SCI FI PI

Released February 14
Starring Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson, Samuel L Jackson, Jamie Bell
Director Doug Liman
Rated PG

The beginning of something big? Perhaps. A completely satisfying film? Not quite. Worth a look? Definitely.

Hayden Christensen is David Rice, a young man who grew up tough - his mother absconded when he was five, his father wasn't the best and his schooldays were not entirely bully free. Not surprising he's a bit of a loner. Oh, also, the world thinks he's dead. When he was fifteen he fell through the ice on a frozen river. Facing certain death, his body spontaneously teleports to the local library. Soon he discovers, not only is it easy to disappear when the world thinks you're dead, but also the rules and regulations of his new talent. Not long after, he realises, like all fifteen year olds, that teleporting has one particular purpose - to rob banks.




Hence forth, life is sweet. If a little lonely, as he teleports when ever, where ever.

Things are fine, if a little self-centred, until he finds a strange man in his apartment - Roland (Samuel L Jackson). Roland is a Paladin, a member of the religious sect that has been hunting (and killing) 'Jumpers' for centuries.

A spectacular game of cat and mouse ensues, resolving (sort of) in a spectacular climax.

Jumper has many good points. The execution of the teleporting effect and its physical results on nearby objects, the ever growing rules and possibilities and the ever widening and more complex world of jumpers makes for compelling viewing. Some of the action sequences are undeniably brilliant. The 'cool' factor is undeniably high and there are some stunning moments.

That said, as a 'superhero' film, this shies away from the traditional structure that we've become so familiar with after the Spiderman films.




As such, we don't see the young man growing to take on the responsibilities of the world and sacrifice his own happiness. Exactly the opposite. David patently ignores opportunities to help people. nor does he learn to transfer self interest to self awareness. He' a selfish little brat, and remains so for the film. Samuel L Jackson's Roland is in the traditional good guy position of criminal hunter, but he's so bloodthirsty and single- minded that he smacks more of religious wacko than dogged investigator.

Thus antagonist and protagonist are only designated by who's slightly worse. It's a fresh (and bold) approach to the superhero genre, but without character development, without that essential likeability, the result seems only fit to be the first episode in a TV series, or, more probably, a film series, given the weighty location and CGI budget.

This is the shame of the film - with such a singular ability to go all over the world, and having spectacular (and diverse) locations and geography (and topography) swish by in the blink of an eye, you need something to cling to with these characters, otherwise the effect is like tuning into a Grand Prix race half way through. You really don't care who wins, just so long as there's some action. Just because someone is being hunted, isn't always enough for us to identify with them. There's a catastrophic underestimation of the audience's attention span, and as a result, the film falls flat.




Perhaps the TV/film series will allow for character development - certainly this film is constructed with several open endings and no resolution - making it even less satisfying as a single piece of entertainment.

It's highly frustrating given the juice built up by the visuals and the crisp set up. Christensen and Jackson are reliably watchable, Jamie Bell as a renegade (and vicious) Jumper seems to have completely shucked off his Billy Elliot past and seems poised for good things. But there's not much you can do when your character's dialogue is little more than quick snippets in between action sequences.




With more attention to character development, to character interaction and to a more traditional structure, Jumper may have been a rip-roaring crowd pleaser powered by a fascinating concept. Doug Liman's sterling directorial work in handling character and emotion in Swingers is a distant memory, showing just how important the actual writing of a film is. Mr & Mrs Smith proved that slickness and star power can take you a long way, but Jumper proves that a cool concept and great action just isn't necessarily enough.

That flat feeling as you leave the theatre is the hollow shock of highest of hopes dashed. Cross your fingers for an improved sequel.