Jumpin' Jack Flash
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Jumpin' Jack Flash
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Jumpin' Jack Flash is a 1986 comedy with strong language and moments of violence. The central character is Terry Doolittle (Whoopi Goldberg), a computer operator at a bank, who becomes embroiled in an internal spying mystery. She shows courage and determination as the stakes become more life and death. There is strong diversity across the cast, led by Goldberg, but some dated humor about Soviet Russia and other national stereotypes. Violence is occasional but not graphic. But there are gun battles with some death. Sex is referenced rather than shown, with innuendo, and mention of oral sex and prostitution. Language is frequent and coarse and includes "f--k," "motherf----r," "d--k," "a--hole." Consumerism is infrequent, but there are some wealthy and establishment-figure supporting characters who attend high-society functions and live a lavish lifestyle. As part of this, there is some social drinking in moderation depicted. But both alcohol and tobacco consumption is referenced as much as it's shown. Other medicinal drugs are misused in order to trap people and gain information out of them, and there is reference to taking acid.
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What's the Story?
JUMPIN' JACK FLASH tells the story of eccentric New York bank employee, Terry Doolittle (Whoopi Goldberg), who attempts to save the life of a mysterious British spy.
Is It Any Good?
This misfiring 1980s comedy tries to conjure the same chaotic energy that was so successful with other fish-out-of-water classics during that decade. Unfortunately Jumpin' Jack Flash only succeeds in throwing together an uneven mix of espionage, slapstick, and odd-couple romance. With both its original star and director replaced, and its script repeatedly rewritten, it bears all the signs of a "troubled production."
Despite the mess of the script, Goldberg does her best to fire some life into the movie's end-to-end set pieces, while a cliched plot about double agents and secret service meddling revolves around her. But the whole affair is exhaustingly overwritten, with an ending that the preceding disjointed story does little to earn. As a result, it becomes difficult to root for Goldberg's Terry or wonder what she even wants by the end. Served by a better script and tighter dialogue, there's a sense that Goldberg would've been able to channel her vivacious performance into making Jumpin' Jack Flash a cult favorite, rather than a half-forgotten disappointment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the strong language in Jumpin' Jack Flash. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie? Would the film have been less funny without it?
Discuss the violence in the movie. Was it funny? If so, why? Did the humor change its impact?
How might the film have been different if it was made today?
Movie Details
- In theaters: October 10, 1984
- On DVD or streaming: June 1, 2004
- Cast: Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen Collins, John Wood
- Director: Penny Marshall
- Studio: 20th Century Fox
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 105 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- Last updated: October 8, 2022
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