Jumper

Starring: Hayden Christiansen, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Lane, Rachel Bilson, Jamie Bell, Kristen Stewart
Directed by: Doug Liman
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
2008

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: David (Hayden Christiansen) discovers that he has the power to teleport anywhere in the world. This power enables him to live a lavish lifestyle, taking money from banks without opening any doors, traveling all over the world, and not having any worries. This all changes when a Paladin (Samuel L. Jackson) shows up to kill him. Not understanding what is happening, he takes revenge in the arms of his high school crush(Rachel Bilson) and befriends another jumper (Jamie Bell) who fills him in the Jumper-Paladin war.

Review:

Tim: I absolutely love that this movie got made. It is exactly what I want in a movie- an exciting, action-packed film that throws in humor and romance, and presents us with something we have never seen before. That is the real attraction of this movie- you have never seen anything like this before. The idea of jumpers or teleporters is so fascinating, and the movie does a superb job showing what this would be like. I loved the film's tagline- "Anywhere is Possible." It is so amazing to see people jumping through space, being in one place one minute, and a completely different place the next moment. I loved it.

The movie also works because of the interesting battle between Jumpers and Paladins. This fuels the film's action and drama, and it works well. That is one of the film's strongest attributes- it makes all this believable. In a short amount of time, we are thrown into this world of people with strange powers, in the middle of a war, and we believe it all. How this film achieved that is impressive.

Hayden Christiansen is very good in the role. He seems much more relaxed and comfortable here. In the Star Wars trilogy, he seemed much less relaxed and more wooden. He is good here. Samuel L. Jackson adds a great deal to this film. He makes a very good antagonist, and he looks scary and fearsome here. I really liked this casting choice, and I typically don't like Jackson's ability to wedge himself into seemingly every other movie. For once, I was glad he did. Diane Lane has a small role, but it is impressive that the film managed to get an actress of her caliber for the part. Rachel Bilson is decent in the role. Occasionally, she seems a bit silly, but for most of the movie, she does good work.

Jumper is an incredibly fast-paced action sci-fi movie that roots the unbelievable in a very realistic and believable world. The characters endear themselves to you quickly, and you get invested in their struggle. The movie features some stunning special effects, and your jaw will drop when you see a double decker bus suddenly appear in the desert, or a man teleporting around an apartment building, or two jumpers fighting, here one second, there the next. This film is entertaining, exciting, and quite good.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: X-Men trilogy, Star Wars trilogy, Life as a House