Sometimes I see people in forums making lists and discussing films with great ideas but poor implementation. For me "Jumper" leaps to mind. This is a science fiction/action movie with a great idea, but that's about it.
David Rice (Hayden Christensen) is a young man who accidentally discovers one day that he has the extraordinary ability to teleport anywhere he can imagine. Over time he learns to control this ability and builds quite a nice lifestyle for himself, as one could imagine one would. He also discovers that he's not the only one.
But all is not well. It turns out Samuel L. Jackson is the leader of an ancient secret society with a solid track record of zealously eliminating "jumpers". And we all know how he is. The hunt is on.
The unique concept of "Jumpers" makes the film memorable. The idea of teleportation is an inherently fascinating fantasy, and the film does a decent job of exploring the possibilities and limitations of this power. The special effects, particularly the teleportation sequences, are impressive. There are fight and chase scenes filmed on location in what seems like 5 or 6 places all over the world, all stitched together in seamless set pieces. This must have taken months and been a logistical nightmare. Today this would have all been been done in the sort of semi-convincing CG that contemporary audiences have come to accept. But in 2008 they had to actually do most of the stuff.
But there's a serious lack of depth. The characters and their motivations are shallow, making it difficult to connect with them. David's journey lacks a compelling arc, and the villains are one-dimensional. Further, the film's plot follows a fairly predictable path, with the main conflict being resolved in a way that is not particularly surprising.
The film's ending is abrupt and screams it's intention to have sequels, or perhaps a TV series. The film is almost the perfect introduction for one of those shows that has a great first season as the mysteries are slowly uncovered, but a dreadful season two as the writers desperately struggle to create a new story line. This never happened however. So what we're left with is a fun and visually impressive film with a unique premise, that includes loads of possibilities for world building, but that goes no place.
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