Rating: PG-13
Starring:
Hayden Christensen as David Rice
Samuel L. Jackson as Roland
Diane Lane as Mary Rice
Jamie Bell as Griffin
Rachel Bilson as Millie Harris
Michael Rooker as William Rice
AnnaSophia Robb as Young Millie
Max Thieriot as Young David
Jesse James as Young Mark
Tom Hulce as Mr. Bowker
Kristen Stewart as Sophie
Teddy Dunn as Mark Kobold
Barbara Garrick as Ellen
Special Features:
Commentary by Director Doug Liman, writer/producer Simon Kinberg, and producer Lucas Foster
Jumpstart: David’s Story Animated Graphic Novel
Doug Liman’s Jumper: Uncensored
Jumping Around the World
Making an Actor Jump
Jumping from Novel to Film: The Past, Present, and Future of Jumper
Deleted Scenes
Previz: Future Concepts
Trailers
Other Info:
Widescreen (2.40:1)
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
DTS 5.1 Surround Sound
French Language
French and Spanish Subtitles
Running Time: 88 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the DVD description:
“David is a Jumper who can teleport himself anywhere in the world which creates a fun and exciting life. But things turn deadly when David finds himself pursued by a secret organization sworn to kill Jumpers. Forming an uneasy alliance with another Jumper he becomes a player in a war that has been raging for thousands of years.”
“Jumper” is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence, some language and brief sexuality.
The Movie:
“Jumper” got universally bad reviews, but I have to admit that I enjoyed it a lot. The concept really appealed to me. I love the idea of a race of teleporters jumping here and there with a mere thought. The film shows how a young, carefree man would take advantage of such powers. But it also shows how it could be used as a dangerous weapon. The fight scenes in the big climax make the most of this concept as the hero jumps all over the planet hurling objects via teleportation at each other. And while the jumpers sound practically invincible, the Paladins that hunt them prove to be more than a match for them. If you like sci-fi action, this will appeal to you.
“Jumper” also has a great cast. Yes, Hayden Christensen is a bit wooden as David Rice, but he’s surrounded by enough colorful characters that it’s irrelevant. Notable among them is Jamie Bell as Griffin, a fellow jumper. He’s aggressive and wild, conducting his own personal war against the Paladins. Rachel Bilson is also an interesting find as Millie Harris. She’s quite beautiful and handles herself well in the action scenes. Samuel L. Jackson doesn’t fare as well as Roland, the brutal leader of the Paladins. It’s a bit hard to get past his ridiculous looking hair. But the rest of the cast is impressive. You have Diane Lane as Mary Rice, Michael Rooker as William Rice, AnnaSophia Robb as Young Millie, and Kristen Stewart as Sophie. It’s quite apparent that director Doug Liman was casting his sequels as well as “Jumper.” And while I would have very much liked to see a sequel, I think the critical trashing and weak box office is going to keep that from happening. Hopefully “Jumper” will find a better audience in the DVD market. It’s a great setup for a TV series.
I do have to admit that there are a lot of aspects of “Jumper” that don’t make sense. If you think about the story too long after watching the movie, you can find holes big enough to teleport through. But that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of it.
“Jumper” is like a superhero movie without a comic book. If that in any way sounds interesting to you, then there’s a pretty good chance you’ll enjoy “Jumper,” too. Ignore the critics and check it out for yourself.
There’s a good selection of bonus features on this DVD. There are your standards like an audio commentary, a making of video, and deleted scenes. I was amazed that Doug Liman mentioned he liked the original “Jumper” novel, but went out of his way to scrap almost everything about the novel except for the teleporting concept. That’s a pretty bold move. I was also shocked that they recast the film after 3 weeks of shooting and were practically making up the script as they went along. I’m sure that fueled some critics reviews, but I was pretty happy with the result. There are 6 deleted scenes. In one you see David inadvertently jumping home over and over again. In another scene we see Roland and his family at home. Most of the scenes are relatively minor. Rounding things out is an animated comic book that’s a prequel to the film (showing David investigating his mother), some pre-visualization animatics, and a featurette detailing the numerous locations that “Jumper” shot at.
I do have to mention one incredibly annoying thing on the DVD there’s an ad for Microsoft on it featuring Serena Williams. As she does her bit, Hayden Christensen lamely jumps around the screen obviously added into the commercial as an afterthought. It was a very sad attempt to try and create a connection between the movie and the product. Fail!
