Jumper DVD Review

Jumper is the latest film from director Doug Liman, whose previous films include Swingers, GO, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Jumper is the story of David Rice who has a unique ability of teleporting himself anywhere in the world. David discovers this talent accidentally after he falls through the ice of a river and is dragged down stream. David’s first and second teleportation trips brought him to the Ann Arbor Public Library.

David’s mother (Diane Lane, The Glass House, My Dog Skip) left when he was five and his relationship with his father (Michael Rooker, Mississippi Burning, The Replacement Killers) is strained, so David decides to leave at a very young age. A teenaged David (Max Thieriot, Catch That Kid, The Astronaut Farmer) quickly moves to New York. Here he begins to commit the first of several bank heists while using his special skill. The local police are baffled since the robber did not need to force himself into the vault, but one man who identifies himself as NSA, a man simply known as Roland (Samuel L. Jackson, Black Snake Moan, Kill Bill Vol. 2).

Eight years later, an older David (Hayden Christensen, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Factory Girl) is living well in New York City where he spends his day in full time pursuit of a casual lifestyle. He fills his day jumping from city to city, lunching in Paris, surfing in Fiji, or sunbathing atop the Sphinx in Egypt.

Things take a turn downhill for David, however, when Roland shows up in his apartment. Now on the lam, David returns home where he rekindles his relationship with his high school crush, Millie (Rachel Bilson, The Last Kiss, The OC). Together they take off to Rome together, but find that they cannot escape Roland and his cronies. Now David must escape the murderous Roland, while still protecting Millie.

Jumper is a little toned down for a Doug Liman film, skewing more toward a teenaged audience than his other projects. Jumper is fun and is entertaining, but it lacks that flair and zest that his past projects have had. The special effects and outrageous back drops definitely carry the film.

Jumper will be released with three purchase options. The first is a single disc version that includes the film and a few special features including a feature length commentary with director Doug Liman, writer/producer Simon Kinberg and producer Lucas Foster. The disc also includes Jumpstart: David’s Story Animated Graphic Novel, Doug Liman’s Jumper: Uncencored, Jumping Around the World, and deleted scenes. Lastly the disc also includes featurettes titled, Making an Actor Jump, Jumping From Novel to Film: The Past, Present and Future of Jumper, and Future Concepts. There will also be a two disc special edition of the film that will boast more special features as well as a bonus digital copy. This digital copy is not compatible with iTunes or Macintosh computers. Lastly the film will be available on high definition Blu-Ray. Each release will present the film in widescreen with a 5.1 stereo surround soundtrack option.