Jumper (2008)

Years ago, David (Hayden Christenson) discovered he could teleport. Soon after that discovery, he left behind his broken home, the school bullies, and the sadness. Now in New York, David robs banks to support his wild self-indulgent lifestyle that he shares with us: "Let me tell you about my day so far. Coffee in Paris, Surfed the Maldives. Took a little nap on Mount Kilimanjaro. Oh yeah, and I got digits from this Polish chick in Rijo. And then I jumped back for the final courter of the NBA finals. Court side, of course. And all that was before lunch." All the stuff in the world, though, cannot take away the sadness of his mother's departure and the desire to feel love and connection.

David's brashness attracts the attention of fellow Jumper, Griffin (Jamie Bell). Desperate for a connection with someone, anyone, he takes to Griffin only to be rebuked. Griffin informs David of his freak-nature and the battle that has been waged for centuries, just before Rowland (Samuel L. Jackson) jumps through the wormhole.

Rowland is a Paladin--the sworn enemy of Jumpers {Thanks Griffin for the history!} Rowland is a jealous, overtly-religious, electric-stick welding fellow determined to bring David down. Still with me? What follows is an ultimately cat and mouse game for survival.

Director Doug Liman has all the elements of a blockbuster on his hands, but doesn't make much from it. Action, drama, super-powers, even a hot cast can't keep Jumper from being more than mediocre. Hayden Christenson {still painfully wooden} stars as David. He's cute, but wooden. Samuel L. Jackson murders his role flawlessly. Diane Lane cameos as David's mother--who's a Paladin. Surprise!! Did I ruin it for you? Rachel Bilson and her doe eyes gets to be pretty. The real star of the show is Jamie Bell. Alongside Woody, he is brilliant as the ambiguous Griffin.

Jumper is a solid, predictable and underdeveloped film. The production is slick with remarkable CGI and cinematography. Liman skills in that department help save Jumper. Teleportation is a sexy ride; each jump is thrilling and cool. The jump locales are incredible. Jumper moves at a good clip thanks to the action sequences.

It's in the lack of plot that my disappointment shows. This is an original concept. I'm not perturbed at David's narcissistic tendencies, although I did hear Uncle Ben say "with great power, comes great responsibility" when David clicks the TV off after watching a human disaster. The characters aren't fleshed out enough to create intrigue. Even more frustrating is Liman bothers to raise additional questions, but doesn't bother to answer any of them. The ending comes too quickly and too sweetly. Ultimately, I came away with 'is that all?!'

Check reality at the door and Jumper will be an entertaining waste of time.