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BaftaBaby 
"Always entranced by cinema."
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 Posted - 02/15/2008 : 09:27:57
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In the UK a jumper is a woolly sweater. Blame movieland for extending its reference to this stupid-premise.
Seems Ann Arbor, Michigan is the latest town of all the towns in all the world to play host to a phenomenon whereby some can teleport themselves around the world, whether in parsec leaps to another country or mini-movements for couch-potato jumpers to move inches in order to reach the remote.
I have to admit, it's a great premise for a story. But ...
Once aware of their powers these jumpers learn they're not alone - hey, I've never seen one, have you? - and a bunch of baddies is after them, and they'd better watch out because the head baddie is Samuel L Jackson! Scared yet?
The plot has at least a dozen major inconsistencies and some minor ones. It's just too tedious to catalog them.
When it should be spiced with humor, director Doug Liman chooses inconsequential violence. He also chooses two leads who can't act, then puts Jamie Bell in support which only points up the difference. He gives Jackson a visual persona so bizare surely it must interfere with his low-profile. He also consistently chooses the worst camera placements I've seen in a long time. He doesn't so much cut from shot to shot as slash a la Sweeney Todd.
There's a team of writers - well I say team but they sure weren't working together. I know the jumpers can go all over the place, but so does the script. I've seen better writing on a cereal box.
Everyone concerned should just have gone to the shops, bought the jumper of their choice, and left moviegoers alone.
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ChocolateLady 
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 02/15/2008 : 12:58:08
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What the... Excuse me? Whose idea was it to jump on the "Time Traveller's Wife" bandwagon and pervert it even before the movie of the book was released?
(Never mind, I'm sure the movie of TTW will be a poor rendition of the book anyway. And as an aside, I wonder why Hollywood thinks Eric Bana looks Jewish?) |
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MguyXXV
"X marks the spot"
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Posted - 02/15/2008 : 19:16:57
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He looks about as Jewish as Tony Curtis, Zac Efron, Scott Caan, Matthew Broderick, Jeff Goldblum (o.k., that one's a gimme), Robby Benson, Harrison Ford, and Sammy Davis Jr. (converted) -- all prominent Jewish male performers ... ergo, it's pretty easy to look Jewish. 
But I would say that it's not a stretch to say that Bana looked Israeli in "Munich" (e.g., kinda tan, wavy black hair, beard stubble [which is mandatory for Isreali movie roles]). |
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turrell 
"Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhh "
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Posted - 02/15/2008 : 21:23:33
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quote:
Originally posted by MguyX
He looks about as Jewish as Tony Curtis, Zac Efron, Scott Caan, Matthew Broderick, Jeff Goldblum (o.k., that one's a gimme), Robby Benson, Harrison Ford, and Sammy Davis Jr. (converted) -- all prominent Jewish male performers ... ergo, it's pretty easy to look Jewish.
David Lee Roth lights the menorah... |
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ChocolateLady
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 02/16/2008 : 09:42:02
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quote:
Originally posted by MguyX
He looks about as Jewish as Tony Curtis, Zac Efron, Scott Caan, Matthew Broderick, Jeff Goldblum (o.k., that one's a gimme), Robby Benson, Harrison Ford, and Sammy Davis Jr. (converted) -- all prominent Jewish male performers ... ergo, it's pretty easy to look Jewish.
But I would say that it's not a stretch to say that Bana looked Israeli in "Munich" (e.g., kinda tan, wavy black hair, beard stubble [which is mandatory for Isreali movie roles]).
Sigh!
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Demisemicenturian
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 02/17/2008 : 07:22:31
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Jumper
I have to agree with B.B. So many aspects of the plot make no sense or are as flimsy as gossamer.
I started to describe one example, but like B.B. cannot be bothered. What's the point?! There are some nice moments, but overall it could have been a lot better.
An even bigger problem though may be that the premise itself is now very limited, in light of Heroes. Hiro can teleport, and bend time while he's at it, and then all the others can do all sorts of other things. In contrast, a world homogeneous in superpowers seems rather dull. Maybe some superhero films will be good even in the wake of Heroes. And maybe they won't. But this wasn't the one to test it out with.
For now 3/5, because it was good enough to be able to throw myself into for an hour, but that may well sink to 2/5 by the end of the year. |
Edited by - Demisemicenturian on 02/19/2008 09:10:21 |
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RockGolf
"1500+ reviews. 1 joke."
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Posted - 02/19/2008 : 04:45:18
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Wow! After reading these reviews, I was dreading taking my son to this for his 14th birthday. But I thought it was well done. It made a certain amount of sense, for example, that Jumpers would keep going back to the same place over & over. {SPOILER}Hayden's mother being a Palladin explained why Samuel's instructions kept getting overridden. I tried to look for any major inconsistencies, but really couldn't find them.
One exception, after a fight, Rachel says to Hayden "You're bleeding" but there wasn't any sign of blood. |
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MisterBadIdea 
"PLZ GET MILK, KTHXBYE"
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Posted - 02/21/2008 : 17:12:43
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I didn't think this film was inconsistent as much as it was underdeveloped. I didn't notice any inconsistencies either, but I was much more bothered by how much explanation we didn't get. The characters didn't seem fleshed out. It wasn't as bad as "The Golden Compass" but it's up there.
My favorite scene in the movie is where flood victims are shown in desperate need of rescue on TV, and Hayden springs into action: He gets laid and then goes surfing. It's funny because he's supposed to be a callow, freewheeling and unheroic at the beginning. But he never really turns into a hero, does he? I don't see why they would include that scene unless he was supposed to become less self-involved by the end, but he doesn't really. Spider-Man he isn't.
More problematic is the vague motivations of the Paladins. It occurred to me that this is the first Sam Jackson performance I didn't like. When he shows up in Hayden's apartment, who are we supposed to be rooting for? Jackson just doesn't seem to be trying to play a villain -- a better choice for the role would have been Laurence Fishburne, who could have brought some creepy fanatical intensity to the character.
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Edited by - MisterBadIdea on 02/21/2008 17:13:14 |
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Whippersnapper. 
"A fourword thinking guy."
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Posted - 02/21/2008 : 17:36:21
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quote:
Originally posted by MguyX
He looks about as Jewish as Tony Curtis, Zac Efron, Scott Caan, Matthew Broderick, Jeff Goldblum (o.k., that one's a gimme), Robby Benson, Harrison Ford, and Sammy Davis Jr. (converted) -- all prominent Jewish male performers ... ergo, it's pretty easy to look Jewish.
But I would say that it's not a stretch to say that Bana looked Israeli in "Munich" (e.g., kinda tan, wavy black hair, beard stubble [which is mandatory for Isreali movie roles]).
Actually Jews who live in predominantly Jewish communities, as Chockie does, are often very good at spotting who is Jewish. I assume this is because they have a kind of mental database on the various possible appearances for Jews. My father, brought up in the then predominantly Jewish East End of London was very good at it naturally and if he was ever wrong I don't remember it.
(For complex reasons, this doesn't work so well in the case of Sammy Davis.)
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Wheelz 
"FWFR%u2019ing like it%u2019s 1999"
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Posted - 02/21/2008 : 19:43:24
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While I realize there is indeed a stereotypical "Jewish look," isn't being Jewish defined by the practice of a religion rather than by genetics?
Therefore, isn't saying that an individual does or does not look Jewish about as valid as saying that one does or does not look Christian, or Muslim, or Atheist?
And why aren't Jews offended by the notion that you can know their faith just by looking at them?
(I don't wish to sound ignorant; I ask these questions in all seriousness.)
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Edited by - Wheelz on 02/21/2008 19:50:33 |
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MisterBadIdea
"PLZ GET MILK, KTHXBYE"
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Posted - 02/21/2008 : 20:12:39
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quote:
While I realize there is indeed a stereotypical "Jewish look," isn't being Jewish defined by the practice of a religion rather than by genetics?
Therefore, isn't saying that an individual does or does not look Jewish about as valid as saying that one does or does not look Christian, or Muslim, or Atheist?
Jewish is used to describe both practitioners of a particular religious faith and descendants of the Hebrew race -- so no, I don't think it's that offensive, although it does get confusing. |
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ChocolateLady
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 02/22/2008 : 11:06:52
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quote:
Originally posted by Whippersnapper
quote:
Originally posted by MguyX
He looks about as Jewish as Tony Curtis, Zac Efron, Scott Caan, Matthew Broderick, Jeff Goldblum (o.k., that one's a gimme), Robby Benson, Harrison Ford, and Sammy Davis Jr. (converted) -- all prominent Jewish male performers ... ergo, it's pretty easy to look Jewish.
But I would say that it's not a stretch to say that Bana looked Israeli in "Munich" (e.g., kinda tan, wavy black hair, beard stubble [which is mandatory for Isreali movie roles]).
Actually Jews who live in predominantly Jewish communities, as Chockie does, are often very good at spotting who is Jewish. I assume this is because they have a kind of mental database on the various possible appearances for Jews. My father, brought up in the then predominantly Jewish East End of London was very good at it naturally and if he was ever wrong I don't remember it.
We're equipped with "Jew-dar", actually.
quote:
(For complex reasons, this doesn't work so well in the case of Sammy Davis.)
The Beta Israel of Ethiopia would disagree with you there.
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ChocolateLady
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 02/22/2008 : 11:11:42
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quote:
Originally posted by Wheelz
While I realize there is indeed a stereotypical "Jewish look," isn't being Jewish defined by the practice of a religion rather than by genetics?
Therefore, isn't saying that an individual does or does not look Jewish about as valid as saying that one does or does not look Christian, or Muslim, or Atheist?
And why aren't Jews offended by the notion that you can know their faith just by looking at them?
(I don't wish to sound ignorant; I ask these questions in all seriousness.)
Hey, how can a people who believe themselves to be "chosen" by God, be offended by being identified by their looks?
(Besides, how else will God know who to smite and who to save when the time comes?)
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RockGolf
"1500+ reviews. 1 joke."
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Posted - 02/22/2008 : 14:05:20
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| I'm Catholic, but I've got some lamb's blood in the freezer. Just in case. |
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Airbolt
"teil mann, teil maschine"
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Posted - 07/26/2008 : 00:02:29
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So its friday and i think i have seen every DVD the shop has. So, even tho it got terrible reviews , i took out "Jumper" and I want my money back!
Somewhere theres a great idea but it got lost on the way to the screen. Razzie material in so may ways.
Mind you at least the film is probably carbon neutral given the amount of wooden acting in it
Jamie Bell will make better films , Hayden probably wont. |
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Jumper
