Jumper Review

A fascinating concept for a film and in Doug Liman, director of Bourne Identity, it has someone who could really sell you the film.  About a genetic defect that allows certain individuals to jump from one place to another, the movie starts off with David Rice, our protagonist, in high school seemingly outcasted and the kid everyone looks down to.  Its a film that can either be watched by completely switching off and enjoying this fun film or by viewing it as a film that could have been so much more.  I've watched it a few times, first as with most films i completely switch off and i found myself really enjoying this film and at times rather envious of what David Rice (Hayden Christensen) and Griffin (Jamie Bell) could do.  I then decided to get stuck into it and it is seriously lacking any specific plot and the story between the jumpers and paladins is awful.  

Christensen plays a character who could use his powers to save people, but that would be too cliche wouldn't it, i rather like the fact that he does what most of us would do if we had the power, rob a bank, visit the world and not give a **** about most things.  Its definitely what i'd do!  Yet at the start of the film David Rice is this young guy at high school "in love" with Millie (Bilson), his high school crush and in that american high school, awkward atmosphere we see so many times in films, he never quite plucks up the courage in the early part of the film to ask her out.  We kind of miss 5 years of his life, that could be used to explain a lot, how does he have this ability, what grudge do the paladins have with jumpers, who is Griffin and so on.

So a very decent idea lacking any conviction, however its the fact that he does what we i would do and the film doesn't go along the lines of the cliche superhero story of saving people! A good film to sit and enjoy but if you are looking for a multi-layered superhero film go somewhere else.