Jumper

If someone were to deliberately set out to create a hero who would appeal to a generation of ‘can’t waits’ they couldn’t do much better than the lead character of Jumper. Imagine a twenty-something who can be anywhere he wants just by wanting to be there. No saving, mucking around with passports, or cramped economy plane rides. No need to even open the door or wonder if you can afford something so long as a bank is near. The creators of Jumper have elevated impatience to the level of a virtue in what amounts to a homage to youthful exuberance and inconstancy.

David Rice (Hayden Christensen) is a teenage misfit who discovers his ability to teleport by accident when he nearly drowns falling through thin ice after being bullied by – wait for it – a jock from his high school. And yes, he was in the middle of a stumbling attempt to let a girl know how much he liked her when the incident took place. His mum walked out when he was five; his dad is an abusive drunk, so David needs little reason to leave home at 15 and set out on a whirlwind of self indulgent adventure as a teleporting play-boy. When the story catches up with him eight years later he’s living in a sky-line apartment in New York, surfing the Maldives, breakfasting in Paris and sun baking on the Sphinx, all in a single morning. Confronted by a ‘Do not enter’ sign in the Coliseum he voices the conviction of the age: “There are no limits.”

Co-star Samuel Jackson says that Christensen brings a brooding quality to his acting that reminds him of ‘James Dean’. I never had the pleasure of Mr Dean’s company but if he was childish, self-absorbed and irritable then I agree. Frankly, his performance reminded me more of Anakin Skywalker but with the petulance set on ‘low’.  But director Doug Liman (Go, The Bourne Identity , Mr & Mrs Smith) certainly catches the youthful exuberance and self-indulgence of a teenager gifted with such freedom. Even with such unlimited resources has little time for the suffering masses. Consider Liman’s pedigree, though, and you’ll realise the producers didn’t hire him for his skill with morality tales.

Yes, Jumper is an action-flick. A friend told me he thought that he thought the film had its origins in someone coming up with a really good special effect for making people disappear, then writing a script that made use of it. That may be, but at least it’s fast-moving enough to keep the attention.

Enter Roland (Samuel Jackson), the ruthless leader of a dark order known as the Paladins. Veterans of 21st century culture will find it somewhat comforting to discover that they won’t have to spend too much time trying to understand the motivations of this black organization dedicated to the destruction of Jumpers like David Rice. The villains are religious warriors whose fanaticism overrides all sense of justice and decency (who would have thought?). They are bent out of shape because David, and others like him, has too much freedom. “You are an abomination,” Roland tells David on their first encounter. “Only God should have the power to be in all places.” And this is the sort of intolerance that carries a bowie-knife. *** cough – Religious Right – cough *** (Sorry!). Yes, it’s that subtle.

The Paladins have been pursuing their crusade since the Middle Ages according to one character – heard of the Spanish Inquisition, burning witches? That was them! And though their weaponry has improved, their methodology hasn’t changed much. It’s not much of a metaphor when it comes down to it, but the suggestion is that religious people who replaced reason with tradition have more than a few bats in the belfry. Sure, the Paladins have good reasons for what they do. Apparently Jumpers have ‘gone bad’ in the past and may lead to the destruction of the world. But fear is not much of a motivation for murder.

Of course the hero has to triumph in the end, but it’s pretty unsatisfactory. After some spectacular fight scenes David beats the bad guys by breaking the only rule that mattered in this science fiction universe. Here’s where the writing falls down. It can’t be done – oh, unless it is motivated by the power of love. Thanks goodness there’s a pretty girl around… Better writers would have found a clever way of triumphing without ripping up the script.

If there is any upside to the plot, it is the Ecclesiastical message that having everything at his finger-tips still leaves David wanting for something. Of course, when he realizes it’s a girl called Milly, he just goes and gets her. But his life-style comes with its own built-in problems. While trying to nail him to the floor, Roland warns David, “Do you think you can go on living like this without consequences? There are always consequences!” Quite apart from the bad guys trying to turn you into a grease-spot, it seems that Milly’s more worried about David’s personal integrity in the end than the cool stuff he’s managed to get with that endless line of credit. And well she should! You should see how this guy treated Padme! There’s room for a sequel. Hopefully audience and hero will heed Milly’s conviction: “Everyone needs to grow up.”

Jumper is a ride. Enjoy it. Day-dream about having the ability to teleport. And imagine what the world would really be like if people had access to that much freedom. Paladin membership form, anyone?

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