Jumper (2008)

Considering what I knew about the plot of this film and my feelings about certain members of the cast, I am surprised to find myself saying that this movie was actually not all that bad. In Jumper, a genetic mutation allows a young man to teleport himself to any place that he has previously been. He quickly discovers that he is not alone, and that a group of killers has been hunting his kind for hundreds of years. I enjoy shows like Heroes and comic books like X-Men, so I was willing to give this film a chance. While it was not great, I do not regret watching it; at certain times I found the film downright enjoyable. The fact that Hayden Christensen was cast as the main character was another drawback for me. Some of us have still not forgiven him for his part in ruining Star Wars Episodes II and III. That said, he was not actually too bad in Jumper, and I think in the right movies, like Keanu Reeves, he could actually have a decent on screen presence. Samuel L. is in this film, and does his usual little acting and a lot of yelling, but I am used to that by now, so I expect nothing else. The actress that plays the female lead, Rachel Bilson, was really good. I would not be surprised to see her begin to get better roles as she exerts what I deem to be her considerable talents. This film is so short, that the plot does not really have much time to develop, but the story and implications are actually kind of interesting. If you generally enjoy Sci-Fi movies, or if you are a fan of shows like Heroes, you will probably like Jumper. If you are a bit more skeptical, I would avoid this one, because you will hate it. My wife likes Heroes, but was completely uninterested in watching a movie that to her, looked 'as stupid as a movie can possibly be'. This movie was nothing special, but I am glad that I watched it; if it ever comes on FX, I might even see it again. I give Jumper 2 and a half stars.