 |
|
Chris Vannini
Before I went to see the movie “Jumper,” I took a look at some critic reviews online. Every review I looked at gave “Jumper” a poor review. Despite the poor reviews I decided to see for myself if this movie was as bad as the critics said. Lead actor Hayden Christensen plays David Rice, a man in his early 20s who has the ability to teleport anywhere in the world. Christensen has been highly criticized for his lack of acting talent. I would have to say that this was a problem again. It is hard to believe what Christensen is saying in the movie. He just doesn’t capture my attention when he is speaking in the film. Rachel Bilson, who plays Millie, a childhood friend, was a pleasant surprise in the film. The former OC star put on a great performance and often made up for Christensen’s poor acting when the two shared scenes. I felt that she didn’t have as big a part as she should have. Jamie Bell, however, stole the show with his brilliant performance as Griffin, a jumper who has been on his own most of his life and follows David after discovering David’s abilities. I found myself more focused on Bell rather than Christensen when the two interacted, which is a compliment to Bell’s acting ability. The story line was really interesting but there were some holes in the plot. There have been “jumpers” for centuries and David is only one of many. However, the audience never learns exactly how the jumpers are able to teleport. A large group of people called Paladins have been killing jumpers throughout history in the name of God. Griffin has been attacking the Paladins and repeatedly denies David’s request for the two to team up. The Paladins are large and organized all over the world which is how they are able to attack the jumpers. This movie, like many others, is based on a book. “Jumper” the novel was written by Steven Gould in 1992. I started reading the book the day after seeing the movie. As usual, the book is much better than the movie, but the plot in the book is very different from the movie’s plot. There was one part of the movie plot that really bothered me. A good portion of the movie took place in Ann Arbor, Mich. Screenplay writer David S. Goyer grew up in Ann Arbor and attended Huron High School. He changed David’s hometown from the book’s version. In the book, David grows up in Stanville, Ohio. In one scene during the movie, David walks into a bar full of Michigan fans who are watching a Michigan football game. I have to admit that the scene was hard for me to watch. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie and the main reason was because of the action. The action scenes were very exciting and the effects were second to none. The characters traveled all over the world in matter of seconds and despite the science fiction theme, I found myself engulfed in the plot and on the edge of my seat. I would recommend this movie to anyone unless the sight of a Block “M” makes you sick, which is understandable. The movie ended with multiple cliffhangers and left me wanting to see more. My only hope was that the movie succeeded so a sequel would be produced. A sequel to the “Jumper” book was written in 2004, so a successful showing at the box office could mean a sequel to a great movie. “Jumper” opened up as the top movie over the Valentine’s Day weekend. Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Vannini at vanninic@msu.edu |
|
||
