Jumper

by William RuhlmannBritish composer John Powell has become the go-to guy for Hollywood action films (Mr. and Mrs. Smith, X-Men: The Last Stand, Face/Off, The Italian Job, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum), which helps explain why director Doug Liman (Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Bourne Identity) chose to work with him again on Jumper, a science fiction actioner about a man who can teleport himself anywhere instantly. Powell specializes in mixing synthesized sounds with traditional orchestral instrumentation, and that's what he does here, primarily combining loud percussion with strings. The strings carry some sweet, if brief, melodies, while the percussion drives the music. Powell gives himself over to rock on occasion ("Coliseum Fight," "A Head Start") and even gets to slow the pace here and there ("Coliseum Tour," "Airport Departure"). But there must not be too many moments for the audience to catch its breath in Jumper, since Powell's short cues usually sound like they are accompanying frenetic action. The soundtrack comes off as efficient, if unimaginative.