Jumper (2008)

Director:

Doug Liman

Writers (WGA):

David S. Goyer (screenplay) and
Jim Uhls (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

14 February 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

anywhere is possible.

Plot:

A genetic anomaly allows a young man to teleport himself anywhere. He discovers this gift has existed for centuries and finds himself in a war that has been raging for thousands of years between "Jumpers" and those who have sworn to kill them.

Plot Keywords:

Ann Arbor | New York | Ice | Bank Vault | Jumper

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Hayden Christensen	...	David Rice
Jamie Bell	...	Griffin
Rachel Bilson	...	Millie
Diane Lane	...	Mary Rice
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Roland
Michael Rooker	...	William Rice
AnnaSophia Robb	...	Young Millie (as Annasophia Robb)
Max Thieriot	...	Young David
Jesse James	...	Young Mark
Tom Hulce	...	Mr. Bowker
Kristen Stewart	...	Sophie
Teddy Dunn	...	Mark Kobold
Barbara Garrick	...	Ellen
Michael Winther	...	Day Bank Manager
Massimiliano Pazzaglia	...	Italian Desk Cop

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence, some language and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

South Korea:15 | Ireland:12A | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Norway:11 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #44084) | Hong Kong:IIB | Australia:M | Canada:G (Quebec) | Malaysia:U | Sweden:11 | Netherlands:12 | Finland:K-13 | Italy:T | New Zealand:M | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Taiwan:PG-12 | Germany:12 | Argentina:13 | Brazil:12 | Japan:U

Filming Locations:

Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

In the original novel, Roland Cox's first name was Brian. It was most likely changed to avoid confusion with actor Brian Cox. The character's name was changed from Brian to Roland to reflect the stories of ancient France. The paladins, led by Roland, served Charlemagne similar to the stories of England's Arthur and the knights of the round table. Since the paladins were not in the novel on which the movie was based, and were added to the screenplay, the name Roland is more appropriate.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When David slides his rent under the door, the $20 bill is a 2003-2004 model, inconsistent with David not having seen his family in 8 years.

Quotes:

[first lines]
David Rice:Let me tell you about my day so far. Coffee in Paris, surfed the Maldives, took a little nap on Kilimanjaro. Oh, yeah, I got digits from this Polish chick in Rio. And then I jumped back for the final quarter of the N.B.A. finals - courtside of course. And all that was before lunch. I could go on, but all I'm saying is, I'm standing on top of the world.

Movie Connections:

References Sunshine (2007)

Soundtrack:

Blackened Blue Eyes

Getting ahead of themselves - assuming audiences will be hungry for more

To sum it up quickly: Too much setup. This entire film should have been the first half-hour of a bigger story. They try to make this just a first chapter, like an "origin" story in a superhero film, but if you're gonna spend the whole film setting up a story, and leave an ending wide open for sequels, you better be damn sure the public will actually care enough to see more. I don't think that will be the case here. Perhaps if it had been filmed and marketed as a teen flick as the book was, the series could have a longer life; but as an adult franchise I'd be surprised if there are further installments.

It wasn't a bad flick. It was a fun distraction for an hour or two, with some good action and visuals, but it was certainly nothing special. I think much of that is due to the cast. Diane Lane is always good, but she was barely in it, and Samuel L. Jackson was just distracting - partly because of the pointless white hair, and partly because pairing him with Hayden Christiansen constantly reminded you of Star Wars and took you out of the movie. The main stars, Christensen himself and Rachel Bilson, were just so...blah. I actually would have preferred if Jamie Bell had been the star instead of just a supporting role.