Jumper

The most important ingredient for a successful movie is the quality of the story. Unfortunately, “Jumper” doesn’t measure up. Mix in an ineffective performance by a wooden Hayden Christensen and an unsatisfactory ending and you have a pretty awful film. I would have expected more from director Doug Liman, who helmed “The Bourne Identity.” The movie opens with David Rice (Max Thieriot), a nerdy teen, giving a snow globe to the object of his affection, Millie (AnnaSophia Robb). When a bully throws it onto the thin ice of a nearby river, David goes to retrieve it, where, predictably, he falls in. Trapped under the ice and fearing for his life, David saves himself by teleporting to the town library. After a few experiments, David hones his teleporting skill, robs a bank, and leaves town. Fast forward ten years later and David (Christensen) is living a carefree and luxurious life. He goes in search of Millie (Rachel Bilson) after a dramatic encounter with Roland (Samuel L. Jackson), who makes it clear that he doesn’t like "jumpers." It takes half of the movie before there’s a brief explanation by Griffin (Jamie Bell), another jumper, about the centuries old conflict between jumpers and paladins, who have made it their mission to kill jumpers. Explaining some of the rules that govern jumpers and developing some of the motivations for the war between jumpers and paladins would have enhanced the plot. Plus the ending suggests a sequel, but I’m not sure anyone who has seen the first would bother with a second. (2/14/08)