Jumper

release year: 2008
genre: sci-fi/action
viewing setting: home DVD, 6/14/08

synopsis: A kid discovers that he can teleport, lives a dream life for a while, then has to get serious when he learns some people will kill him simply because he has this power.

impressions: The part I left out of my synopsis above was this: "...and stupid kid doesn't take most of this very seriously." I mean, really. If you escaped MULTIPLE TIMES from someone who clearly had an unwavering desire to murder you, would you keep chancing a meeting with that person? Would you let them go when you could instead do away with them forever and eliminate the relentless threat to yourself and your loved ones? The main character in this movie didn't. Beyond that, I'll say that this movie was all flash and no substance; the filmmakers seemed so obsessed with showing us how cool the "jumping" power could be that there was very little plot going on. Then again, perhaps this could be said about the life of any carefree teenager.

something this movie has that no other movie has: teleporting people, and the sect/cult that wants to kill them

acting: Hayden Christensen is David, the main jumper. Jamie Bell is Griffin, another jumper who's much more realistic about things. Rachel Bilson is Millie, the love interest who might have better understood what was going on if David had simply bothered to explain it to her in a spare moment. Samuel Jackson is Cox, whose only purpose in life is to chase, trap, and murder jumpers.

final word: Neat idea, sloppy execution. Plenty of action and scenery, though.

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