Matthew ShallueJumper (2008)
Jumper (2008)
Anywhere is possible
Starring: Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson
Director: Doug Liman
Running Time: 88 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Jumper is the movie adaptation from Steven Gould’s novel of the same name. Jumper follows David Rice, played by Hayden Christensen, a seemingly average man with the extraordinary ability to teleport himself anywhere at anytime.
Like all great powers, David’s gift comes with a price. His is unknowingly in the middle of a sort of holy war between Jumpers and their sworn enemies, The Paladins. A type of holy crusader bent on eliminating all of Jumpers because of a long held belief that no man should possess such a power. After an initial run-in with Roland, a Paladin played by Samuel L. Jackson, David quickly comes to realize the truth of his gift. He and anyone close to him are in great danger. With the reluctant help of Griffin, another Jumper played by Jamie Bell, David must fight to protect the ones he is closest to.
The acting in Jumper is on par with what you would expect from the cast and offers some genuinely good moments. Samuel L. Jackson brings his veteran acting skills, taking Roland’s hatred of the Jumpers to an almost fanatical level by disregarding everything and everyone around him. Hayden Christensen has continued to develop his craft, moving the character of David from a naive individual who is only concerned with himself to an unlikely hero, who starts to understand the sacrifice others have made to protect him.
The action sequences are easily the highlight of the movie. Details, like how the environment around the jump point is affected, really make the movie. For example, things such as water and other objects move from one location to another make the film. Taken at face value, Jumper is a popcorn movie that while enjoyable enough, could have benefited from a deeper story and a more developed cast of characters. A lot of the character backgrounds are glossed over and most of the story in centered on Roland hunting David and the ensuing fight between them. Because of this, viewers never really identify with the actor and they come off seemingly empty.
You might find yourself having to pay closer attention to the action then the dialog. The cameras follow the action really well, but if you look away for more then a second, you will realize that you missed something. Even though Jumper may fall a bit short in some areas, if you find yourself at the movie store, looking at a DVD of Jumper, do check it out. It’s worth more then a casual glance.
Anywhere is possible
Starring: Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson
Director: Doug Liman
Running Time: 88 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Jumper is the movie adaptation from Steven Gould’s novel of the same name. Jumper follows David Rice, played by Hayden Christensen, a seemingly average man with the extraordinary ability to teleport himself anywhere at anytime.
Like all great powers, David’s gift comes with a price. His is unknowingly in the middle of a sort of holy war between Jumpers and their sworn enemies, The Paladins. A type of holy crusader bent on eliminating all of Jumpers because of a long held belief that no man should possess such a power. After an initial run-in with Roland, a Paladin played by Samuel L. Jackson, David quickly comes to realize the truth of his gift. He and anyone close to him are in great danger. With the reluctant help of Griffin, another Jumper played by Jamie Bell, David must fight to protect the ones he is closest to.
The acting in Jumper is on par with what you would expect from the cast and offers some genuinely good moments. Samuel L. Jackson brings his veteran acting skills, taking Roland’s hatred of the Jumpers to an almost fanatical level by disregarding everything and everyone around him. Hayden Christensen has continued to develop his craft, moving the character of David from a naive individual who is only concerned with himself to an unlikely hero, who starts to understand the sacrifice others have made to protect him.
The action sequences are easily the highlight of the movie. Details, like how the environment around the jump point is affected, really make the movie. For example, things such as water and other objects move from one location to another make the film. Taken at face value, Jumper is a popcorn movie that while enjoyable enough, could have benefited from a deeper story and a more developed cast of characters. A lot of the character backgrounds are glossed over and most of the story in centered on Roland hunting David and the ensuing fight between them. Because of this, viewers never really identify with the actor and they come off seemingly empty.
You might find yourself having to pay closer attention to the action then the dialog. The cameras follow the action really well, but if you look away for more then a second, you will realize that you missed something. Even though Jumper may fall a bit short in some areas, if you find yourself at the movie store, looking at a DVD of Jumper, do check it out. It’s worth more then a casual glance.
