Jumpin' Jack Flash

1986 "A man named Jack has got her jumpin' and the world may never be the same!"
5.9| 1h45m| R| en| More Info
Released: 09 October 1986 Released
Producted By: 20th Century Fox
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
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Terry works for a bank, and uses computers to communicate with clients all over the world. One day, she gets a strange coded message from an unknown source. After decoding the message, Terry becomes embroiled in an espionage ring. People are killed, and Terry is chased. Throughout, she remains in contact with this mysterious person, who needs Terry's help save his life.

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Director

Penny Marshall

Production Companies

20th Century Fox

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Jumpin' Jack Flash Audience Reviews

Evengyny Thanks for the memories!
FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
Bluebell Alcock Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies
Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.
OllieSuave-007 This is a fast-paced and to-the-point crime comedy starring Whoopi Goldberg as banker Terry Doolittle who communicates with clients electronically on her computer throughout the world. One day, she receives a coded message from an unknown man who is pleading for help, as he is stuck in limbo in an unknown country. The suspense builds as an espionage case is revealed to be involved and culprits are after Terry.Goldberg delivers her unique brand of humor (especially liked the scene where her cocktail dress got caught in the shredder) and her fast-talking and no-nonsense attitude. Stephen Collins plays Terry's newly-hired co-worker Marty Phillips, who seems to be caught in places where Terry is in trouble. Carol Kane plays Terry's sassy and high-pitched voice co-worker Cynthia, and Annie Potts plays the mysterious Liz Carlson, who seems to be the only person Terry can trust in the espionage case.It's a somewhat classic-style spy genre film, which I thought could have used a bit more action and suspense. However, the plot was well-paced and the acting was pretty good, giving us a pretty entertaining feature.Grade B
veronicammartin The essence of a great film is that it makes us laugh each time we watch it and this film certainly fits this criteria .Whoopie Goldberg's star quality shines through as she carries scenes along mainly by herself as she supposedly communicates with an unseen man-in- trouble .The film has some superbly memorable lines and just fulfils our deepest wishes that one day we will be whisked into a glamorous world of intrigue and espionage.The end scene in the restaurant shows Whoopie's versatility and has us in tears for her.She does not need swearing though to carry her talents . She can act with her face as well as her script . The rest of the cast perform admirably and this is one to watch time and time again .
DAVID SIM Jumping Jack Flash has come in for some surprisingly negative opinions over the years. A lot of people consider it a black mark on Whoopi Goldberg's career. Although it does suffer from a few flaws, its quite watchable, it moves at a fair lick, and is in no way the turkey its often accused of being. Its nowhere near as bad as Theodore Rex. Now that was a turkey!After making her debut in The Colour Purple, Jumping Jack Flash was Whoopi Goldberg's first proper starring role, and a chance to flex her muscles as an actress. And she's up to the task. Some of the plot points of JJF don't always ring true, but its a testament to Whoopi's charm and magnetism that she turns an occasionally ludicrous adventure into a fairly entertaining comedy-thriller.Terry Dolittle (Whoopi) works a computer at a New York bank. Bored of such a hum-drum life, she finally gets a wake-up call from someone who taps into her computer. Someone called Jumping Jack Flash. Jack is in serious trouble. A British agent trapped in Russia, he needs help from Terry. The British Consulate won't acknowledge him, and he needs Terry to run errands for him. Everything from rooting out possible exit contacts on the back of frying pans to breaking into the Consulate itself and accessing their computers. All the while the situation gets more and more murkier, things go from one dangerous extreme to the next, and Terry and Jack's lives are both endangered.Although a lot of people have an astonishing hatred of this film, I can't say the same. I think JJF is great fun, with a twisty screenplay right out of a Kafka novel. It wouldn't be half as fun without Whoopi Goldberg at the helm, but its thanks to her dynamic energy the film's momentum is kept as steady as it is.The film pretty much rests on Whoopi's shoulders. And she does a great job. Delivering the laughs when they're needed, but also establishing a genuine fearful feeling when she gets in over her head. I especially liked the scenes of her conversing with Jack (Jonathan Pryce). There is real poignancy for Jack's situation, because it feels like Terry is the only friend he has.There is quite an exceptional cast too. Granted they tend to get reduced to mere minutes in the spotlight, but because there is such a large gallery of famous faces, they leave a lasting impression. Look out for the late Phil Hartman, Annie Potts from Ghostbusters, James Belushi, Tracy Ullman and even Carol Kane. One thing that surprised me about JJF is there are quite a few actors from This Is Spinal Tap in the film. So keep your eyes peeled for Michael McKean, June Chadwick and Tony Hendra.Penny Marshall made her debut as director here, and she does quite a fine job. She does sometimes overplay her hand, where the film tips over from genuine suspense to overblown farce. Such as the scenes of Whoopi Goldberg's dress caught in a paper shredder, being dragged along the streets of New York in a phone box, or wandering into Elizabeth Arden doped up on truth serum, but for the most part Marshall knows what she's doing. She's not as successful here as she was in her next film Big, her single finest hour, but JJF is still a lot of fun.The ending has genuine nerve jangling tension and equal parts pathos. Her near death at the British Consulate is exciting, although her escape from a police car is contrived. There's no way Terry wouldn't be handcuffed, and I don't know why there wasn't a grille separating the back seats from the front. But the final shootout at the bank is good. And the scene where Terry finally meets Jack is touching too.Jumping Jack Flash sometimes moves in fits and starts, but Penny Marshall's direction is assured at most of the right moments. Whoopi Goldberg hits a lot of the right notes, and its also a film that was ahead of its time in addressing the E-Mail system.So give Jumping Jack Flash a chance. If not for the film, than at least for the scene where Terry goes through the song for Jack's code-key. Worth the price of admission alone!
edwagreen Poorly scripted film where heroine Whoopi Goldberg works diligently on her computer at a bank only to get involved with spies when her computer connects with them.Carol Kane is totally wasted in a small role as an office worker. Miss Kane, who has the ability to be hilarious with that foolish Brooklyn accent, would have been far better had she been allowed to appear in the caper scenes. As for Stephen Collins, he appears in so many important scenes that it's just a simple matter to figure out if he is with the good guys or bad guys.The scenes where Goldberg's dress is caught in a shredding machine and where she is locked inside a moving telephone booth could have been hilarious but end too quickly. Another scene at the British embassy is also wasted.This apparent spoof of spy movies just doesn't cut it.