Jumper (2008)

If you could travel anywhere in the world the instant you thought of it, what would you do? Jumper takes that fantasy as its starting point. The sight of a young man stepping into a bank vault to pull out cash, lunching in Paris and resting in the afternoon atop the Sphinx in Egypt, visually realizes a fantasy of freedom anyone has dreamed of at least once. Director Doug Liman lays the fast action sense he showed in the Bourne series atop this alluring premise, carrying the audience across several continents in a brisk 88 minutes.

What it’s about — Pursuers chasing a teleporter

David (Hayden Christensen) one day realizes he possesses the power of teleportation. These powered beings, called Jumpers, can reach any place they set their mind to in an instant. David uses his power to rob banks and roam the world enjoying a free life, but soon he encounters the Paladins, a group that hunts and seeks to eliminate beings like himself. Roland (Samuel L. Jackson), who leads that organization, defines Jumpers as dangerous beings who have trespassed into the domain of God, and pursues them relentlessly. David meets another Jumper, Griffin (Jamie Bell), and resolves to fight rather than flee in order to protect his first love, Millie (Rachel Bilson), from danger.

Direction — Teleportation action crossing continents

The point where Liman’s direction shines most is the way it translates teleportation into action. The camera follows the instant a figure vanishes and reappears, and chases and brawls unfold across city to city, desert to glacier. The editing rhythm in which the backdrop changes in a flash within a single scene conveys both the freedom and the chaos this power offers. The fights in which Jumper grapples with Jumper and leaps together create images rarely seen in conventional action films.

That said, the film’s biggest limitation is also clear. It lays out an intriguing world yet leaves the strong impression of wrapping things up hastily without digging into it enough. The long conflict between Jumpers and Paladins, the origin of the power, and the characters’ inner lives mostly flit by without explanation. As a result the fast pace stays alive but the density of the story grows shallow. Even so, the drive that pulls the 88 minutes along without a dull moment is a clear strength.

Performance — Jamie Bell’s Griffin breathing in vitality

Hayden Christensen draws the process of a young man who, having gained his power and lived it up, gradually awakens to the weight of responsibility. That said, the emotional range granted to the character is narrow, leaving the regret that he follows the premise rather than fully unfolding his ability. The more impressive presence, in fact, is Jamie Bell. The Griffin he plays breathes vitality into the film with a charm that is rough and cynical yet wryly appealing. Samuel L. Jackson lends his signature charisma to the white-haired pursuer Roland, leaving a strong impression relative to his screen time.

What the film says — Limitless freedom and belonging nowhere

Jumper’s intriguing question lies in whether limitless freedom truly guarantees happiness. David can go anywhere, yet he drifts without a clear place to set his heart or a person to protect. The power freed him from being bound anywhere, but at the same time it left him unable to belong anywhere. The choice to stop fleeing in order to protect Millie subtly hints that connection with someone may be more precious than limitless freedom. The film, however, uses this theme merely as a driver of action rather than embracing it deeply, narrowing the room for reflection on its own.

Ratings and reception

Jumper holds a 6.1/10 on IMDb, showing that opinion divided relative to its intriguing premise. Its Rotten Tomatoes freshness was a stingy 15% from critics, and its Metacritic score stopped at 35 out of 100. Critics acknowledged the appealing premise and fast action but pointed to a shallow story and lack of explanation as limitations. By critics’ scores alone it ranks low, but the visual pleasure of realizing the idea of teleportation on screen is something only this film offers.

Verdict

Jumper is not a polished masterpiece. The story is thin and the characters leave much room for refinement. But the pure thrill that a go-anywhere premise offers, and the sense with which it unspools into fast action, are plenty enjoyable. Watched in the spirit of emptying your head and enjoying an 88-minute trip around the world, this work delivers more fun than expected. To that light enjoyment I give a generous score of ★4.0.

Recommended for

• Those who love sci-fi with an alluring premise like teleportation
• Those who want to enjoy a short, fast action film lightly
• Those who want the scale of an adventure staged across the corners of the world