Oh man, it’s a sad day when a film like Jumper is released in 3,428 theaters across the country and brings home an estimated $31.7 million over the four day President’s Day weekend when films such as In Bruges are out there and Focus only releases it in 112 theaters. Seriously, what is that about? I am just happy knowing that I was one of the patrons that went to one of those 112 theaters and introduced someone to In Bruges and they LOVED it. So there, a few of my dollars went to its $1.1 million weekend.
However, this isn’t about In Bruges, this is about the steaming crap pile that is Jumper in all its ambiguous glory. When I interviewed director Doug Liman I was cut off and never got to ask the really tough questions, the questions that people never ask (and I most likely would not have), but should. I touched upon how Jumper doesn’t give the audience any information whatsoever, and to that Liman told me, “I was curious as a filmmaker working in 2008 and I asked, do we need to play by the rules made in 2000 and 1990? where everybody’s actions would be explained.” He continued, “As a filmmaker I am curious to see how far you can push it, and can you have a villain who never explains why they are doing what they are doing it doesn’t matter if you are David Rice. All that matters is that Sam Jackson is trying to kill you.”
Liman asked these questions and he went out on a limb and didn’t give the audience anything, and by that I mean NOTHING. It doesn’t matter why someone is trying to kill you? Really? What if you don’t deserve to be killed? What if it can be resolved peacefully? Good thing Liman isn’t the President of the United States.
Anyway, as I walked out of my screening of Jumper I was asking tons of questions and I decided to turn it into my very own top ten. Now, while this is in the form of a top ten all of these questions outside of #1 could really be placed anywhere so I put it an order, but it really could have gone any which way.
If you haven’t seen Jumper yet there may be a few spoilers, but if by reading them it prevents you from seeing it then that makes me happy. However, take this as your warning. Click “Next Page” below to begin the list.
