Jumper DVD Review

Hayden Christensen as Action Hero

The film is loosely based on the award winning novel by American sci-fi author Steven Gould. Jumper tells the story of David Rice (ably played by Star Wars alum Hayden Christensen), a young Mid-Westerner who discovers through a childhood incident, that he has the innate ability to “jump”, which is to teleport at will from one place to another, provided he is familiar with the destination or has seen it in pictures.

Having little care for everyday responsibilities most people take for granted, David spends his days popping all over the planet, indulging in his favorite activities, all the while financing himself by liberally grabbing money from banks, sight unseen.

One particular heist he performs in a large city bank (which appears to be in New York City), attracts the attention of a certain Roland (overplayed to perfection by the scenery-chewing Samuel. L. Jackson), who heads an organization of Jumper hunters, who call themselves “Paladins”. Later in the film, we discover that this group of zealots has been chasing and executing teleporters since the 13th century, and were behind historically known purges, such as the Inquisition, and other such witch hunts.

The film then asks us to follow the carefree protagonist, as he tries to avoid capture, all the while trying to reconnect with a childhood crush (Rachel Bilson) as well as running into a slightly more experienced and reckless Jumper (Brit actor Jamie Bell, from Billy Eliot fame), with his own reasons for wanting revenge against Roland.

Jumper as Superhero Film?

Despite failing to turn a profit at the box-office, much of the limited success Jumper has had may have been due to the popularity of the powered everyman genre, namely in TV shows like Heroes. The key element in pulling off such a project was to focus on the characters and the story rather than to rely on the power or ability at hand.

Director Doug Liman did well in enlisting the help of veteran scribe David S. Goyer, who has worked on superhero projects, such as Blade, Batman Begins, and the upcoming Magneto prequel. Goyer successfully puts much needed meat on the bone, adds to the thrill of the hunt, and brings meaning to the back story explaining the animosity between Jumper and Paladin.

Despite the limited success of this first outing, both the film’s director and star Christensen have stated they would be open to a possible trilogy of films, though not necessarily following Steven Gould’s later novels.

Jumper DVD Features

Action and effects-laden films always benefit most from the digital transfer to disc, and Jumper is no exception. An interesting feature on some versions of the DVD set, also offered a digital file version of the film, for fans that purchased the title and wished to have their own bought copy on a portable device. This promotional tool is sure to satisfy many current consumers, who are adapting to various means of viewing their favorite films.

Look for one interesting documentary in the Special Features, which follows how Doug Liman worked with WETA Digital (the group who provided the visuals for the Lord of the Rings Trilogy), to test different means of convincingly showing how the main character teleports to various locations. Rather than rely on simple edited jump cuts, the effects team went to great lengths to bring to life what were referred to in the novel as “jump scars” (think of time and space as a tangible surface, and how this would visually appear on screen should someone disappear from a given spot and affect the continuum.)

All in all, Jumper works well, as it doesn’t focus on a top-notch A-List cast, and doesn’t rely on special effects. Instead, it hopes the story will be strong enough to carry it through, with visuals and actors supporting it effectively. Hopefully this will not be the last and only installment, of this potentially profitable film series.

7.5 out of 10

Samuel L. Jackson as Roland in Jumper

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