Jumper *** (2008, Hayden Christensen, Samuel L Jackson, Jamie Bell, Rachel Bilson, Diane Lane, Michael Rooker) – Classic Movie Review 4229

Director Doug Liman’s attractive, entertainingly different 2008 sci-fi action adventure stars Hayden Christensen, Samuel L Jackson and Jamie Bell, with Rachel Bilson, Diane Lane, Michael Rooker, AnnaSophia Robb, Max Thieriot, Jesse James, Kristen Stewart and Tom Hulce as Mr Bowker.

It starts with a strong, satisfying premise, and goes some distance with it, though maybe not quite far enough. Christensen plays high school student David Rice, who is fortunate enough to be a Jumper and have teleportation abilities, but finds himself in the middle of an ancient war.

Hayden Christensen at the premiere of Star Wars: Episode III in 2005 in Berlin.

The handsomely produced film is slick, smart and fast paced, weirdly running only 88 minutes, with the action and visual effects first rate, so it never gets dull. Christensen is a decent hero, though Jamie Bell steals the show in a very lively turn as cynical Irish Jumper Griffin.

It was costly at $85 million, and slightly disappointed at the US box office, taking $80 million, but the worldwide gross of $222 million kept it nicely in profit. It sets up a franchise but there were no calls for a sequel, though.

The screenplay by David S. Goyer, Jim Uhls and Simon Kinberg is based on the novel by Steven Gould.

It is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence, some language and brief sexuality.

Hayden Christensen filming Jumper in Rome in 2006 with girlfriend Rachel Bilson.

Christensen began dating co-star Rachel Bilson. They became engaged on 25 December 2008 and on 29 October 2014 Bilson gave birth to their daughter Briar Rose.

Doug Liman is also the director of Getting In (1994), Swingers, Go, The Bourne Identity (2002), Mr and Mrs Smith (2005), Fair Game, Edge of Tomorrow (2014) and The Wall.

It is Tom Hulce’s 64th birthday on 6 December 2017.

On 6 December 2017, it was Hulce’s 64th birthday and Jumper was still his most recent film.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4229

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert

Tom Hulce in December 2006.