Jumper

When a teenage nerd discovers he has the ability to instantly teleport himself anywhere in the world with just a thought, he uses this gift to escape from a troubled life compounded by an absent mother and abusive father. Rather than becoming a superhero, he travels the globe and funds his escapades by popping into bank vaults for withdrawals. Realizing eight years later he has traded an unhappy life for a hollow one, David (Hayden Christensen) seeks out Millie (Rachel Bilson), the girl he has pined for since high school. But their budding relationship is complicated when he discovers the “Jumpers” who share his gift have been pursued for centuries by the “Paladins”, a group of religious kooks who have sworn to kill them.

Christensen, who stumbled through the last two Star Wars films -- perhaps overwhelmed by the magnitude of the project -- stars as David, but his performance here is effective and natural. Bilson, fresh from her run on television’s now defunct The O.C., lends the film some charm, but the two actors have less chemistry than the preposterous pairing of Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas in The English Patient. A scruffy-looking Jamie Bell (the grown up Billy Elliot) jumps off the screen as a fellow Jumper intent on revenge, but is curiously too young to play David’s mentor.

This trio of likeable but inexperienced thespians is backed up by cameo appearances from the always engaging Diane Lane as David's estranged mother, and Samuel L. Jackson (sporting repulsive platinum-coloured hair) as the head Paladin, both of whom serve to elevate the film above a B-movie.

The unusual mix of talent is also evident in the production crew. Director Doug Liman, whose track record ranges from the banal (Mr. and Mrs. Smith) to the breathtaking (The Bourne Identity), creates thrilling sequences. The climactic battle, taking place in several successive locations, is cleverly shot, despite one noticeable continuity flaw.

The primary weakness is the screenplay co-written by David S. Goyer (the Blade series) and Jim Uhls (Fight Club). Based on a 1992 novel, their adaptation is simple and doesn’t get bogged down with philosophy and morals. But the denouement explaining why David’s mother left is obvious from the start. Further, the Paladins’ motive that only God should have such power seems merely a result of jumper envy -- this is a yearning the target audience of pubescent boys would echo, any one of whom would jump at the chance to live in hedonism without having to work.

Filmed in Peterborough, Ontario and Toronto, in addition to exotic locations including Rome and Tokyo, the troubled production included multiple cast changes and on-set accidents.

Though some have complained the centuries-old war (reminiscent of the battling factions in Underworld) spoils the proceedings, without it the film would be a pointless travelogue. Others have criticized the many unanswered questions and open ending, which clearly point to a sequel with the potential to become an entertaining science-fiction franchise. Though not particularly tense, Jumper is satisfying and stylish, a perfect escape from a long and dreary winter. Rating: 6 out of 10.