and follow Jumpers. Griffin knows everything, and he becomes a teacher of sorts for David, except that his bits of knowledge typically come at inopportune times.
Before he knows it, David is engulfed in a full-out war with the Paladins, a war that isn't nearly as action-packed as the previews would have you think. Just as the action gets started, people start "jumping" around - effectively bringing the action to a halt.
The climactic battle scene in the desert is the only action sequence that gets adrenaline pumping, as David and Griffin start "jumping" larger items, like buses and buildings. After watching people "jump" for an hour, it's exciting to see something as large as a bus teleported to the desert as a weapon.
Besides the film's mechanics, the casting of "Jumper" also fails to impress.
Christensen, best known for the "Star Wars" prequels, is easy enough on the eyes, but wringing emotion out of him proves difficult; his handsome, chiseled facial expressions rarely change throughout the film.
Rachel Bilson makes her first appearance on the big screen since "The O.C." ended, but she is cast in the stereotypical "damsel-in-distress" role.
Another stereotypical casting choice is Samuel L. Jackson, whose appearance in underwhelming, overhyped action and horror flicks has become tired and expected.
Anyone going to the theater to see "Jumper" shouldn't expect to see a movie that breaks any molds - if anything, the film proves just how stale the sci-fi/action mold is.
msevits@dailyemerald.com
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