io9
The first reviews of Jumper are starting to pop up online, and they're not good news for the people who thought Hayden Christensen might be likable (or even tolerable) this time around. The movie features a lot of scenes of people jumping off tall buildings and cliffs, and may leave you wanting to do the same. But fear not: We also have exciting Dragonball info, a new Hulk-related toy spoiler, a Sarah Connor preview, and info on Smallville and X-Factor.
A super detailed early review of Jumper has gone up online: Hayden Christensen's character is a "douchebag," who uses his powers selfishly and avoids helping people. And he never has any redemption or becomes someone you'd want to ride an elevator with. He drags Rachel Bilson around Rome on her "dream vacation," ruins her trip for her and then bundles her on a plane home.
Then we meet Samuel L. Jackson's Paladin character, who's sworn to hunt down and kill "Jumpers" who can teleport, like Christensen. Apparently the main reason we're told for the Paladins' anti-Jumper campaign is because they think only God should be omnipresent.
And we meet another teleporting "Jumper" named Griffin (Jamie Bell) who refuses to help Christensen, for reasons that make no sense whatsoever. We're supposed to side with Hayden C. over Griffin, even though Hayden's character is Asswipe City. And the film has a distinct lack of action, apart from a few set pieces that you've already seen in the trailers. Hayden and Jamie Bell have a world-traveling showdown for some reason, chasing each other and falling off high places. Oh, and there's a cool bit with a flamethrower, but then nothing much gets lit on fire. [AintItCool]
More spoilers:
- OMG there's a big fighting tournament in the Dragonball movie! And Master Roshi, Goku and Piccolo win. There's a fight between Chichi (in a red dress) and Mai (in black leather) and Mai gives up. Goku shouts "Well done" to the victorious Chichi, but Mai grins at a knife she's hiding. [Dragonball The Movie]
Yet another super tenuous toy spoiler: New images have come out of the "wacky wobblers" tying in with the Incredible Hulk and Iron Man movies. Since we don't really have any good images of the new Hulk, this could be considered significant. Barely. [Marvelous News, via Superhero Flix]- On Smallville, Green Arrow is going to be taking a more laid-back attitude to Clark than he did at first — partly because he senses so many other people are putting pressure on the future Superman. Also, the Smallville producers have a (possibly half-assed) plan to explain how Clark disguises his identity when so many people know him without glasses. The show's end will "feed into the Superman legend." [Comic Book Resources]
- Someone got an advance copy of X-Factor #28, which doesn't come out until next week according to Marvel's site. Siryn is pregnant and Rahne is leaving the team (to join X-Force) despite Madrox's guilt trips. Layla's still gone, but Rahne mysteriously insists she'll be back. And then a sex worker who looks like Layla (but isn't) turns up, and there's a fight with the Purifiers. [Diva Sparkles Activate!]
- And here's a preview of next Monday's Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Comments
re: Jumper
Bummer. The one preview I saw during Smallville gave me some hope because it's pretty much ripped straight from the novel -- HOWEVER, Hayden's character in the book does go through a redemption/maturation. I guess adding in Griffin and the Paladins took up all the time they could have used for, y'know, the plot.
I didn't know they still made X-Factor.
At no point did I consider that Hayden Christensen would be tolerable in Jumper.
I was flipping through Jumper: Griffin's Story in the bookstore the other day, having read Jumper I was curious about this third book...
there is an author's note about how, in order to tie into the movie, Jumper: Griffin's Story uses the film's continuity...basically the first two books never happend...
yet another example of studio execs taking a perfectly good book and cramming it through the "Hollywood Template (tm)"
"Chichi wears a red dress while Mai fights in a black leather outfit."
thank god. for a minute, i was afraid they weren't going to be faithful...to...the...seri--oh, wait.
But there's a flamethrower, huh?
@goldfarb: What's extra crazy is that it doesn't even really fit the Hollywood Template (tm). It's a matter of course that a main character has to have a redeeming attribute. Engraved in stone on the sacred tablets that form the Covenant between Hollywood and the Devil is the law: The Main Character Must Be Sympathetic.
My wife and I were watching the trailer for "Jumper" and at first she was like, "Wow." Then she slowly turns to me and asks, "Is that the guy who played Annakin?"
After that she no longer wanted to see the movie. She did, however, mention it might be worth seeing if Mace Windu got to kick Annikins ass this time around.
I called it!!!! In Kotaku, Bashcraft noticed that the crew needed thousands of extras. For what? The tournament scenes!
Ha ha!!!!
[kotaku.com]
Is this Smallville's last season?
@steven522:
I thought I would give the guy a chance but I must say that Hayden Christensen is the ONLY actor actually cause me to NOT SEE a movie. Jumper looked cool...then I realized it was him...doubt I would even netflix it.
To bad because I really like James McAvoy.
I don't get it. How does Hayden Christensen find work?
The only good thing about his acting is that it makes me think I would have a real shot in Hollywood.
@robotstephe: Please GODS OF TV!
It is ok for a film, tv or literary character to be a douchebag and totally unlikeable, that in itsself can be entertaining, especially if the character is a real scoundrel. However, there is a major disconnection with the character if the performance is poor. You can appreciate the actor for his portrayal even when the character is unlikeable. Case in point: Paul Newman in HUD. IMHO this is one of the most difficult acting jobs around and Mr. Christensen is not yet up to the task.
Ummm, who DID think that Hayden Christian would be tolerable or likable?
I'd bet that it's written in the script for Hayden's character to be likable, but he wasn't personally capable of acting that.
I also have to add that Brian Austin Green was born on the exact same day as I was. I feel like I have to apologize to Terminator fans for some reason.
@braak: X-Factor, in the form that it's been in for the past few years, has been really good. Run by Multiple Man, they're more like investigators than anything else. Think of something like the television series Angel, but with mutants! And I think Multiple Man accidentally had something with two of the chicks on the team at the same time, but I missed that part in the series.
I could have told you that Hayden Christensen was going to suck in this movie without that review... Ya wanna know why???
Because it's Hayden Christensen.
@GospelX: Is it a continuation from that Multiple Man limited series they did a while back? I liked that.
@braak: It is indeed a continuation of the Madrox miniseries. TBH, it's not quite as good as the Madrox mini, for various reasons. For one thing, it gets mired in more X-continuity. For another, it's not all about Madrox (the Multiple Man.) But it's still very good and worth grabbing the trades.
@Charlie Jane Anders: Well....I'll think about it.
@braak: Here in SF, you can get all the trades at the used book store... might be true elsewhere as well.
the prepositional phrase 'in jumper' seems superfluous.
After seeing a preview in which Sam Jackson says, "Only God should have this power" I promptly rolled my eyes and dismissed this movies and total garbage.
@Charlie Jane Anders: Ooo, look at Charlie Jane Anders and her fancy San Francisco lifestyle. "Oooh, there's sea lions here! Ooh, I can get all the X-Factor trade paperbacks! OOOOOH!"
Not everyone can live in San Francisco!
Is it just me, or does this movie look and feel of Underworld (both 1 and 2), Blood and Chocolate and The Covenant? From what I garner from the previews, it seems to be their usual youth suffering from some sort of angst, action scenes fighting bad guy, set in a lot of monochromatic locations. And the storyline reeks of cheapness and lack of complexity...
@braak: Not everyone can live in San Francisco!
Really now? I thought it was the all-inclusive city.
to be fair, i hate hayden christensen in everything. well, almost everything. he was amazing in "shattered glass." but you're supposed to kinda hate him in that. and "whiny douchebag" was played in a way that you sorta pity him, even though you don't.
Why would a network make a commercial saying "it's the season's most adrenaline-packed episode"? Do they want viewers to know that it's all downhill from here?
An upturned broom with a bucket for a head has more charisma than Hayden.
Wow. I am stunned that people are actually excited for a Dragonball Z movie.
So... wait. Hayden "I can't be bothered to copy/paste his last name" Christiansen is an insufferable twat. In a movie.
Show of hands, who is surprised?
...let's see... that's... no one. On Earth? Okay. Just checking.
Damn Emo Vader.
@Insomnia Bob: +1.
"You may hate Hayden Christensen..." you can stop that sentence right there. Still resisting the urge to kill. George. Lucas.
"Luke, your father was a whiny bitch."
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