Movie review: Jumper

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Don’t be quick to “jump” out of your seat for this one. Jumper isn’t a must-see movie, but it is worth checking out at some point.

Hayden Christensen (Star Wars Episode III, Awake), Samuel L. Jackson (Coach Carter, S.W.A.T.) and Rachel Bilson (The O.C.) make up the cast of this sci-fi thriller based on the novel of the same name.

Christensen stars as David Rice, a young man who learns he has the ability to teleport himself virtually anywhere he can think of. He spends years living a life of leisure, making himself rich and sleeping with women all over the world. But his fun comes to an end when an organization that seeks to kill “jumpers”—people with the ability to teleport—comes after him.

If you’re looking for another thriller for purely entertainment purposes, this is your film. But if you hate it when events happen in a movie with no real explanation, steer clear of Jumper. Christensen does a great job of allowing the audience to understand his character. Surprisingly, Samuel L. Jackson is the one who gives a lackluster performance as the leader of the organization that’s after Christensen. You’re never really sure of his character’s motives or his background.

The plot is definitely there, but it’s just not used to its full potential. If Jumper 2 gets the green light, which it supposedly has, the director should expand more on background information on some of the events and people in the film. The organization after Christensen isn’t explained well until the end of the film, and still by then there are several other little things that just don’t add up.

It was nice to see Christensen and Jackson reunited since the memorable Star Wars Episode III. It’s also interesting to think how rapper Eminem would have done in this one, as he was originally cast in Christensen’s role. Jumper is entertaining overall, but you may want to wait for it to hit the rental stores.

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