KEY POINTS:
Herald rating: * *
The guy behind Jumper should stick to his knitting. Director Liman has proved he can do comedy and action, whether it is the original Bourne Identity or Mr and Mrs Smith. But when it comes to whizzbang sci-fi fantasy, everything seems to have
got the better of him here - the casting, the effects, the internal logic of its premise in which its lead character finds he can teleport anywhere around the world.
The result is a movie that feels like it wants to be a TV pilot - hey guys, how about we call it Heroes? - while failing to kickstart a big screen franchise that feels very Matrix redux.
Liman's sense of cool which extends back to Swingers and Go, also seems to have abandonded him. Not only does he have the bland Hayden Christensen as David, a guy whose keeps his superpower to his increasingly rich self, he has fellow former Jedi knight Samuel L. Jackson in hot pursuit, armed with the worst African-American villain haircut since Wesley Snipes in Demolition Man.
Add OC refugee Rachel Bilson as David's love interest, Jamie Bell as a fellow "jumper" mainly there to explain the rules of engagement with Jackson and his ronies and the things don't improve much. Well actually, no: Bell is the only decent performance of engaging character here and it's a pity the film wasn't about him.
It sure gives good whizz, beaming through those exotic locations without a hint of jetlag, though its digitally-minded makers seem to think they drive on the right in Tokyo and that the head of the Sphinx could survive all that repeat foot traffic. And Liman again proves his talent for action set-pieces which demolish surrounding buildings but leave the participants standing.
The novelty of that, and Christensen frequently disappearing into thin air, wears off fast and how he deals with the ramifications of his power has been seemingly put aside for future instalments which will probably never eventuate. So Jumper ends up just plain woolly.
Cast: Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson, Jamie Bell
Director: Doug Liman
Rating: M
Running time: 88 minutes
Screening: SkyCity, Hoyts, Berkeley
Verdict: The faster you beam around the planet, the bigger the mess