JUMP Review

Phoenix (Kitty Zhang) is as wholesome a Chinese peasant girl as one could conceive of, waking each morning with a smile and song, delighting in nothing more than milking cows and tending the fields.  When the opportunity to work in a Shanghai textile factory presents itself, however, she packs her bags, leaving behind her father and sets off for the bright lights of the big city, a riotous rabble of loyal friends by her side. 

No sooner has she arrived, Phoenix gets wind of an upcoming street dance competition and although she has no formal training, Phoenix is determined to get involved. Like her father always taught her, dancing and kung fu are much the same and under his tutelage she has become a more than proficient martial artiste. Of course Phoenix cannot afford the dance school fees, but takes a job cleaning the studios, surreptitiously studying their moves as she works and after hours. Despite her country ways and all-consuming naivety, Phoenix catches the eye of the school's owner, playboy & business mogul Roy (Leon Jay Williams). But how could he ever be serious about a classless peasant girl like her?

To say that JUMP is formulaic is something of an understatement, but the film never for a moment pretends to be anything else. The story is simply a framework around which to stage some impressive hip hop dance-offs and director Stephen Fung (ENTER THE PHOENIX, HOUSE OF FURY) wisely lets his cast of talented dancers speak for themselves, allowing the routines to flow without feeling the need to edit them frenetically. As every good film of this nature should, there is also a pivotal training montage sequence as Phoenix prepares herself for the big face off against the world champion Koreans, which in true Rocky fashion (the granddaddy of all montage movies) culminates with Phoenix running up some steps in a grey tracksuit, jubilantly saluting the city from the top.

It's not a perfect movie by any stretch. Leon Jay Williams, brought in to replace Edison Chen post sexy-photo-gate, is a rather dull and charmless romantic interest, bearing more than a passing resemblance to Daniel Wu (who pops up in a brief, but amusing cameo), but without his charisma. At the other end of the acting scale, Kitty Zhang's giddy exuberance occasionally goes over the top, suggesting that something may in fact be wrong with this wide eyed country bumpkin, beyond her sudden coming-of-age. She just about keeps it in check and audiences would be hard-hearted indeed not to warm to her, but on occasion it does threaten to go overboard.

The one other area where JUMP is lacking, is in its failure to develop dance coach Samuel Pang's character or indeed any of Phoenix's teammates, save for one token bitchy rival, who once "served" quickly becomes friendly. The fact that none of these characters have been even formally introduced lessens our emotional involvement during the final showdown, before Phoenix arrives to help out at the end.

All in all, however, producer Stephen Chow (whose unique brand of zany comedy is sprinkled throughout) and Fung have delivered an entertaining and marginally inspiring film that should play well with the kids throughout Asia, if not beyond that. Kitty Zhang shows herself to be more than just a pretty face with some rather impressive moves both on and off the dance floor and carries the film almost single-handedly without too much trouble. After her roles in CJ-7, SHAOLIN GIRL and an impressive turn in Tsui Hark's ALL ABOUT WOMEN, this could be the film to see her career go stellar, and watching her strut her stuff here it's hard to foresee any other outcome.

Cross published in bc Magazine (Hong Kong)