Release Date:
06/10/2008
The Skinny: A really dull guy (Hayden Christensen) realizes he can teleport anywhere in the world. This doesn't sit well will a society of lame Jumper hunters, led by the half-asleep Sam Jackson, who attempts to kill him the entire time.
Reminded Us Of… Nightcrawler from X-Men 2 without the cool makeup or personality.
The Good: Jamie Bell as the rogue Jumper manages to add some excitement, despite Christensen's black hole of a personality. Rachel Bilson is adorable (though her role is completely wasted), and some of the effect are pretty incredible in Blu-ray. (One of the main reasons this got three stars as opposed to one.)
The Bad: The story is a complete mess, loaded with holes that are impossible to overlook. Within minutes of watching, we were dumbfounded that director Doug Liman, who has a nearly perfect track record (Swingers, The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith), didn't do a better job. If he would have tried to have more fun, rather than base this in reality like his other movies, then it may have worked.
The Michael Caine of Our Generation: Sam Jackson has got to start saying no occasionally, especially when it's clear he's so not into the movie. The same charisma he displayed in xXx: State of the Union and S.W.A.T. is in full effect here.
George Lucas Is No Longer Responsible: For years we thought Lucas' Star Wars prequel "directing" was to blame for Christensen's horrible performances, especially after he did a great job in Shattered Glass. Now it's clear Glass was a fluke and Christensen really is that bad.
Best Extra: "Doug Liman's Jumper: Uncensored Documentary," a brutally honest making-of, is better than the movie. This makes it clear why Jumper became such a mess—even though it's based on a very popular book, Liman basically threw it away and came up with his own story. And the standout again is Jamie Bell, who's either joking around or visibly pissed off over the disorganized production. There's also a commentary and a lot about the special effects, but the documentary pretty much says it all.
Reminded Us Of… Nightcrawler from X-Men 2 without the cool makeup or personality.
The Good: Jamie Bell as the rogue Jumper manages to add some excitement, despite Christensen's black hole of a personality. Rachel Bilson is adorable (though her role is completely wasted), and some of the effect are pretty incredible in Blu-ray. (One of the main reasons this got three stars as opposed to one.)
The Bad: The story is a complete mess, loaded with holes that are impossible to overlook. Within minutes of watching, we were dumbfounded that director Doug Liman, who has a nearly perfect track record (Swingers, The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith), didn't do a better job. If he would have tried to have more fun, rather than base this in reality like his other movies, then it may have worked.
The Michael Caine of Our Generation: Sam Jackson has got to start saying no occasionally, especially when it's clear he's so not into the movie. The same charisma he displayed in xXx: State of the Union and S.W.A.T. is in full effect here.
George Lucas Is No Longer Responsible: For years we thought Lucas' Star Wars prequel "directing" was to blame for Christensen's horrible performances, especially after he did a great job in Shattered Glass. Now it's clear Glass was a fluke and Christensen really is that bad.
Best Extra: "Doug Liman's Jumper: Uncensored Documentary," a brutally honest making-of, is better than the movie. This makes it clear why Jumper became such a mess—even though it's based on a very popular book, Liman basically threw it away and came up with his own story. And the standout again is Jamie Bell, who's either joking around or visibly pissed off over the disorganized production. There's also a commentary and a lot about the special effects, but the documentary pretty much says it all.