# Jumper **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 21, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumper/434399 "2008-01-21T18:55:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumper/434399/1 "2008-01-21T18:55:45Z")
This film is coming out on Valentine’s Day, and Mrs Shibb has already told me she expects that I take her for a date. Definitely not a chick flick, this seems to be almost a Highlander knock off, which people who can jump (teleport) anywhere and a rolling battle with the people who have sworn to kill them. The trailer is fairly breathtaking, and the cast is decent (Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Lane and Tom Hulce among them). Any advance word on this? Will it suck? Or could it be okay? ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumper/434399/2 "2008-01-21T18:57:46Z")
I really enjoyed the book, but it doesn’t look like the movie is following the novel too closely. I’m definitely going to check it out, though! ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumper/434399/3 "2008-01-21T19:11:35Z")
I’m very dubious about this movie. I absolutely love the book (and the sequel, _Reflex_). The movie seems to be _vaguely_ related to the book, in that it’s got some of the same characters, some of whom can teleport. However, in the book there were very specific rules about how the teleporting works, and the movie seems to be breaking those rules. Plus, I’m very worried about the casting of Hayden “NOOOOOOOO” Christensen. In the latest \*Jumper \* trailer, there’s a different actor who (apparently) plays the younger Davy, and he definitely looks the part… but Hayden is just too pretty-boy for me- Davy’s supposed to be just a normal guy (well, aside from the teleporting, that is). Also, if that’s Millie (his girlfriend from the book), she looks fairly miscast as well. Oh, and the Paladins (the group who hunt teleporters in the movie) aren’t in the book at all. As I said, I’m very dubious. I’ll probably still go see it, but only because I want Gould to make money off of it. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumper/434399/4 "2008-01-21T19:16:22Z")
Saw the trailer. The teleportation effect looks cool and appropriate. I need more information about the plot before I’ll consider seeing it. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumper/434399/5 "2008-01-21T20:33:48Z")
I’ll see it no matter what. I don’t plan to read any reviews beforehand. It was directed by Doug Limon (Go, Swingers, The Bourne Identity) and that’s good enough for me. I haven’t read the book so I don’t care about the differences. Anyone who makes fun of Hayden Christensen’s acting has never seen Shattered Glass or Life As A House. The guy can act, as long as it’s not George Lucas directing him to act wooden on purpose. Also appearing in the movie, besides Samual Jackson, are Diane Lane, Jamie Bell, Tom Hulce, and AnnaSophia Robb, all people I really like and don’t get to see nearly often enough. It was also co-written by the guy who wrote Fight Club. As I said, I’ll see it no matter what. I can’t wait! ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumper/434399/6 "2008-01-21T20:48:42Z")
Sounds like a decent enough pedigree. I haven’t read the book, although if the movie is any good I probably will. Or even if it isn’t, if the premise is interesting enough. Book before movie is always a bad combo; I can’t think of a movie, offhand, that is better than the book. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumper/434399/7 "2008-01-21T20:50:43Z")
Going to suck. Anything advertised this heavily, this far in advance is going to suck. ---
**Author:** ![dd0029](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@dd0029](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dd0029)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumper/434399/8 "2008-01-21T20:56:51Z")
This is very much not the original Jumper story. Steven Gould has rewritten or written a new book to reflect the film adaptation. He actually has a really good forward or afterward where he talks about the reasons for the differences. Check your library or book dealer for _Jumper: Griffin’s Story_ This is roughly Davey’s son’s story. However it ignores a great deal of the back story setup in the original Jumper duology and reuses some of the better set pieces from the first book. Any Gould is still good, but is definitely shows its roots as a film adaptation. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_and_a_Half_Inches_of_Fun)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumper/434399/9 "2008-01-21T21:09:16Z")
[QUOTE=Lightnin’] Plus, I’m very worried about the casting of Hayden “NOOOOOOOO” Christensen. [/QUOTE] That’s not fair. It was James Earl Jones that went “NOOOOOOOOO.”