I wish I was a Jumper!

Hey all,

My wife and I went to see Jumper yesterday; It was more of a rental for me, but my wife wanted to see it and I enjoy going to the movies, so to the theatre we went. Her and I talked about the film afterwards and agreed on a number of points regarding the films' strengths and weaknesses. If some of you are not familiar, Doug Liman, who directed The Bourne Identity and Go, which are both films that I enjoy, directs the film. If you want to be entertained, then Jumper is a movie for you to see. Very quickly the action begins in the film (after about a half an hour). Seeing Hayden Christensen and Jamie Bell teleport (or jump as they call it) is very cool, but the film had some problems with regard to writing. ATTENTION SPOLIER ALERT (MINOR SPOILERS). Hayden and Jamie are jumpers and Samuel L. Jackson and his cohorts are Palladins (religious fanatics) who are out to kill the jumpers because they believe that no one should have that power but god. Jamie Bell tells Hayden that the jumpers and Palladins have been at war since the medieval times. No more background is given regarding the feud between the jumpers and Palladins and no information is given as to where these powers come from. The film was only about an hour and a half, so if the film had been extended by 15 to 30 minutes more background and explanation could have been given, without it being bogged down with a lot of plot, because for me the plot did not have enough. I was not expecting a lot of plot, but the film was not die hard, it had a little bit more to it because the characters can violate laws of science and you would think that more explanation would be given, regarding how they are able to teleport. ATTENTION SPOILER: Hayden's character was abandoned by his mother when he was 5, but comes into the movie as Samuel L. Jackson starts to pursue him and she had a part in this war between the jumpers and Palladins; that is explained to Hayden by her and then not followed up by any real explanation. The ending of the film for me felt flat. I felt that there should have been more resolution. I can enjoy and take ambiguous endings, but only where the film prepares you for this. As Jumper is a pretty mainstream Hollywood film, I believe it should have more resolution. I do not expect total resolution in any film and some films cannot have a lot of resolution because it does not work for the story of the film, but this film needed more resolution. I believe that the ending can save a film, if it is big enough or meaningful enough. Some films, such as Jumper cannot be saved by its ending, but should have had a better one.

Take Care.

Fanboy Dave