Jumper (2008)

Released in February 2008, Jumper arrived at a curious moment for mainstream science fiction. The mid-2000s had seen a wave of high-concept blockbusters built around a single, irresistible premise, and the idea of a young man who can teleport himself anywhere on Earth in the blink of an eye is, on paper, exactly the kind of thing audiences were lining up for. The film is based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Steven Gould, though the screenplay takes considerable liberties with the source material. At 88 minutes, it is a lean, efficient piece of work, the kind of film that gets in, gets on with it, and gets out before overstaying its welcome. Whether that brevity is a strength or a symptom of something is the more interesting question.

Behind the camera is Doug Liman, a director with a solid track record in kinetic, propulsive action. He had already proven himself capable of handling slick genre material with Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and brought a similar energy to the material here. Produced through a consortium of studios including New Regency Pictures and Dune Entertainment, Jumper had the polish of a major release without quite the weight of a franchise tentpole, though a sequel was clearly being planned from the outset given how the story is structured. The special effects, particularly the visualisation of teleportation, were a significant part of the sell, and the production leaned into location shooting across Rome, Tokyo, and elsewhere to give the globe-trotting concept some genuine geography.

The cast is a polished but unremarkable ensemble that nonetheless has genuine names in it. Hayden Christensen takes the lead as David Rice, the young man at the centre of it all. Audiences in 2008 would have known him almost exclusively from his appearances in Star Wars: Episode II and Star Wars: Episode III, which coloured how his performance here was received at the time. Jamie Bell provides lively support as Griffin, a fellow teleporter with considerably more attitude, and Samuel L. Jackson plays Roland, the leader of a group of zealots called Paladins who have made it their mission to hunt Jumpers down. Rachel Bilson and Michael Rooker round out the main players in what is, broadly speaking, functional casting in service of a fast-moving plot.

Actually slightly above average. Jumper is a decent enough sci-fi adventure that never quite hits the heights it could have. The effects are actually really solid, and the concept (teleportation) is genuinely one of the coolest powers to see brought to life on screen. Let’s be honest, it’s everyone’s secret favourite superpower along with invisibility. The story itself is a little lacking though, and the whole thing feels like it needed one more good rewrite to properly land. Hayden Christensen gets a lot of hate but honestly, that's mostly just leftover resentment from Star Wars fans of the time. He's perfectly fine here. It's just a case of a great idea not quite making it to a great film.

If I'm being honest, that feeling of a film falling just short of its own potential is one of the more frustrating things you can walk away with from a cinema. There is enough here to enjoy, and the teleportation sequences genuinely do hold up, but the whole thing keeps gesturing at a richer story that never quite materialises. Films like F9 remind you that the action-adventure genre can go completely off the rails in the other direction too, so perhaps there is something to be said for a film that at least knows what it is. Jumper is fine, and sometimes fine is the most honest verdict you can give.

Rating: ★★★  | Year: 2008  | Watched: 2025-04-27

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Trailer

▶ Watch the official trailer for Jumper (2008) on YouTube

Where to watch

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Related on Movies With Macca

More from Doug Liman: Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
More with Hayden Christensen: Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) · Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
More from the 2000s: Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) · Daredevil (2003) · Apocalypto (2006)
More action: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · The General (1926) · Hand of Death (1976) · Daredevil (2003)
More adventure: Alice in Wonderland (1951) · The Eagle (1925) · Louisiana Story (1948) · The General (1926)