As a kid, David is the one who gets picked on by everybody at school. At home, he's always on the wrong side of his father's temper; his mother walked out on the family. This pretty much adds up to a rather doleful life; hence, when the child finds out he can teleport, we are sort of happy for him.
We hope that with this new-found power, he will develop a better self image and turn into a good-doing super hero. But no! The child is determined to use his power to meet his selfish, childish needs. Like the rich old man who set off around the world in a balloon, our young hero decides to teleport across the world. Why? Because he can do it!
So as he globe hops, stealing from the rich to feed himself and to jump to exotic locales, we begin to wonder whether the plot will ever thicken. And it's precisely at this moment that we find out two things - that David is not the only Jumper and that there are Paladins, who are out to exterminate the Jumpers of the world! So after saving his childhood crush from a rowdy gang, he joins hands with a fellow-jumper on a mission to exterminate the exterminators!
One must accept that the idea of teleporting is quite intriguing and we all have been in situations and places that we would have loved to escape from. So, yes, being a jumper has its advantages. But the plot built around this idea, for the movie, is way too weak. There isn't enough reason for us to warm up to our hero, given that only towards the end does he realize that there is more to life than picnicking on the Sphinx's head!
Hayden Christensen has given his best shot at being the Jumper Superhero, but there is only so much you can do with this plot. Jamie Bell as Hayden's Jumper buddy who initiates the Paladin Extermination mission, has also tried to add depth to the plot. The actor thoroughly wasted in the plot is Samuel L. Jackson. Just about anybody could have lead the Paladin squad, but Doug Liman chose Samuel. Heralding the "Only God can be at any place anywhere, and not a man" cause, he is all out to get the jumpers - every one of them. He is the tragic hero of the script one could say!
Jumper is based on a novel by Steven Gould, but if you have watched the movie, chances are you will not want to try the book! Director Doug Liman has left a number of gaping loopholes in the film that a better thought-out script and screenplay could have set right. Instead, Liman takes us on an exceedingly tedious journey, chronicling the life of a not-so-loveable super hero!
