Jumper Reviews

• Good, fun movie

  
  By ACEA95FQS1AVP on 2008-04-24
  I went to see Jumper with some of my family when it was released, and I have to say I enjoyed it very much. I've liked Hayden Christensen since I saw "Life as a House," and Samuel L. just rips up a villain role like nobody's business. The special effects were very well done and I was delighted to find that the main storyline they implied in the commercials is NOT what happened! Sure, the main character can teleport, but the rest.... The movie is billed as scifi/thriller type, but that's a bit misleading. This is more like the Highlander films, a fantasy element in the real world.
  
  The movie was pretty fast paced with only a couple slower moments, and the character's self-exploration once he discovers the ability was almost as good as Peter Parker's in the first Spider-Man movie. Actually, in one way it was better. Peter uses his power to win a wrestling match and then jumps right into the hero role. Our similarly-aged jumper, however, jumps right into a bank vault, and a store, and...! *grin* He really is an ordinary person with an extraordinary ability. He used his ability for theft, but also for taking his surfboard to Fiji for the best waves. I liked the movie enough that I quickly ordered the book. They are COMPLETELY different, but both good for different reasons. The movie added a opposing force for jumpers (i.e. a "villain") whereas in the book, David mostly battles his own inner demons (with a lot of introspection). Plus, the very cool character of Griffin was completely made-up for the film. His character adds great action while giving viewers another jumper to identify with besides David. Though the movie had closure, they left it wide open for a sequel that I really hope gets made.
  
  I think some viewers were overly critical of this film. It's not going to win any oscars, but I was entertained and that's the most important criteria.
  
  As to the DVD itself, I have to say, do NOT buy the 2-disc edition. The second disk contains only a digital copy. All the extras are on disc one, which the regular edition has! I really wish the product description had been more clear on this. I wouldn't have paid the additional $6 for a digital copy which you have to use a keycode to transfer. The code is located on a card in the case, but it clearly states to be careful not to lose it. Also, the outer sleeve has a holographic image of the cover art that is glued to the front of the sleeve. I don't see it lasting long. Finally, once again the studio includes ads in the case, but no insert with chapter index and extra features.
  
  The extra features were pretty standard. There's commentary, making of, interviews with the authors/producer etc, book to film featurette, and some deleted scenes (all of which I felt were rightly cut from the film). The interviews were interesting sinc ethey touched on how the producer obviously changed the book, and how the author felt. Nothing spectacular here, but for a single disc edition these were perfectly fine - and far more than they offered with "the Bourne Ultimatium".
  
  

• Anakin Skywalker has a new force to play with . . .

  
  By AZCDCO6KK2T81 on 2008-02-27
  in this incomprehensible piece of nonsense that is fun at times, but never engaging.
  
  The plot, such as it is, is about people who can teleport themselves just by thinking about a place. This idea is fresh and clever and filmed with terrific special effects, but the film as a whole is executed so moronically that a great idea is totally wasted. Hayden Christensen, the lead jumper and Anakin Skywalker in those Star Wars prequels, continues to amaze me with his extraordinary lack of acting ability. To call him wooden would be a compliment at this point. Ironically, he thinks (acts?) as if he is enchanting somehow. In any event, after a life of rejections with his mom, Diane Lane, skipping out on him when he was five and an abusive alcoholic father, Michael Rooker, and the ever overplayed tortured high school experiences where he's treated as a freak, Christensen takes to a life of robbing banks by misusing his "gift" of teleporting (aka "jumping") and living off the grid as much as possible.
  
  Samuel L. Jackson, do I really need to list his credits here, also offers a rather wooden or "phone in" performance as Roland who never gives us a solid reason to latch onto as to why he hates jumpers. Yeah, he says it's because they all go bad at some point and that only God should be in all places, but those reasons ring hollow and don't explain his intense hatred for the jumpers. He eventually catches up with Christensen's character who must, in order to beat Roland, join forces with another jumper, well-played by Jamie Bell, who is much wiser than he, better with his ability, but extremely anti-social. Bell role is the most interesting and engaging character in the whole film. Heck, I can't even recall the subplot with Christensen's "love interest" in the film. It's that flat and uninteresting.
  
  This film is definitely dedicated to the A.D.D. generation as things move quickly, but don't add up. There are far too many holes in the plot. To say this movie is shallow is like saying the desert can be a little dry. I gave it two stars because the concept was fresh and clever, the effects are fun and different, the dialogue had some witty moments, and the film was mercifully short. It's what many call mindless entertainment, but entertaining nevertheless. My family and I had some fun with this movie. We knew we weren't seeing Shakespeare or anything, therefore, our expectations were low enough that we really didn't leave the theater disappointed. We kinda got what we expected.
  
  Scary Final Note: The book is one in a series. Now, that sends chills up my spine more than anything this film attempted to deliver.
  
  

• You can skip Jumper

  
  By A37PV5GMP2ILJC on 2008-03-16
  Short Attention Span Summary (SASS)
  
  1. See David jump
  2. Jump David jump
  3. See interesting concept jump the shark
  
  There really isn't too much more that I can add to the SASS.
  
  David Rice (Hayden Christensen, in yet another forgettable emotionless performance) discovers that he can teleport himself, and his clothes, and his stuff, and stuff that he's holding on to, from one place to another. He uses the opportunity to run away from home, after liberating some cash from the bank, and sets himself up with a jet-setting lifestyle, minus the jet of course.
  
  Unfortunately, all good things have consequences, and one day he's found by the Paladins, a group of spoilsports who believe that all "jumpers" (like David) are evil and should be eradicated. Samuel L. Jackson plays Roland, a Paladin leader with an inexplicable white crew cut, and an arsenal of weapons involving wires, electric shocks and an average looking butcher knife.
  
  With all this going on, David decides to look up his childhood crush, and whisk her away for a dream vacation in Rome. Ignoring the old adage, he decides to do what the Romans aren't doing, and draws unwanted attention to himself and his date.
  
  The rest of the movie is a high speed pursuit between David and a fellow jumper named Griffin (Jamie Bell, who's much more interesting than Christensen) and the Paladins, involving lots of damage, random acts of teleportation and a horribly anti-climactic ending.
  
  Fiction rather than science, this one is action-packed and loaded with stunts, but falls short in the acting and plot departments. The one stand-out is Jamie Bell, and he's the only reason to watch this one.
  
  Rated: 2.5 stars
  
  
  Amanda Richards, March 15, 2008
  
  

• A Film About As Creative As A Fast Food Restaurant!

  
  By A3DGVB3T5QJNRE on 2008-02-18
  It's too bad that a law is not passed in the United States allowing you to get a full ticket refund if you walk out of the theater after watching 50% or less of a movie. A bell could ring or light could flash for a second to remind the patrons of a last call for a refund! If a system like this was in place in the United States, I guarantee you - rotten, boring trash like Jumper would never, ever be made! Half the theater would have emptied out in a heartbeat! This film is so incredibly vapid and mind-numbingly dull it genuinely insults the intelligence of the movie going audience!!
  
  I realize movies actors need to make a living! But big stars like Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson should be ashamed of themselves - they can pick and choose their projects. Memo to Their Hollywood Agents: You are ruining their careers! If dreary, campy films are all you can find for them to work on then maybe you shouldn't be in the movie star agent business!
  
  There is absolutely nothing redeeming about this godforsaken, awful story! The good guys teleport (A mutant power rip-off from the X-men). The bad guys are religious nuts that kill the teleporters in cold blood because "only God should have this power." Simple as that! Each group tries to kill the other. The good guys are all really sexy looking guys and gals in there 20's! All the bad guys are about 20 years older and could be the good guys parents! And in one case, the bad guy is a parent! One of the most memorable lines: "When you were five years old I had to either kill you or leave you. You shouldn't have come here (parent's home), but I will give you a head start." What a pal!
  
  When I heard this line I thought to myself, "how inspiring!" Parents are all defective or crazy religious zealots or non-existent. Religious people are all fanatical killers going back to the "Inquisition." Only narcissistic 20-Somethings are the heroes in the world of Jumper. But even they are so narcissistic, that when the Christmas Eve Tsunami hits the Indian Ocean nations of the world, does our hero, Hayden Christensen, go and use his incredible teleporting powers to save those drowning before his eyes on the T.V. news? Nope! He grabs a surf board and teleports to some Pacific Island country to surf those extra powerful waves! How disgusting and shocking! What are the writers of this story trying to tell us? That 20-30 year olds are so gross they only care about themselves? So, in a real sense, there are absolutely no good guys in this pathetic film!
  
  Now that the writer's strike is over I hope those responsible for crafting this depressing trash get kicked out of the Writers Union! I'm sure there are plenty of talented writers in the world who can churn out a decent story, and would give their eye-teeth to break into show business! One can only hope!
  
  The Rise of Selfishness in America
  
  

• Jumper, Worth Watching for Science Fiction Fans, Give it a Try!

  
  By A17BUUBOU0598B on 2008-03-08
  Jumper [Theatrical Release]
  
  "Jumper" is a good movie that will appeal to science fiction lovers, comic book junkies and anybody who's ever wanted to travel the world without blowing their bank account. The story is simple, the special effects and international sets are amazing, and the acting is ... well you can't have anything. The young actors here are given very few lines to work with and might not meet the high standards of those who want every movie, including an action fantasy movie, to have award worthy acting.
  
  Many people will have to wonder what I wondered when I first read the reviews here: did I see the same movie as everybody else? Why has this movie been panned by so many people?
  
  Fans of the original novel tend to be against this movie because it deviates from the original story and offers a much more film-friendly short version. Jumper: A Novel (Jumper) There was a "prequel" story written to transition fans to this story, and you can check out those reviews to see their reactions. Jumper: Jumpscars - The Official Prequel to the Film (Jumper)
  
  I appreciate great acting, but I didn't expect Indiana Jones to win for best actor. I likewise didn't expect too much from this acting-wise. Hayden Christensen may not the most expressive actor, but the kid is young! Be realistic! Actually, Bilson's portrayal as Millie was much less impressive, an overly flirty one-dimensional take. And Samuel L. Jackson was almost getting paid twice for the role he played in "Unbreakable," except here his character has the weapons and the strength to really fight the heroes.
  
  Many people also seem to want more back-story and explainations for the science behind his ability to teleport. Yet don't the backstories in most movies like this make them even less believable? How often in life do people stop in the middle of something to explain how and why everything is happening? I was glad that they didn't waste time trying to explain a work of imagination. This is a science fiction concept, nothing more.
  
  This movie, when viewed as just a movie, is great entertainment and very fun to watch. Coming into this just as a movie-goer with no preconceived notions, I loved it. I could suspend disbelief because I know how to let my imagination go when it comes to science fiction.
  
  Essentially, Hayden Christensen plays a young kid who is bullied at school and harassed by an alcoholic father. He discovers his ability to teleport, and soon is making a new life for himself teleporting all over the world. He soon discovers he's not the only "Jumper" out there, and that a group of paladins are determined to find and kill jumpers. He returns to his hometown to find his high school crush, and has to deal with telling her his secret ability.
  
  The pacing was really well done. This movie moves along very quickly. It may leave a lot of unanswered questions but it also never leaves you dragging. The score is well done, but there could have been more songs to create a real soundtrack. They make up for it by moving from location to location with amazing cinematography.
  
  And let me tell you, the sets are amazing! The camera work on top of Big Ben, at the Sphinx, on the Pyramids, and on and on, it was all amazing. For those wide shots alone it's worth seeing in the theatres. I was so jealous this guy could go wherever he wanted, from Europe to Africa to Asia. I can't wait for the DVD to find out which locations were shot on set and which were created via CGI or some other means.
  
  Other special effects are impressive as well, as we see the "residue" of the jumper's as they teleport. The paladins also have their own tools which are perhaps not as cool. There's also an amazing couple of fight scenes that are peppered in.
  
  The movie does end very quickly, and is clearly based on a plot designed for sequels. That leaves the story with a lot of loose ends. Still, I for one would gladly subject myself to a sequel, even look forward to one.
  
  If you want realism, going to see a fantasy thriller isn't going to give it to you. If you want fun and love science fiction or comics, this movie is fun to watch.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  
  
• Displaced Person
  By A3EE0H0NWQ9QVL on 2008-07-12
  `Jumper' could be the perfect manipulative teen movie fantasy. Start with a boy who faces a distant, but menacing father in a divorced family where the mother's been absent since his fifth birthday, a bully at school who keeps him from his dream girl, and we have all the makings of an escapist venue about someone who gets and tries to keep it all.
  
  In an early confrontation, David Rice (Hayden Christensen) meets school bully Mike as he connects with Mike's girlfriend, Millie Harris (Rachel Bilser). He's sharing a glass bubble snow scene with her when Mike confiscates it and throws it on a frozen river. Predictably, David falls through the ice while retrieving it, and remarkably, Millie's rescue attempts don't have her joining him through the same ice; even more mysterious is how Dave gets transported to the local Ann Arbor Library before he can suffocate under a sheet of unbroken ice.
  
  Now he's discovered magical powers that enable him to jump ahead short and long distances in hyper-cyber leaps with invisible traces. If he can only hone it and use it at will, he can globe trot the world and use it at whim. We not only go forward physically, but we do so in time frames as well with casual announcements of passing time. (The movie does this--not the powers.) Relationships would surely suffer, but not for him. We see him elude his overbearing father, but his trek seems like a lonely one with no one he can share his gift.
  
  His first act is to do mission impossible and rob an impenetrable bank. In one of the movie's time warps, we leap ahead to David sitting in his upscale New York apartment. Never mind that this kid who wouldn't have the credit history or employment record to justify his application. Having forgotten Millie for some years, he's able to pick up a girl at a London pub just after hanging out on one of the four faces of Big Ben. After enough fooling around, he decides he's grown lonesome for Millie, so he heads (I should say jumps) back to Ann Arbor years later where he finds she's supporting her college expenses as a bar maid. Here he also meets a drunken Mike where the conversation turns as tipsy as his beer glass. Again enamored by the contrast of brutish Mike to his civility and maybe a little more than impressed by David's ability to throttle his nemesis through powerful transport, Millie is his. Not wanting to be peculiar in her eyes, David satisfies her desire to travel the world, using traditional money instead of his magical powers.
  
  There has to be a catch. After the bank robbery, NSA operative, Roland (Samuel L. Jackson) is hot on his trail and knowledgeable about the Jumpers. Using an electrical device, Roland is able to stave off jumping powers by shocking the Jumper's brain waves. Not able to transport, he nevertheless, uses photographs to unlock the path of his suspects' movements. Labeled an Inquisition figure, Roland roars, "Only God should have the power to be all places at all times." So instead of an investigative interest in the bank robbery, we get a jealous preacher. If there's no consolation in the chase, then we're at least better informed when David locks heads with British fellow jumper, Griffin (Jamie Bell).
  
  In many ways the movie goes nowhere. The scenes where he moves ahead are done with genuine expressions by the actors, but the special effects draw attention to themselves. It's much more satisfying to watch the believable blur in a 'Bourne' movie. The transport gets tiresome at times. Credibility also takes a back seat. Maybe he can jump to Maui, but does it automatically make him a champion surfer? There are no good guys here (except for one sweet and innocent girl). That may work for 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,' but not here. Robbing a bank doesn't make our protagonist likable or gain our sympathies. Without intending to do so, the film highlights much of sixties' science fiction which looked upon such advancements with a wary eye and undermined them with consequences. (Okay, so this is more fantasy than anything else, but it's the same idea.) I did like the mystery of David's mother (Diane Lane), but even that treatment is limited. If you want a real vehicle for the imagination, read Philip Jose' Farmers' `To Your Scattered Bodies Go (Riverworld Saga, Book 1),' a truly transporting work--one that expertly fuses space and time with the necessary caveats in ways this movie does not.
  
  (Based on a novel Jumper: A Novel (Jumper) by Steven Gould.)
  
  
• It's No Jump in the Park
  By A18G7GG53G2X8A on 2008-02-16
  At first, I honestly couldn't tell if "Jumper" was a milestone of science fiction camp or just a really bad movie. Moments of this film are so obviously ridiculous that it's difficult to imagine their inclusions as unintentional. Consider the fact that Hayden Christensen's character--who has the ability to teleport himself to wherever he wants--literally ends up atop famous landmarks, such as the face of Big Ben, or the head of the Sphinx; honestly, doesn't this seem like an inside joke on the filmmaker's part? But after a while, I had to admit to myself that it wasn't supposed to be campy and that I wasn't having fun. This movie is just plain frustrating, not only because it fails to tell a coherent story, but also because it assumes we'll understand it even though it doesn't explain itself. Watching "Jumper" is like playing a video game without knowing the rules, what the goal is, or even how to use the controller.
  
  The science fiction element is probably the most frustrating thing of all, simply because it's an intriguing concept that has nothing to fall back on. It can't even rely on the plot, which can't be described without falling through one of its numerous holes. Example: the prologue establishes that small-town Detroit boy David Rice discovered the power to transport himself at age fifteen (Max Thieriot), when he ended up in a library after walking on a frozen lake and falling through some thin ice. But wait a minute--as an adult (Christensen) in the story proper, he's informed that he first transported at age five. If that's true, then I have a hard time believing he'd forget something like that for ten straight years.
  
  Never mind; what is clear is that David's power--called Jumping--can take him across any distance, from a few feet to a few thousand miles. And indeed, he Jumps all over the world on any given day, using only a postcard or a mental image to get him to his destination (and that makes we wonder about the moment he saved himself from drowning at age fifteen, since I can't imagine him visualizing a library). Oh, and in case you're wonder how David supports himself, it should be noted here that he's a very rich young man, living in one of New York City's most expensive areas. He's never been a hard worker, but he can steal money by jumping to and from sealed bank vaults. He eventually uses that money to take his high school sweetheart--Millie (Rachel Bilson)--on a trip to Rome. He, of course, doesn't Jump there, since that would be telling her too much too soon. But considering how annoying and unbelievable she is, I don't think it would have mattered a great deal.
  
  We're soon introduced to a man named Roland (Samuel L. Jackson), and that's when the story really gets confusing. Roland, you see, is the leader of the Paladins, a group dedicated to hunting down and destroying every last Jumper on earth. As for why Roland does this, all he ever says is, "Only God should have the power to be in all places at once." He also says that, sooner or later, all Jumpers turn bad. What he doesn't say is why or how, nor does he even hint at a Paladin back-story, such as how long they've been chasing Jumpers and why they feel so threatened by them. That would have been helpful, don't you think? Roland shows his angry side by shocking Jumpers with metal rods that shoot out electrified wires; this wouldn't have been a problem had the film actually attempted to explain what these weapons were.
  
  David soon learns that he's not the only Jumper. Here enters Griffin (Jamie Bell), an antisocial hothead who hunts Paladins from his shack in the middle of one of the world's deserts. He says that he's been tracking David for the past ten years, which is difficult to understand since he looks about as old as David does, maybe even younger. He also says that he lost his parents when he was only five, and this was because the Paladins discovered his ability to Jump. Again, I ask why. And again, I say never mind, because I haven't even gotten to the final major sequence, which sees Millie trapped in Roland's clutches, awaiting David to return from a showdown with Griffin.
  
  Have I made it clear just how infuriating this movie is? Probably not--this review is just as rambling and confused as the film itself. "Jumper" is all action but no setup, a cool-looking science fiction thriller that tells us nothing but expects us to be entertained nonetheless. My biggest beef related to David's back story, a classic case of feeling unloved and unwanted; when he was only five, his mother (Diane Lane) left him and his abusive, alcoholic father (Michael Rooker), so by the time he turned fifteen, he had had enough rejection in his life. I won't reveal why his mother left, although I will say that her reasons only added more questions to an ever-growing list. This movie can do nothing more than raise questions, which makes me wonder if director Doug Liman intentionally left the explanations out of the final cut. Here's hoping that fixing this film is as simple as releasing an exhaustively re-cut extended version; it might be something I can watch without feeling so damn lost.
  
  
• Hoppy to meet you
  By AUTBHG6070SL4 on 2008-02-16
  David is a normal enough high school boy, trying to impress his girl despite the usual kinds of bullies. Then, after a teenish bit of bad judgement, he falls through the surface of a frozen river. Once under the ice, the river's current drags him away from the opening, and from light and air. When his lungs are about to burst ... he and a fair bit of river water suddenly materialize in a familiar library.
  
  David is a "Jumper," with an incredible ability to teleport himself anywhere, a knack that he soon brings under voluntary control. In teen-off-the-leash style, he makes free with bank vaults and any other interior that holds something he wants, which is pretty much everything. I said that he's "a" jumper - not the only one. There are others, and there is a secretive cabal dedicated to ridding the world of jumpers.
  
  It turns pretty predictable after that. The effects make this flick, especially the fights and chases between two Jumpers. There are worse ways you could kill a few hours on a boring weekend - it really is fair entertainment, with some (but not much) less-than-graphic violence and people who keep their clothes on. I just hope that Samuel L. Jackson isn't betting his career on woofers like this.
  
  -- wiredweird, reviewing the theatrical release
  
  
• Jumper
  By AW99SBGWEXP0J on 2008-02-26
  Nerdy high schooler David Rice (Thieriot) really likes Millie (Robb). One day, when trying to give her a gift, the local bully intervenes and tosses the gift into a frozen river. When attempting to recover the gift, David falls through and is trapped. At least, he is until he teleports into the middle of the Ann Arbor library. Everyone believes him to be dead, and he sees it as a chance to start over. He hones his skills as well. To get some money, he robs a bank, and that is when NSA agent Roland (Jackson) notices him. Roland doesn't like "jumpers." As an adult, David (Christensen) lives a good life. He returns home to see Millie (Bilson), and she notices that something is different about him. He also finds out he is not alone. There are other "jumpers" that are being hunted by "paladins" whose only desire is to kill them. When Roland finds David, David is in for the fight of his life, because Roland is out for blood.
  
  "Jumper" is an interesting idea that is poorly executed. Christensen has proven himself to be a wooden actor, and this is no exception. He is a poor choice for David. The action and the effects are top notch. The origin story is well told, and I'm not a fan of origin stories. The powers and the war between jumpers and paladins is left vague enough to make you want more. The biggest problem with the movie (aside from Christensen's acting) is the fact that the movie doesn't end so much as it just stops. The last five minutes leave a nasty taste in your mouth as David confronts one of the bad guys and is given a head start. He decides to take a leisurely direction even though he is still the hunted. Clearly, "Jumper" is set up for a sequel, but when that sequel is not a given, a movie needs to provide some closure. This is one to wait for on DVD.
  
  
  
• Popcorn comes without salt and butter.
  By A3FRTG3K3D02NN on 2008-03-26
  Not terrible, but the film "Jumper" could have been so much better. Overall just not that interesting of a story, which is too bad considering it had some promise.
  
  Jumper features good acting in places and a great premise where a young man named David (Hayden Christensen) discovers that, in his teen years, he is able to jump through a portal to different locations. Of course with an idea like this, the story must present some harrowing issues for the main character to overcome. The issue with Jumper is that although it seems to cover a wide range of storyline and locations throughout the youth's short life, it never really puts enough emphasis on the origin of the power, nor on the character named Roland. Roland is played by Samuel L. Jackson, and is portrayed as a hunter of Jumpers, complete with sci-fi weaponry and a complete and direct desire to rid the Earth of them because he feels the future will be much safer without them. Often times in Roland's dialogue, we get the feeling he has so much more to tell, and could bring so much more light to his own background and the background of all involved. Instead, it is nothing more than a mention so that by the time one finds out just how David's mother is involved; it leaves nothing but more questions.
  
  Jumper still has it's exciting moments, but super action eye candy and extreme locales (Egypt, Rome) aside, it seems to leave a lot on the table that only take away from the story. What hurts even more is the fact that there are a lot of very prominent actors and actresses in it, such as Michael Rooker and Diane Lane.
  
  -Leo Navarr-
  
  
• Jumper...the ups and downs.
  By A3NMBW09DL5VUX on 2008-04-29
  Being a huge Star Wars fan, I decided to see Anakin and Mace aka Hayden and Samuel in a new sci fi movie. The terrible reviews this film received prior to it's release didn't dissuade me in the least because everyone has different opinions. I found Jumper to be well made, with excellent visual effects and great worldly locations. The actors looked good and did well with what they were given. It's insane action sequences are followed by some slower 'talky' moments, that move the film along through to it's short end, with what looks like a sequel set-up. I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel that touches on some backstory of the 'jumpers' and 'paladins'. If you want to see a boring critics darling, good for you, but, if like me, you like thrilling action, neat stunts and fast paced sci-fi thrillers, this is your ticket.
  
  
• Fun sci-fi action adventure, neat extras
  By A25QJBK33C4O0R on 2008-06-12
  I went into watching this movie with lowered expectations. After all, this film didn't do all that well in theatres, and from information I had read/heard, the film itself was started and stopped and then restarted again with virtually everything about the film changing in the process. Basically I expected it to be a bit of a train wreck that likely couldn't live up to the relatively neat promise of the main premise: the star character was someone that found he had the ability to teleport anywhere instantly.
  
  Pleasantly enough the movie doesn't do a bad job in delivering a fun ride. Sure enough, the star does have the ability to teleport anywhere but his ability comes with potential consequences as there are people who believe that no one should have the power and ability that he, or others like him, has and those people will stop at nothing to permanently stop 'jumpers'.
  
  Hayden Christensen plays the lead role here with Samuel L. Jackson (with bright white hair) playing the leader of the opposing side. Christensen does well enough in his role, and Samuel L. Jackson delivers a solid enough performance as well. Add in reasonable performances from the supporting cast, mix with some action and adventure in the form of good vs. evil fight scenes set in exotic locations and you get a movie that does a reasonable job delivering on the responsibility of being entertaining. No it's not academy award type stuff, but it's good enough. Were half star ratings possible, it'd be 3.5 for me. Without the half star rating system, I'm rounding up to 4 stars.
  
  Picture on the Blu-ray disc looks quite nice. The movie is relatively short, with a somewhat family friendly PG-13 rating which seems mostly related to the action and violence in the fight scenes (and perhaps a little related to a scene that finds the female lead stripping her shirt off...) Little or no objectionable language.
  
  Turn your brain off a bit going in and you should find Jumper reasonably entertaining. Certainly worth a viewing via rental, though thanks to a load of extras, the Blu-ray package isn't a bad purchase.
  
  
• "YAWN".... is it over yet?
  By A3P8ZDHC7XSKSE on 2008-06-16
  Yet another movie that ended with everyone in the room being bored. There were four of us watching this last weekend, and only 3 remained conscious until the end... of those 3 all of us kind of shrugged and one said "well that was certainly another ho-hum movie."
  
  None of us had read the book or graphic novel that this was based off of. Perhaps if we had then we would have enjoyed it more. When the movie started up with the voice over I knew we were in trouble. Very few "good" movies have VO's (Christmas Story is a good one, Trainspotting another.) VO's generally tell you that "we can't write a good script so we're going to have some guy tell you what you're supposed to know." I tried to ignore the VO and give the movie a chance... then we were treated to excellent actors forgetting to act. They were all very stiff, wooden, and clichéd. Samuel L Jackson looked absolutely ridiculous with his white hair and tazer-club. When the plot was supposed to shift into high gear... nothing was explained. Okay so the bad guys were called "Paladins" and had been killing "Jumpers" since forever because they were too powerful. Um... okay. Too bad the "Jumpers" in this movie never really acted like good guys. I didn't particularly care who lived or died... in fact I would have been much happier had they all died.
  
  So let's forget about the lack of a good script, plot holes, and bad acting. What about the SFX? Some of them were quite good, and some of them were Sci-Fi channel special quality. Some of it was ingenious and some of it was garbage, but there was little consistency to what we saw and when. Sometimes when he jumped, the buildings shook and the walls cracked... other times he was able to hop all over the place without making a sound.
  
  All I know is that by the time the final battle came around we were all ready for this to be over. Jumper has been one in a long string of Yawn-worthy movies we have rented as of late. I really wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Sorry but it was just lacking in so many areas, and it wasn't even bad enough to be funny.
  
  
  
• It takes quite a bad movie to actually make me mad I went -- this one did it.
  By AJMM44A9Q1ZMQ on 2008-02-17
  I'm a movie buff -- I love seeing films, both at home and on DVD. I'm also very tolerant and forgiving as a movie fan -- invariably, I find something at least resonably worthwhile, or at least entertaining, about a movie. Not so "Jumpers". It really takes quite an awful movie to actually make me regret the ticket expense -- what's a few dollars for 90 minutes of big-screen entertainment, right? Wrong. As other reviewers have alluded to, "Jumpers" is simply a title (and some none-too-special special effects) in search of a plot, even the vestiges of continuity and logic, and any engagement with the audience at all. It fails - miserably - on all three counts. The acting is amateurish at best, the plot holes are large enough to navigate an oil tanker through, and the saddest loss of all is Samuel L. Jackson's ridiculous character and performance -- other than his paycheck, which I'm sure he happily deposited as he laughed all the way to the bank, it was a waste of a competent actor's talents. As for the rest of the cast, the less said, the better.
  
  But this isn't even my main gripe with this film -- there are certainly many "action flicks" that have disastrously bad acting and even a plot hole or three, yet they still can entertain. Not "Jumpers". Even if one forgives the utter lack of explanation and background story behind the origins of the "Jumpers" and the "Paladins", there could still have been a cohesive plot that actually progressed toward some logical conclusion. Instead, what we have here is a non-stop chase sequence and travelogue of places throughout the world (including, ludicrously, the top of the Egyptian Sphinx's head, apparently a frequent lunch spot for our hero), a ridiculous "plot" about an age-old conflict between two groups that the world at large doesn't know exist, and...let's see, and... I guess that's it. Really, There's NOTHING else to this movie. And, irony of ironies, the most ridiculous moment comes near the end (I won't give anything away here, in case you still insist on wasting your time and money on this) -- the story gets left wide-open for a SEQUEL!! Oh My God -- if there ever was a movie that should be left alone, dead and buried for all time, it's this one. Please -- trust me on this.
  
  
• An interesting idea, but without anyone to cheer for.
  By AUHG8KSHI529U on 2008-07-03
  I gave this movie an extra star because it is set in Ann Arbor (where I live) and has some footage of Huron High School and the Gallup Park around the Huron River. Yeah, I know it is cheap of me, but I like seeing my home town on the screen.
  
  The movie is about David Rice and his ability to teleport (jump) to anywhere in the world (but not through time). He first becomes of this ability when, as a teenager, he falls through some ice on the river and is carried downstream with no way out through the ice. As he learns to master this ability he engages of a variety of activities that stem from his troubled personality. Max Thieriot does a terrific job as the bullied teenager and Hayden Christensen carries the movie as you young adult version of David.
  
  Unfortunately for David, he isn't the only jumper and there is an organization of crazed folks who deem themselves authorized to find and kill any jumper they find. They have all kinds of high tech tools to locate, contain, and a low tech knife to gut them. These folks call themselves Paladins. They have, according to the story, existed as long as there have been jumpers, but I wonder how they contained them without their gadgets?
  
  For me, the handling of the Paladins is a real weakness in the movie. We don't know their true motivation, their financing, or why they are so devoted to what they do. They are just there and are just the enemy of jumpers. Not really enough. However, Samuel L. Jackson does a fine job Roland, the head Paladin.
  
  The other problem with the story is that David is not a sympathetic character. Of course, Hayden Christensen has already played one of those and handles this quite well. I just didn't feel there was anyone in the movie to cheer for. We side with David because the story tells us to, but we don't really like him or identify with him. David's love object, Millie (because he really doesn't know her as a person, just as an idea he projected from himself - as most teenagers do) is the nicest person in the film, but never gets to become a full person here.
  
  The film has made more than $200 million dollars worldwide so we will probably get a sequel of some kind. I hope they flesh out the people rather than leaving them as two-dimensional figures. But maybe that is enough for their target audience.
  
  The movie takes us to lots of cities all over the world and that is a part of the fun. But most of the time I wondered why the jumps went so far afield. I know that some of it was an emotional response to a situation, but sometimes the jump could have been down the block for a similar effect to the problem at hand. Maybe I am being too fussy.
  
  Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI
  
  
  
• Its' jump falls short of great, and lands on moderate
  By A1RNMPOY4XIAA8 on 2008-02-16
  It is finally here--the first mega-budget, CGI-laden, "blockbuster" of the year, but its' jump falls short of great, and lands on moderate instead.
  
  
  David Rice (played Hayden Christensen) learns at age fifteen he as the ability to teleport anywhere, through anything, at anytime. He quickly learns how to harness his power and control it, and then before long he as robbed a bank and is on his way to the "good life". Fast-forward till he is older, he now has a dream apartment in New York and spends his days trotting the globe--breakfast in Paris, surfing in Fiji, lunch on top of the Sphinx, one night stand in London, etc.--you get the picture.
  
  
  He returns home wanting to find his high school crush, Millie (played by Rachel Bilson). He finds her working at the local bar and obviously wants to share his dream-existence with her. There lies a big problem as she quickly suspects something, and before he has time to explain everything to her his "perfect" existence is suddenly threatened.
  It is threatened by a detective Roland (played by Samuel L. Jackson) who is investing the first bank robbery, and slowly starts tracking David. Roland knows about these "jumpers", and tracks them down to kill them reminding each one repeatedly "Only God should have the power...." As he gets closer to David and his loved ones, the film accelerates into a blinding pace of "jumping" action until the end which neatly setup a new franchise.
  
  
  Because of its' poor script, direction, and editing, the special effects and settings are what make this film good. Yes we have seen other superheroes teleport, but I do not remember ever seeing Night-crawler lounging in a beach chair on top of the Sphinx's head or riding thirty-foot waves in Fiji. Watching him do everything you could ever want with this new power is what makes it entertaining, as you anticipate the next destination you will be whisked off to.
  
  
  Hayden Christensen proves he really can act after, and he gives a solid performance, although Jamie Bell (playing another jumper) steals any and all scenes he appears in with his intense, energetic, comic-relief presence. Diane Lane's cameo is a pleasant surprise, and Rachel Bilson's performance as the girlfriend is sincere.
  
  
  My main complaint was the ending, which is so happily clique and a blatant setup for a sequel it leaves you with the feeling "that's it?" I still liked it. Overall this is a pure popcorn, eye-candy thriller that is entertaining enough if you do not try to think about it to hard, and can hold you over till this Summer's "real" blockbusters!
  
  
  
• Truly forgettable
  By A12LBLKK6YXFSQ on 2008-02-19
  Thank God this was a short movie - what a waste of money. The story's ridiculous and largely untold - there are gaping holes in the plot, the backstory is nonexistant apart from a throwaway line ("this dates back to the Inquisition" ... eh???) You get the feeling sometimes when novels are made into films that you're getting the story through a filter, getting it all 2nd or 3rd hand. This is a prime example, but its problems didn't stop there. The acting was just abysmal - Sammuel Jackson was completely unsuited to this role in the first place, and sure enough he made a mess of it. Rachel Billison was just shrill and annoying, constantly (CONSTANTLY) demanding to know what was going on - seriously, that was the extent of her dialogue: "What's going on? What aren't you telling me? Blah blah, wah wah!" Some character. There is no character development at all, least of all Jamie Bell's, who is similarly annoying and unlikeable.
  
  Terrible script, terrible plot (what plot?) A real bottom of the barrel stinker. I walked out of the cinema baffled at what I'd just witnessed ... someone actually forked out millions to make this film. It defies belief.
  
  
  
  
• Clunker
  By A3W13VVBRY5GL7 on 2008-02-28
  Starring Hayden Christiansen as teleporter David Rice and Samuel L. Jackson as the NSA Specialist charged with finding and stopping all of David's breed, "Jumper" makes so many Bad Movie mistakes that it's impossible to know where to begin describing it - or to recommend it.
  
  Across the board, it's definitely one of the most underdeveloped films I've ever sat through: clearly, the cast isn't going to be putting on Shakespeare anytime soon (Christiansen, Jamie Bell and the horrific Avril Lavigne clone that plays the whiney, ungrateful "love" interest Millie all give dreadfully hammy, two-dimensional performances, and Samuel L Jackson overacts like Faye Dunaway with a wire hanger), and the basic plot is just that: very, very basic (good guy triumphs over school bullies and dissatisfactory home life, goes on to triumph over evil governmental agency, leaves end WIIIIDE OPEN for many sequels). The script could have been written in crayons by a three-year-old (and not a bright three-year old, at that), and it's full of boring dialogue and uninteresting cliché. And the direction, for the most part, reflects the cast and the script: it's not memorable, and it's not entertaining.
  
  So why, when 90% of the movie's elements are either badly put-together (the introduction of the adult Millie is just one scene where this movie looks and feels like a malformed cross between "The O.C." and "Charmed"), did the director not keep the audience focused on the one area where this movie excels: action? The special effect sequences, at least on the big screen, are interesting, and some of the action scenes are very exciting.
  
  But before you know it, those good parts are over - and for a movie whose plot centres on action, there's not very many of them to begin with - and we're once more thrust back into the mess of bad acting, bad scripting and boring story that make up the majority of "Jumper".
  
  Personally, this would have worked better as a film about knitwear.... ...but whatever. If you have to see this one, see it in theatres: it needs a big screen to be impressive. Do not waste your money on the DVD: "Jumper" does action well, but since the majority of the movie contains no action, you'll only be wasting the better part of $20 for a futile exercise in uninteresting human interest and some pancake-flat dialogue.
  
  Not recommended.
  
  
• Don't Jump To The Theatre For This One
  By A199SWIHX0F1IO on 2008-03-01
  At the beginning of Jumper, I felt it had a bit of a promise. I always enjoy the beginnings of movies that start like "Jumper" did. A young David Rice (Max Thieriot) is seen trying to give a snowglobe to a young Millie (AnnaSophia Robb) in front of their high school in the snow.
  
  But, a bully, Mark (Jesse James), takes the snowglobe from Robb, and then eventually chucks it into the frozen, snow-covered lake nearby. Thieriot, in an attempt to save his wannabe relationship with Robb's character, goes out onto the lake to retrieve the snowglobe. But he falls through the ice, and begins to inexplicably sink down, as if pulled by an invisible force. That's when the jumping starts.
  
  My first question was how this ability to teleport came to be. My friend said it would be explained near the end of the movie. I expected to get some hints throughout the coarse of the movie.
  
  But I can't even explain to you what the plot of "Jumper" is really. The movie is really only a film with different parts thrown into there somehow. There is really no escalading plot. It's really about Christensen teleporting from here to there, trying to run away from Jamie Bell, another Jumper and Samuel L. Jackson, a person who vows to kill all Jumpers left on earth.
  
  I don't usually fall asleep in movies, but I actually had to tell my friend to wake me when the movie ended. The film was just that ridiculous. And it's a shame, because the cast was promising: Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Lane and Jamie Bell. But I was disappointed that any of these actors would sign up for this film.
  
  "Jumper" may sound like a good film, but there is no plot, no character development and the acting was so-so. I was all-around disappointed with this movie, but I give it two thumbs up for putting me to sleep! Way to go, "Jumper!"
  
  
  
  
• Jumping Jehosivats!
  By A24KZBAAUTC83R on 2008-03-08
  It cracks us up how much money this film made, but yet most reviews are neagative.
  
  What movie did these bozos go see?
  
  What we saw was a rollercoaster ride of a movie that felt fresh and exciting. C'mon, man! Sam Jackson, baby! He was cool as the paladin leader with Anakin Skywalker as the jumper. (We actually liked the european bad boy jumper somewhat better! Good actor.)
  
  JUMPER had loads of mystery and action/adventure excitement - as well as a huge surprising ending - that will leave you wanting more. Liman yet again proves he is a top-notch director. We loved his original Bourne movie. The first beat the other two by leaps and bounds! (The last one was a total bore fest!)
  
  And then, with Mr. and Mrs. Smith he took the comedy/action genre and sent it through the stratosphere! Although Jumper isn't as great as that last film, it is still WAY better than most junk coming out these days, all geared towards teens.
  
  Sure Jumper leaves open questions at th end. There are several books out in this series, and Hollywood loves a sequel. And we want one!
  
  And we'll bet every reviewer who gave this movie bad marks would go see it too! One way or another.
  
  Sure the movie had its problems, but director Doug Liman handles the movie in a quick pacing with loads of beautiful special effects, great action sequences that were very original and huge in scope. Very refreshing. Also, if you want to see some of the most impressive sights in the world, Jumper takes you there!
  
  Excellent movie, despite its few quirks. We'll buy the DVD, and hope to see an even bigger and better sequel in the future.
  
  With all the money this film made, that should not be a problem.
  
  
• So under-rated! This was a magnificent movie!
  By A39ESIV3LTIZNV on 2008-04-28
  I got excited the moment I saw the jumper trailer! The story looked cool yet I was prepared for a letdown at the theaters because of the stupid "super-hero" feel I got from the trailer. I was amazed how good it was, and it totally did not feel like some rip-off super-hero flick. The acting was perfect along with the effects. The romance was sweet and short, with an amazing twist at the end. It did feel like there was something small missing at the end and made me realize they probably will make a second movie (which I hope never comes). Jumper is perfect the way it is. I could be wrong a second could be great. I just don't want something to ruin this one.
  
  I truly cant believe what the ratings on here are... This is one of my top ten favorite movies of all time! Most of my friends agree and loved it. Comedy, Sci-fi, Romance, and action all not going too far.
  
  This will be on my dvd shelf forever! Check it out.
  
  
• I liked this one
  By A3NEVFLH07VATR on 2008-05-17
  People seem to want Hayden to fail bc/they're not happy with the recent Star Wars movies, but that's not very fair to this movie. The movie, while not Oscar material, is an entertaining flick. The acting is not bad, despite the complaints of other reviewers.
  
  I went to see this one with my girlfriend, and we both enjoyed it. I'm not even a sci-fi nut; I think Blade Runner is boring and pointless. So, I'm not predisposed to like every sci-fi flick that comes out.
  
  The movie revolves around a misfit kid with an abusive father and absent mother who learns he can teleport. It seems that his life will become a dream as a result of his abilities, but he soon finds himself hunted by merciless killers who are set out to destroy all jumpers. The conflict with a buddy makes for interesting plot twists, and the love interest is played by a uniquely intriguing actress.
  
  I did think that the very ending could have been slightly better, but I would certainly go see the sequel.
  
  MUCH BETTER THAN PEOPLE ARE REVIEWING IT!!!
  
  
• Put a stop to Hayden Christensen
  By A3HBNOC6ANFNSK on 2008-06-13
  This man is an abomination. Why they keep on giving him roles is one of those eternal questions that mankind may never solve. I used to rip on Paul Walker for his comedically bad acting, but Hayden puts him to shame. I thought "Timeline" might've been the worst movie I'd ever seen, but after "Jumper" came along, I'm starting to look at Paul Walker as the savior of Hollywood. Christensen is so horrendous, he singlehandedly ruined Star Wars. Even the ones he's not in. He sucks that bad. His acting style is comparable to an autistic block of wood with constipation. The man simply cannot act, and yet he continues to get role after role. Add to this the fact that the script of Jumper felt like it was written by a group of one-armed mongoloid chimps, and you have yourself a movie so ridiculously awful that many people walked out of the theater halfway through. I stayed because I apparently have a morbid fascination with terrible movies (see aforementioned "Timeline"), but I was so mad afterwards I wanted to smash Christensen in the face with a wok. Please please do not buy this movie. It will only encourage him to make more. We need to stop this before it gets out of hand.
  
  I hate Hayden Christensen.
  
  
• Great idea with a terrible execution
  By A1TW9ZGRDQQZ2Y on 2008-02-16
  All the actors here just go through the motions, especially the no talent hack by the name of Hayden Christensen. Rachel Bilson is oh so cute, but her acting could use some work as well. We all know Sam Jackson doesn't turn down a paycheck and he just cashed in here. The special effects were neat and the story did have potential, but it really was just a complete mess. I don't know if I could have taken more than 85 minutes of Jumper. The tagline "anywhere is possible" is fitting for a movie that I wish applied to me while watching it. Maybe anywhere else is possible would make more sense than sitting through this film again.
  
  
• How'd You Do That!
  By A2F3SXHT6RBV81 on 2008-03-05
  The Jumper first learned of his special skills in Ann Arbor, Michigan, when he fell through the ice on a river and woke up in the library (what a place to choose!). Like Forrest Gump learned to run fast to get away from bullies, he was different from ordinary, David, who learned that he could "transport" to any place on earth when his physical body was in danger. The actor looked like a duplicate of James Dean in 1957. I liked his mode of transportation, the city bus.
  
  It was later on down the road, ten years or so, that he met his mother, a lovely lady he had not seen in twenty years, only to discover that she too is a jumper. They are chosen people, like the gods of medieval times, born with survival skills ordinary beings would never experience.
  
  The actor looked like a cross between James Dean (1957) and Ted Hall. It was fun to see him "jump" to the top of the Sears Tower in Chicago (I rode the fast elevator to please my son.) and then land on the beaches of Dubai which now has buildings taller than even ours. More fun was in Rome as he and his lady love roam the ruins of the Colluseum where CS had hoped to emulate. Maybe someday.
  
  
• Many places to teleport to tell people how good this movie is!!!
  By AU64B3ZHDCN2S on 2008-05-02
  the beginning of the film was slow but very interesting at instant when the boy teleported into the library. as the story progresses, he learns more about his usual powers - becomes very humiliating to another character with Samuel L. Jackson, who tries to hunt down these people to extinct them!! His friend who he found at an old collosseum in Italy was very coool!! "Exciting and eye-popping!"
  
  
• Jumper
  By A1ILVWY0T25JEQ on 2008-06-13
  I say to hell with the haters. I thought this movie was great. Can't wait for the sequal.
  
  
• Jumper Movie Review by The Massie Twins
  By A2MYUI8IT6UBUU on 2008-02-15
  With all the phenomenal superpowers and grandiose action potential, Jumper ultimately falls short in execution. Creative ideas are at work, yet so little is done to properly expand upon their possibilities. What is essentially marketed as a sci-fi action film displays only a few scenes of solid mayhem (the majority of which is revealed in the trailers) and any sci-fi elements are left almost entirely unexplained. Jumper does manage to entertain with the anticipation of something grand, and rooting for an antihero who possesses almost no likeable traits poses an interestingly twisted charm, but the frustration with similarities between what could have been and what ended up threatens to negate any positives.
  
  After falling into a frozen lake and magically teleporting to safety, David Rice (Hayden Christensen) realizes the potential of his mysterious gift. Running away from home, he begins to live life to the fullest - at the expense of others. Robbing banks and teleporting to exotic locales around the world, David amasses a small fortune and a glamorous lifestyle that he uses to woo his childhood sweetheart, Millie (Rachel Bilson). Traveling to Rome to seduce her, David encounters Griffin (Jamie Bell), another "jumper," and learns of a secret organization whose mission is to hunt down and destroy those possessing such teleportation abilities. Desperate to avoid capture and protect Millie, David must join forces with Griffin to stop the murderous organization leader, Roland (Samuel L. Jackson).
  
  Chances are many a critic will have ill to say about the acting, and while much of the negativity may take aim at Hayden Christensen, it has less to do with his acting abilities and more to do with the scope of the character he was given to portray. With all of his teleporting superpowers, David feels too normal; his traits steer towards the selfish reality of having such gifts. He uses his power to chase girls, rob banks, and picnic atop famous structural wonders. Few redeeming qualities or admirable motives surface in this antihero-of-sorts and renders the warning "there are always consequences" somewhat of a joke. The consequences of such materialistic wrongdoing is that an angry, white-haired black man will hunt you down - but you'll still save the day and get the girl without anyone really having to pay. For some unknown reason we're supposed to root for this character (perhaps a lesser of two evils?) and even more inexplicably we do. So is Christensen to blame? Yes, but that's not a bad thing. Rachel Bilson's Millie offers a pretty face and ugly dialogue, and Griffin exhibits even fewer likeable qualities than David, but is much less interesting. Sam Jackson plays himself again, complete with requisite scars and terrible costume.
  
  Teleporting has always been a fascinating creation of science fiction, and Jumper's premise requires no reason and only a destination. Choosing to explain nothing isn't nearly as unsatisfying as choosing not to jump outside the box and realize truly creative possibilities. David only uses his powers to travel to exotic locations, woo girls, and unburden banks of their money - not that there's anything wrong with that, but I had hoped for some slightly more jaw-dropping uses of such a limitless ability.
  
  Doug Liman's latest actioner steadies itself upon a promising premise and then never decides to jump off. Predictable characters, an overused (albeit cool) special effect, and countless unresolved conflicts keep Jumper from achieving greatness. The film ironically parallels David's early proposition to Millie to "skip the boring parts" of their journey - but apparently it also skipped over anything that would have given the film enough substance to stay afloat.
  
  - The Massie Twins
  
  
  
• Interesting idea + Impressive special effects + Fighting scenes flashes so quickly it's hard to see = Worth watching once
  By AYWSFRCIMOAYE on 2008-02-21
  It has an interesting idea. Some people can teleport by just thinking about it! They don't need any special equipment! The special effects are spectacular. However, the fighting scenes flashes so quickly it's hard to see. There's a big twist at the end when the main character found out who was one of his enemies.
  
  It's worth watching once for curiosity.
  
  
• Enjoyable if Uneven Thriller
  By A2XT90KT2MRSF1 on 2008-03-01
  I have not read the book "Jumper" so perhaps some of the nasty reviews of this movie are by disgruntled fans. Personally I enjoyed the movie well enough. I never expect much from a Doug Liman movie except kinetic action and snappy one-liners. As a director he could care less about "the boring stuff" of relationships except as they serve the action, and this movie is no exception, but visually there are some real treats--David standing in the face of "Big Ben", Griffin jumping a double-decker bus-- and I disagree with the usual phalanx of Hayden Christensen bashers that his performance is wooden. Anyone who has seen "Life As A House" or "Higher Ground" knows what a fine actor Christensen is, and he has a tough challenge here. His character, David Rice, is an immature loner passing as a sophisticated grown-up. He is most pointedly NOT a hero, so H.C. has to play him as confused and out of his depth, rather than dominating and in charge. As David finds himself in the middle of a war he never dreamed existed you can see him go through various phases of terror, panic, and desperation as he seeks Griffin's help. If you watch H.C.'s performance closely there's a lot going on, and I imagine the plan was to have David grow up more in sequels to come. The David character is great paired with Jamie Bell's Griffin, the one a naive loner, the other an emotionally scarred warrior.
  
  The romance part of the movie was perfunctory, quickly dispensed of for the sake of the action. Twitchy hand-held camera work did not add to any sense of romance between the characters and the best scene between them is when David jumps Millie to the Coliseum in Rome. As she looks around her eyes well with joy at finally seeing it, but this potentially tender moment is just left there to die so we can get back to the action.
  
  And there are plot holes, too many to count, no doubt due to too much meddling in by various scriptwriters and Fox executives. For example, much is made about David's mother abandoning him when he was five, but at the putative end of the movie, he casually pops by and visits her. Weird.
  
  Overall, I'd say there's a fun little adventure movie waiting to be re-cut out for DVD of this untidy movie, and let's hope this time the director lets the characters develop and fills in some of the plot holes. If so I'd be happy to see a sequel, because I liked the concept and the characters enough to give it a second chance.
  
  
  

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