5.8 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Terry works for a bank, and uses computers to communicate with clients all over the world. One day she gets a coded message from an unknown source. After decoding the message, Terry becomes embroiled in an espionage ring. People are killed, and Terry is chased.
Starring: Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen Collins, John Wood (I), Carol Kane, Annie PottsRomance | 100% |
Biography | Insignificant |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.84:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English SDH
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
The 1980s enjoyed a very healthy dose of big movies with big stars and unforgettable moments that have carried on a legacy now decades removed from its prime and time on the calendar. It wasn't so much an era of originality but certainly of huge star vehicles cranked out all assembly line-like and planted in theaters that hoped to draw audiences on name recognition more so than plot specifics. That's certainly a simplification and not encompassing of everything in the decade, but it also holds rather true on a macro, big-budget, big-name level. Jumpin' Jack Flash might be the essence of the 80s big star movie factory gone wrong, particularly in contrast to movies like Lethal Weapon and Beverly Hills Cop that represent the opposite end of the spectrum. Jumpin' Jack Flash, contrary to its name, lacks in the way of kinetic energy. It's not short on enthusiasm -- Star Whoopi Goldberg sees to that -- but despite the best efforts of its star the movie barely leaps off the ground rather than boldly asking, "how high?" It's a movie with its moments and a nice and tidy little ending, but for one of the bigger names in 1980s fare it sure does prove rather disappointing both in hindsight and compared and contrasted to the big movies with bigger stars that the decade produced and fans have long embraced.
This chat thing has so much potential!
Jumpin' Jack Flash's high definition presentation starts weakly and picks up steam thereafter. The opening title sequence looks terrible. It's fuzzy, poorly defined, blandly colored, and littered with static spots and splotches. Afterwards, it improves considerably, though not to upper-tier levels. Instead, it offers a good, basic high definition image quality for a midlevel catalogue title that's been plopped onto disc for budget release (really, can't get more budget than no menu screen). It features adequate details and clarity, at its best, and a fairly flat general appearance. Terry's clothes, which should reveal some standout textures, often appear fuzzy and show only the most basic details. Skin textures never surpass "average," though various odds and ends around her office enjoy decent texturing thanks to Blu-ray's increased resolution over standard definition. Colors are nothing to write home about, either. The palette proves rather bland, generally, though some brighter shades of red do stand apart, even considering a lack of color subtlety. Black crush is the norm, but flesh tones aren't too far off course. There are a few smudges here and there, the most noticeable being in chapter two when Terry sings along with the Rolling Stones. It's a decent enough transfer, but certainly not a definitive home video presentation.
Jumpin' Jack Flash's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack satisfies on a general level and for a lower end catalogue release. It has its moments of ups and downs, times when it would demand a higher score and a lower score. In other words, it's fairly inconsistent, at times wildly so. It's weak very early on but gains some energy when Terry jumps out of bed, not really exploding into the stage but at least offering an increase in volume, effort, clarity, and spacing, including a decent surround element. Light office ambience and other environmental effects don't really add much more than basic nuance to the track. Action-oriented effects prove most off-kilter; a scene in which a tow truck drags a phone booth down the street really fails to capture much of any significant energy or presence, but a shootout later in the film does stretch the track to its limits with more aggression than at any other point in the film. Dialogue does come through evenly enough from the center.
Jumpin' Jack Flash contains no extras, and no menu is included. The film begins playback immediately after disc insertion. Optional English SDH subtitles must be switched on or off in-film with the remote control.
Even nostalgia cannot save Jumpin' Jack Flash. It's a terribly slow and choppy film, one built on stale ideas (with an admittedly interesting pre-Internet revolution use of online chat) and middling execution. Star Whoopi Goldberg can only charm audiences so much before even she cannot hide an otherwise vacuous and lethargic structure. The film has its moments, including a satisfying, crowd-pleasing final minute or two, but it's a small reward for sitting through such a large mess. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of Jumpin' Jack Flash features adequate video and audio. No extras are included. Worth a rental.
2018
30th Anniversary Edition
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Includes "The Shop Around the Corner" on DVD
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