Now You See Me, Now I Teleport

 2008’s Jumper was a textbook example of a smart book being turned into a dumb movie. Still, it’s easy to see why it wasn’t adapted for the screen exactly as written: The original 1992 novel Jumper is extremely process-oriented, and fairly light on plot. It follows a teenager named David who discovers, in extremis, that he can teleport; from there, it methodically follows him through the process of experimenting with his power, building a remote hideaway, recovering from abuse, establishing an independent life, and forming a meaningful relationship. It’s so mundanely detailed, it sometimes reads like a how-to manual for other theoretical teen teleporters with PTSD. The 2004 sequel, Reflex, is significantly more gripping and plot-focused, as David is captured and conditioned by powerful, amoral agents, while his wife, Millie, develops her own ability to teleport and works to rescue him.