User reviews

A bank's clerk is humorously involved in international espionage when her computer terminal picks up words sent by electronic mail from a Brit spy trapped into Iron Curtain. The events break her monotony life and boring employment.

The film packs comedy, suspense, tongue in check and lots of amusement. There are still some hilarious pieces, notably the comic tryings to decipher the lyrics to the film title song by famous Rolling Stones, when her dress get caught in a shredder, Whoopi singing at the British Embassy by impersonating Diane Ross and when she's dragged by a tow truck, among others. The picture is a Woopi Goldberg recital, she plays a wacky, foul-mouthed, and wisecracking spinster with no check. This is her first big success in comedy genre, after his known drama 'Purple color' by Steven Spielberg. Abundant secondaries and cameos by noted actors, such as Jim Belushi, Annie Potts, John Wood, Jeroan Krabbe, Roscoe Lee Browne, Sara Bostford, John Lovitz, Phil Hartman, among them. Agreeable musical score, though with abuse synthesizer by Thomas Newman . The motion picture is middling directed by Penny Marshall, in his film debut, but she was unable to control the star's excesses. Later Marshall achieved numerous hits as producer, actress and director, such as 'Renaissance man, Preacher's wife, Awakenings, A league of their own and Big'.

Undercooked, but ribald, enjoyable espionage-themed comedy about a computer programmer for a national bank in New York City who gets her own "Mission: Impossible" when a government agent taps into her system. Whoopi Goldberg really has no character to play here, so she wings it; tossing off one-liners and impersonations, she's a stitch, a true original. The production designer has decorated Whoopi's pad with offbeat movie posters, memorabilia and over-sized toys, but couldn't do much with the rest of this scenario, which dog-paddles along until we get to the predictable (though satisfying) conclusion. Some of the supporting characters (like Jim Belushi's mysterious heavy or Annie Potts' wife of a secret agent) come, go, and vanish completely, and the flick is held together with the barest minimum of tape. Still, it's a lot of fun anyway, which is completely due to Goldberg's sass. *** from ****

There aren't not that many female directors around and Penny Marshall is one of the few who scored some hits with her movies in the eighties ("She's having a baby", "The hard way") and of course "Jumpin' Jack Flash", one of those delicious comedies from the eighties that aren't dated, and that aren't silly. Whoopi Goldberg who was a bit the hot "strange" spot from Hollywood since her appearance in "The color purple" did some nice comedies from which this one must be one of the finest. She plays the role of Teresa aka Terry, a weirdo who is obsessed by movies and books, and during daytime she spend eight hours in a bank behind a computer (a must for pcfreaks to see how dated they are!!!). Her hilarious boss Mr James Page (Peter Michael Goetz) forbids her to chat, she obeys till Jumpin Jack Flash knocks. She can't resist the power not to respond and soon she discovers that Jumpin Jack Flash is a CIA-agent who is somewhere in East Europe (it was still a cold war) and he begs him to help. Sooner as Teresa thinks she has become a target from the KGB as well and as you can guess she ends up in dangerous hilarious situations (or are you kidnapped any day in a phone booth?). Absolutely do not to try to understand the plot, there isn't one and if there should be some it has no meaning...it's just a CIA-agent who runs for the KGB, that's all but that's not the reason why you should watch this, it's just to see a fine comedy that stands for 90 minutes of entertainment.

Whoopi Goldberg saves the day in this comedy, that is not brilliant (I've seen hundreds of better movies) but it pleases anyway. The plot is not that original, but it's interesting. Watching this movie is a good thing to do in a Sunday afternoon when you're together with your family and friends.

Disappointing 80s comedy considering the talent involved. Whoopi Goldberg is contacted over a computer and finds herself helping a British spy in this comic action thriller that if it were a better film could have been a modern day "North by Northwest" or even a fun contemporary like "The Man with One Red Shoe," but instead it's a dull story that's only made watchable by a talented cast. That cast includes Jonathan Pryce, Jon Lovitz, Phil Hartman, Michael McKean, Jim Belushi, Paxton Whitehead, Tracey Ullman, Garry Marshall, Carol Kane (looking the most normal and most conventionally attractive I've ever seen her), Annie Potts, Roscoe Lee Browne, Jeroen Krabbé, Jamey Sheridan, Stephen Collins, and John Wood (you know, Falken from 'WarGames"). To top off the disappointment factor, this was the directorial debut of Penny Marshall, who'd go on to direct classics like "Big," "A League of Their Own," and "Awakenings." And there's even a nicely 80s score by Thomas Newman. This talent manages to make this dull and unfunny script watchable, but just barely (and the script was by several talented writers who's credits include "Die Hard," "48 Hrs," "The Larry Sanders Show", "Private Benjamin," "Father of the Bride," and even "Gladiator" and "Amistad." Who knows what happened to this movie?

28 July 2009. At times Whoopi Godberg goes too far and becomes weird and at other times brings her own unique, frolicking fresh comedy that outshines most traditional comic gaps. Sometimes the plot is convoluted from logical belief and at other times grips with a sizzling suspenseful twist. This movie is a mixed bag, but has a nice espionage storyline that holds up well especially considering this is an early mix of both serious spy drama with comic humor, a usually impossibly difficult blend to get right. There are some old new young faces here. The main plot point of rarely actually seeing one of the main characters is intriguing and unique to this movie, one of its claim of fame. Repeated viewing isn't recommended very often, as part of the compelling nature of this movie is its mystery action theme which gets somewhat old and helps to keep the movie going along with the usually balance drama-comic high points.

Well, considering all of the talent that worked on this film, this would have to be called a disappointment. There's some action and a few attempts at comedy, but it just isn't very entertaining. Whoopi tries hard, and there are lots of other great actors with small parts in the movie, but the script lets everyone down. This is a comedy that is rarely funny, and it was certainly a mediocre way for Penny Marshall to start her film directing career.

This is a star vehicle if ever there was one, so much so that the other characters barely even register on the scale. Like they did with Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy before her, Hollywood took the broad outline of Whoopi Goldberg's stand-up persona and tried to craft a movie around it. I suppose they figured she'd already proved her dramatic capabilities in "The Color Purple", so staying close to her roots next time around for a possible cash-in was worth it. Whether you are endeared to this almost cut and paste approach depends largely on if you find appeal in her and her act, or not. I do, so I'm not troubled that so much of the focus is on just one person for so long.

There's the usual 80's stock plot about spies and secret dealings, but really that's just a front to see if Goldberg can establish a wacky character and manage to keep the audience interested in following her journey until the end of the film. If that's the sum total of your expectations for this movie, then I'd say that all concerned accomplish their task rather well.

Roger Ebert complained that her character is a loner who doesn't interact properly with others. In this case, there is a definite reason why she was forced into such a narrow pigeonhole - it's so there's little chance that one of her co-stars may inadvertently steal her thunder. There's no fear of that, this is a one woman show throughout, but to me she proved that she's got the tools to headline a movie all by herself, and still be funny. Sisters are doing it for themselves.

Here's a movie you'll either like a lot or can't stand, depending upon your feelings primarily about Whoopi Goldberg.

If her constant profanity - especially her use of the Lord's name in vain - doesn't phase you, this is a very entertaining flick. The computer stuff was very cool 20 years ago but dated down, as we've come a long way in that technology. A good thriller, though, with interesting twists.

If her language, and Goldberg's overall attitude, is not your liking, then pass this film up (and not all, but many others of hers) because this is typical of her humor and her profane mouth. What surprised me was that Penny Marshall is associated or at least had the reputation of a nice, family-oriented type director....yet she's involved with this?

In my humble opinion at 5.3 this movie is horribly underrated it's a fun, colourful, exciting hour and a half of a movie. Whoopi Goldberg plays the quirky and livewire Terri Doolitle a low level bank employee who gets involved in a dangerous spy game involving the CIA, British Secret Service and the KGB (made in the 80's the cold war was still in full swing).

Contacted via her computer (the computer geeks out there will love seeing this earlier version of the internet) by a secret agent codename 'Jumping Jack Flash' (Jonathan Pryce) Terri must use her street smarts and attitude to save the day against rogue agents, KGB the police and while not being fired from her own job.

The only drawback to this movie is it is quite profane those adverse to the occasional swear word should probably steer clear. It's similar in the level of language used to Beverley Hills Cop, so probably not one for the small kids. But fun for everyone else.

7/10 - Good honest fun probably Whoopi Goldbergs funniest movie and certainly no Sister Act thank god!!!

If only for the dress shredding scene, this has enough laughs to keep the plot spinning as WHOOPI GOLDBERG gets deeper and deeper into deep you know what trying to help some guy in Russia do his spy thing.

It's all impossible, shows the technological gap existing between then and now with old computers, and all the while has Whoopi cutting loose as only she can. The scene at the Embassy ball and the telephone scene with her being dragged through the city streets, are just two of the highlights in this comedy directed by Penny Marshall.

STEPHEN COLLINS is totally wasted as the office worker replacement who lends some mild mannered assistance, as are JAMES BELUSHI and JONATHAN PRYCE in small parts, but since the film depends heavily on Whoopi for all the laughs, it doesn't matter much. PETER MICHAEL GOETZ is excellent as her impatient boss.

The plot is a flimsy spy plot with lots of sight gags as Whoopi flits around New York City keeping one step ahead of the bad guys. Passes the time and is generally good fun, but it's peppered with lots of profanity and vulgarisms, mostly from Whoopi, of course.

Whoopi Goldberg first made her name as a comedienne, so it is rather surprising that her first major cinema role was in the almost reverentially serious 'The Color Purple'. 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' was her first screen comedy, but it is unfortunate that she chose such a second-rate vehicle for her talents.

Whoopi plays Terry Dolittle, a dealer in a New York bank. One day she gets a mysterious message on her computer screen. This turns out to come from a British secret agent code-named 'Jumpin' Jack Flash'. Jack is marooned somewhere in Eastern Europe behind the Iron Curtain and his life is in danger. He asks Terry to get a message to his contacts in the British consulate so that they can take steps to extricate him from his plight. (It is never explained exactly where Jack is, or what the danger is with which he is threatened, or what the consulate staff can do to save him). Terry does so, but discovers that one of the consular officials is a KGB agent and that her own life is in danger.

The film is billed as a 'comedy-thriller', and like a number of films in this and other hybrid genres, it falls between two stools. It lacks the wit of a pure comedy or the excitement of a pure thriller. It must be the only spy thriller in which we do not see the spy except for a very brief appearance at the end. (A waste of that fine actor Jonathan Pryce). Jack is simply a mysterious presence at the other end of a computer line; the film concentrates exclusively on Terry's efforts. As a result, we never believe completely in her efforts to save him; had the film shown us more of Jack's situation it might have generated more tension. John Woods plays the villain as the stereotyped languid, drawling, upper-class Englishman (a common category of villain in films of the eighties and nineties), but never makes him seem very menacing. As for the comic element, there are occasionally some amusing scenes, particularly those involving Terry's patronising, sexist boss, but overall the film is largely free of genuine wit. I was surprised at the large amount of bad language in a film which does not have an explicitly 'adult' theme; I am not personally offended by this sort of language, but I felt that it could have the potential effect of alienating family audiences. Not, in all, a film worth watching. A 'gas, gas, gas'? More like trash, trash, trash. 4/10

Great movie, comedy/suspense. Very funny, one of Whoopie's best!

I noticed there is no place to submit goofs for this movie and I found one. She uses a monochrome computer, but after she breaks the "code", there is a color display of stars and such and then you see her chatting in color!

A must see for any Whoopie fan!

Favorite line: Song: I'm a slave to two lesbians; Whoopie: Come on Mick, two lesbians? F*** a duck!

It's never going to be called great or a classic of any sort, cult or otherwise... It may not even be a star in Whoopie Goldberg's sizable crown, nor that of Penny Marshall who directed it. The cast is of course notable and contains the best of that year's top comics... but this is not why I have grown to love this film. I love coming home after a really frustrating day at work and, after chatting on the internet with sympathetic friends about the problems I've had, I throw some spaghetti on the stove & pop in this tape just to hear some of the lines

( "F***aduck!" "This has got some weird-ass lyrics!" "Mick! Mick! Mick! Speak English!"

"I'm down here on the docks at 1:30 in the morning. I should just pin a hundred dollar bill to my ass and scream 'victim here! victim here!'"

"How'dya like me to kick you in the nuts so hard they get lodged in your nostrils?" "My, that's a vivid image, isn't it?"

"I got moths. Big, junkie, mutant moths."

"You can't miss me! I'm a little black woman in a big silver box!"

"Earl, look at this face. This is the face of a woman on the edge." "I know, my wife has that same face."

"How are you?" "Oh, boy, well, y'know I hate my job, I hate this city, 'm a little bit lonely from time to time, I feel like I got my period every day but for the most part this spy stuff is... a big mistake... but other than that I'm great!."

"If I'd known this was the way to get a promotion I'd have blown up the place years ago.") ... lines that ease my pain and bring a smile to my face... to watch internet chat before the internet, before "chat" -- to laugh at the the suspension of disbelief required to believe the computer was talking to her in an english accent with her back turned to it... to actually enjoy The Rolling Stones, who I never listen to otherwise.

----- it's a gas!

Typical Goldberg fare in which she plays a banker who communicates with a "Secret Agent" with the code name Jumpin' Jack Flash while being pursued by a group of spies. Goldberg has good potential here, and the film has an interesting premise, but it doesn't deliver much and the supporting actors fail to bring much life into it. Whoopi's performance saves the film from being a major disappointment.

2 out of 5

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 .

For those of you who know how talking over the internet can be risky, and that the Rolling Stones were one of the best bands ever, pick up this movie!!! It starts off with Teri, an internet banker who talkes to friends during her work hour accidentally talks to a spy whose codename is "Jumpin Jack Flash". When Teri wants to learn more about him she is put is great danger after unravaling Jack's clue, and being put into the middle of international epsionage. The movie is full of funny one liners, a little bit of action, and a great plot. With all of this, you might think why the movie is only 7/10, but it actually has large amounts of time where NOTHING interesting happens. It is still a good movie if you need something to watch on your next movie night, and Woopie Goldburg does an amazing job of acting. Overall, I would say it will be worth your money if you picked it up at blockbuster.

when the writers seemed to be making it up as they went along, so that there is little to spoil. This film must have been conceived as a vehicle to get Ms. Goldberg in front of the cameras doing her shtick, raunchy comedy. Vehicles usually have minimalist plots; their purpose is to show off the lead's best qualities. Good,if not great, vehicles are Lucy and Desi in The Long, Long Trailer and Peter Sellers as the immortal inspector in A Shot in the Dark, which as it turned out was the second of the series. JJF made me not care if I saw Ms. Goldberg again. In fact when I noticed her as the center box of Hollywood Squares, I mourned the death of Paul Lynde even more. She operates on the machine gun comic principle that if she hurls enough comments and insults into the mix, some will be funny. She is right; some are, but not worth sitting through the noise level of the soundtrack.

Plot: Terry works for a bank, and uses computers to communicate with clients all over the world. One day she gets a 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 unknown person, who needs Terry to help save his life.

This is easily my favorite Whoopi Goldberg film, it has the best story that is very interesting and very well told by director Penny Marshall. Each character is interesting in their own ways. Every actor does their character justice and serve their purpose to the story.

The film is well paced, never boring, and is unpredictable. If only comedies these days would be more like this, then they would be a lot easier to sit through. If you can find this film give it a chance, it's definitely worth it.

It was a production beset with problems, a change of director (Penny Marshall replacing the jettisoned Howard Zieff) and enough script writers used to fill out a hockey team. So it's unsurprising to find that Jumpin' Jack Flash is a bit muddled, not fully formed as it were.

Plot finds Whoopi Goldberg as a computer programmer thrust into a world of espionage when a plea for help appears on her monitor. Cue Whoopi following instructions from a guy claiming to be trapped in Eastern Europe, which of course leads to a number of fun scenes as she bluffs her way around the crooked underworld she now finds herself in. Will she stay alive long enough? Who are the undercover guys? Is the mysterious man on the computer screen really all he proclaims to be?

It will all be answered in rank and file 1980s action comedy time, which as it happens is OK here because Goldberg is a good enough comedy actress to hold the attention. Nothing remotely smart or genre defining exists, but it's a fun snapshot of the burgeoning computer age in the 80s and it's a good time waster if stuck for something light to watch one night. 6/10