Jumper (2008)

7/10

Action packed, great cast, entertaing and not your typical superhero movie.

Watching Jumper for the second time today I noticed multiple elements that I never noticed in my first viewing. I paid more attention to the cast of the film as well as the characters portrayed. There's a message hidden in the movie that is different from the other superhero movies (Spiderman, X Men and Batman).

Casting is one element of this film that made me notice and liked the film. Hayden Christensen's portrayal is adequate and is able to keep the movie entertaining. Jaime Bell has always been one of my favourite actors thus I noticed him more in my re-watch of Jumper. Samuel L Jackson gives a fantastic performance as the much hated 'arch-enemy' type role in this film. His simple facial expressions tell so much. During one scene when he is stuck in the canons, you can read disbelief, humor and impressed look in his expression.

The concept of the film is simple but quite captivating. The action is non-stop, especially coming from the director of the Bourne Identity and Mr. and Mrs Smith. The special effects are not stunning but is believable and captivating in it's simplicity.

What I love about this film is all the different destinations the film takes you. We travelled the world within the two hours span going to Tokyo, Egypt, US and so forth.

I never liked the main character David (played by Hayden Christensen). I found him selfish and hot-headed. But his sly characteristics, I believe, is the hidden message that this movie is trying to unravel. Jumper questions whether if we had superpowers would we use it for the greater good and save the world? Unrealistically, everyone would say yes, but realistically we most likely would have done what David did with his powers.

At one point, when David is watching the news on TV he see footage of a flood. In superhero movies, the hero would go and save the day but David just smirks and flips off the TV. His actions demonstrate the exact opposite you would expect from a superhero. This is the beauty of this film, it doesn't play off typical 'save the day superhero' movies. The 'arch-nemesis' Roland (played by Samuel L Jackson) may be cruel in his actions but he is actually the guy trying to protect the world.

Overall a not-so-typical super power movie that is action packed, with a great cast and a fun concept that is definitely worth watching!