Jumper

The product of a broken home, Davey Rice (Hayden Christensen) is looking for a way to escape from his abusive father -- and finds it when he discovers he can teleport himself at will. But Davey's newfound powers soon become a double-edged sword that exacts a terrible price … and attracts unwanted attention from the National Security Agency. Director Doug Liman's sci-fi thriller also stars Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Lane and Tom Hulce.

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» Reviewed by 25 people

If you're a member of the highly coveted 16-24 year old, crotch rocket-riding, male demographic, than you're probably going to love this. Everyone else should expect to find a lazily written and incredibly poorly performed movie. Hayden Monotone Inflection-Free Expressionless Christensen does his usual feminine pretty boy whiny routine, while Sam Jackson trots out his usual "This party's over" personality. Everyone else is even more forgetable. But the music is thumping here, and the action is quickly paced, and there's lots of loud noises and shiny objects. Enjoy.
- Photo Heathen

Do all movies have to be intellectual? I don't think so. I appreciate solid action thrillers like Jumper from time to time. Some people like to hold grudges against actors like Hayden Christensen just because they want to fit in, but I see nothing wrong with his acting in THIS movie. Jumper is a lot of fun to watch with some amazing special effects that are truly out of this world. I want and hope for this to become a franchise, because it easily could. Jumpers versus Walkers (Called the Paladins in this movie - the bad guys) seems like a never ending war, and a good reason to make a lot of these movies. I miss fun movies - why punish yourself watching sad and dramatic ones when you can get happy and pumped watching Jumper?
- MCWHAMMER

Because I am a sci fi and fantasy fan, there were parts I enjoyed a lot, like the teleporting idea and the connection (although lamely developed) to ancient, underground societies, but overall this movie seemed geared to an young adult crowd. I enjoyed the concept and the look at some ot the foreign landscapes (I especially enjoyed the look inside the collesium in Rome), but I didn't much care for all the violence and the sappy romance angle. It was an OK movie, memorable more so for the concept than the actual execution.
- VJ Purplequeen

Not as good as its made out to be. Its not as fast paced and fun as it looks from the previews. I expected more. The effects were great the acting was nothing to write home about but it wasn't awful either. The story follows a guy who realizes he has the power to jump to any place on earth at any time. However NSA is hot on his tail and he soon finds himself in way over his head. Jackson plays the lead NSA agent who is ruthless and determined to bring Christensen's character "justice". Of course things are more complicated as Davey's new girlfriend is thrown in the mix and now her life is also in danger. The ending leaves a lot of loose ends but its seems to me that is because there is more to come. Overall... a good film...but nothing great. A top 15-20 on the queue.
- *~*Sullivans*~*

This wasn't near as bad as I had feared. The action in the film is pretty entertaining and the concept of Jumpers and Paladins has a lot of potential. The biggest problem holding the film back is the acting. Of course Hayden Christensen is awful, but Rachel Bilson isn't any better. They may be pretty, but they are completely unable to display any emotions. Diane Lane and Samuel L. Jackson are wasted in small, underdeveloped parts. Overall it is an enjoyable enough film, but not nearly as good as it should have been.
- Brody

Hayden C is one of those actors that tricked us into thinking he could act in My Life as a House. Maybe one day I will change my mind when he finds another movie that suits him. This move was not horrible but I would only watch again on cable. The story feels like The Butterfly Effect but instead of jumping in time we jump locations. Don't misinterpret me the stories are very different, but the feel or style is similar.
- JEDIPUNK

I left "Jumper" feeling like I'd been speared by a conglomeration of all the currently fashionable sci-fi and fantasy plot devices bundled into a ninety minute action rush. It has so much of everything that you have to wonder if it owns anything. You might even get the feeling it was all thrown together just to get a quick, commercial property into the theaters. Well, if that was the plan, it worked. If I were going to base this review only on what little trumped up story line there is, I would have to give it two stars. But the production is slick and so are the effects. The pace is good and it helps cause the story to seem like more than it is. There is one thing about the story I do appreciate. If I were to suddenly find myself bestowed with super powers, I certainly wouldn't make some of the choices David makes, but I wouldn't buy a cape and have a spandex jumpsuit made either. Having the protagonist be a regular guy, warts and all, is refreshing. That aside, the effects are spectacular; some of the best I've seen. I'm sure, for example, the Egyptian government didn't let a film crew hover a helicopter over a pyramid, but the approach and egress were seamless. The tonality of the view along with varying perspectives gave the feeling of being there. Impressive. And that level of quality was constantly carried through all the effects. You can't read more into "Jumper" than what it is; an exciting escape from where you were before the film started. I went to this film about midday. Stepping from the theater into the afternoon sun was like a slap back to reality. As I waited to pull my car into traffic I thought, "If I could only jump. I would in a heartbeat!" This sci-fi fantasy power play stayed with me until the first red light. My recommendation? Feel the rush! ~~~Wingz
- Wingz

I only saw half of the movie before I had to go get dinner with my friends. Afterwards, I had no desire to see the rest. The idea of being to teleport around is a fun idea but also makes quantum leaps of common sense. After eight years the teleporter in question jumps every possible chance he can, even to move to the other side of the couch. Maybe I'm just not an idiot but if sugar can give me cancer, I'd be using my jumping power a little more judiciously. But I quibble with the fantasy of the movie. Let me give you another example. It's been eight years and Samuel L. Jackson still hasn't caught our protagonist. Suddenly, a phone call saying, "We have a lead on the bank." Jackson immediately knows what he's talking about. You're telling me eight years of finding and killing these jumpers and there's only been ONE bank heist??? Wow. Clearly no one thought through this story. After reading the rest of the wikipedia synopsis, this reads like a Saturday morning cartoon. With Christensen attached, I guess I shouldn't have expected any different.
- Dan the Karateka

Jumper is a collection of currently popular sci-fi movie themes: super powers, underground societies, exotic locations and high-tech gadgetry. The familiarity does seem a bit manufactured but is excusable however as the movie looks and feels great. And the story itself, after a slightly clunky start, eventually finds it's footing. The pacing is also relatively quick and before the teleportation starts to feel like gimmick, the focus of the movie changes and the story gets deeper. Some audiences may find the whole "Paladin" underground aspects a bit glossy but I could buy this as much as the teleportation theme. However I did find that the wooden lead character, Hayden Christensen, to be hardly endearing; a weasel-like non-hero whose choices in life are, at times, inexplicable. And the film isn't likely good enough to attract fans outside the genre themes. I also found the ending a bit abrupt, leaving questions likely designed for possible sequels. But overall I'm a sucker for these themes (and Samuel Jackson) so this was a good fit for me; 3.5 stars.
- Creeper

Jumper struggles through a painful 88 minutes, jumping through one plot hole into another. There are too many details (why are the Paladins trying to kill the Jumpers? Why are some people Jumpers? How does the science work? There are too many to list here) left unexplained. This movie could have been good, if they took the time to explain anything. Claudia Puig (USA Today) could not have been more accurate with the statement: "This movie defies gravity — and logic." Hayden Christensen gives a wooden performance as the lead and Rachel Bilson doesn't do much better. And Jackson looked absolutely ridiculous with that white hair! This movie is dragged down even further by a clichéd script. I wanted to like this movie; I struggled to sit through the entire thing, hoping it would get better. It didn't. It seemed like a hodgepodge of popular sci-fi themes haphazardly thrown together to make a movie. All of these things aside, visually (and ONLY visually) this movie was great. The jumps themselves were very well-done. And for that reason alone, this movie earns 2 pathetic stars. 18 June 2008
- poohbear7882

This sci-fi thriller goes all over the place, literally. Do you want to go somewhere in the world? If you're a jumper {boom} you're there. Hayden Christensen plays a jumper who gets chased by Samuel L. Jackson. He and those he works for think that jumpers need to be stopped. This has great special effects and is a good pick for any sci-fi fan.
- Cleve1212

A loner teen with the requisite crush on a popular girl discovers he can teleport at will. Instead of exacting revenge on the school bully or going after the girl, he runs away to develope his skills and mature. Eventually he returns to the scenes of his youth, but the movie is kept strictly PG13 - no sex and no killing his enemies. Maybe this is why some give the movie such low a rating. Maybe it's because the movie doesn't follow the book (with the writer's permission.) Granted there were also some logic problems, which I normally hate, but was able to overlook here in hopes they're explained in the (already written) prequal or sequals. I liked that it kept the "hero" human and realistic. There was sufficient action. Some cool jumping to cinematic locations. Not worth four stars, but enough to make me look forward to the next installment... or read the books.
- GS Chicago

This is the plot: He feels threatened and he "jumps" to another location. Government agency doesn't want him to "jump". There you go! Now you don't have to waste 1:30 minutes of your life.
- Bil

If you like cool science fiction movies with special effects and super powers, then you will love this! I was wanting a movie that was just plain cool for the sake of it, and that's what was delivered. It won't win any Oscars for the storyline, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
- Travalier

People seem very polarized on this film. Yes, there were some glaring plot-holes in it. Some of the plot is obviously set up (and the extras on the DVD confirm it) for a sequel. Hayden isn't at his best here (I've seen him do decent stuff outside of the Star Wars stuff - he *can* act), some of Jamie Bell's dialog isn't as clear as it should be, and there are plenty of other nits. However, as a whole, I found the movie entertaining and enjoyable enough to want a sequel.
- GM - Austin, TX

I wanted to like Jumper a lot more, but the plot and back story is incomplete, at best. It is an interesting idea, about a man that can transport to any location he can see or can recall. But the main plot point about Samuel Jackson (and his group) hunting him down, desperately needed a more complete setup. We never get a good explation why they are hunting the "jumpers" and it's history. (There is a vague reference that they are hunted because they are "god-like" and it's been going on for hundreds of years but not much else). There is also a sub-plot involving his mom and that he is a "special" jumper but this storyline is never developed further.
- Moe

Weak movie that comes off actually feeling like "young-adult". The flimsiest excuse for development. Was really disappointed. most of the actors felt like they were phoning in their performances while Jamie Bell runs circles around everyone else. I'm not a big bell fan, but maybe in comparison to everyone else in this picture, he stood out. Kristen Stewart shows up for a minute, and Tom Hulce from what I can tell never made it to the screen. Maybe you can check out more of their deleted scene when the dvd is released. {shrug}
- Badasstronaut

If you like special effects, you should watch this movie. If you like any other aspect of moviemaking, then do not waste an hour and a half of your life on this pile of crap.
- LA Joe

Terrible. I expected it to be bad from the reviews, but it was MUCH worse than I expected! I watched the movie partly on fast-forward, because I couldn't stomach most of it. Yeah, it was that bad. The main reason I wanted to see the movie, Samuel L. Jackson, is an unlikable villain; he's a religious zealot who keeps spouting off about how only God should have the power that Jumpers have. Hayden Christensen (a Jumper) is a winy brat, even after he grows up. The other characters aren't much better; they all tend to be shallowly designed characters as well. I like most of these actors, but this was an abysmal film.
- skywalker404

Doug Liman came through for me in his previous directorial efforts. He didn't let me down entirely with JUMPER, but it was touch-and-go through much of the movie's relatively short running length. "Manniquin" Skywalker tries to act in this one, but manages only to pull off a pale impersonation of Ryan Phillippe. The teleportation idea is interesting, though not particularly original, but the Paladins vs. Jumpers plot is just stupid. Bad guys who exist solely to provide conflict, with little apparent character motivation. Samuel L. Jackson is still good though, even with the Sisqo hairstyle.[07-16-08]
- Firewater

Too violent to be a kids movie, too sappy to be a guys-only action movie, it's still a Sci-Fi thriller so it gets a pass from me for the teleportation concept and execution. So many possibilities with that ability made it a fun ride bogged down by the overly, almost cartoonish, evil bad guy. You better really love anything sci-fi to see this one. 7/08
- Skorpean

This movie has special effects...and that's about it. The plot is weak, the dialogue is annoying, and the acting is what you could expect from any other Hayden Christensen movie.
- Danny McVey

Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from this movie, and boy did I get it. The biggest crime, to me, the comic book reader, is when the lead character mentions Marvel Team up and whether the other jumper read it. That irritated me for so many reasons, chief among them, that this jumper who claims to have read comics had all this power and ability and used it for selfish gains but then when things don't go his way, he tries to guilt the lonely kid into helping him. Basically, the jumper was selfish, thoughtless, stupid, put his girlfriend in danger, got his father killed, put another jumper in danger, not to mention his mom. And Sam Jackson was right! They took the wrong tack, when he said that only god should be able to do things. What he should have said is that Jumpers cause havoc everywhere they go, with no recourse. They steal, damage and mangle things, and they answer to no one. Sam Jackson was right to want to kill them. I would too. If the Jumpers had spent their time helping people, fixing problems, etc, you really think the paladins would have existed? With that kind of power, they'd be working for governments doing wetwork. The mechanics and the world they built around it were stupid. The whole movie was stupid. There's nothing wrong with being a selfish a-hole with lots of power. But then to blame everyone else for your problems, he attacked the kid who told on him, he's the idiot who jumped the kid to a vault! Overall, I hated the main character, hated the acting, hated the story, hated the fact that nothing in there made a lick of sense and worse, hated that they brought up Marvel Team Up, where two HEROES get together to help people. When this a-hole only wanted to get another a-hole to help clean a mess he made! And I'm not even getting into the science of what he did. It's a crime to list this as science fiction when this is obviously a fantasy.
- psq 667824

Some nice visual effects--I liked how they depicted the "jumpscars"--but otherwise, a huge mess. Read Steven Gould's book series instead (Jumper, Reflex, etc.).
- CC 533120

Hayden Christensen is wonderful to look at and that's about it. All the jumping from one time period to another grew tiring quickly. The acting wasn't the greatest either. Nothing in the story was particularly interesting. Not recommended unless you love Christensen or have low expectations.
- Southern Belle 1