JUMPIN' JACK FLASH

US, 1986, 100 minutes, Colour.
Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen Collins, Jeroen Krabbe, Jonathan Pryce, John Wood, Carol Kane, Annie Potts, Roscoe Lee Browne, Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz.
Directed by Penny Marshall.

Jumpin' Jack Flash is a comedv vehicle for Whoopi Goldberg. As with so many comedians in the past, from Red Skelton and Bob Hope to Danny Kaye and Eddie Murphy, the film has an espionage background. However, it is also a film of the computer age and computer communications. The British are also the suave heroes and villains (and supply the title from the Rolling Stones song).

Whoopi Goldberg is quite an engaging heroine - and the film is almost completely hers. Stephen Collins has a token role as hero. Jeroen Krabbe (The Fourth Man, No Mercy) appears in a small role. Direction is by comedienne Penny Marshall, who featured in Laverne and Shirley. Entertaining of its kind - but nothing particularly special.

1. Entertaining comedy, vehicle for Whoopi Goldberg? Spies - in the tradition of comedians with espionage stories?

2. Whoopi Goldberg, her presence, style, vitality, comic action, verbal humour?

3. A film of the '80s, computers, espionage, cover-ups? KGB, CIA, M15? New York style, the city, the river, offices, banks, consulates? The special effects - especially for computers, Phones? Score, song, mood?

4. Whoopi Goldberg as Terri, her film? At work, her friends? Computer contacts? The boss and his severity? At home - the film buff? The contact and the challenge from Jack Flash? The importance of her being a woman? Her getting involved, the search, information? Visit to the consulate? The contact and his death, her being in the river? The police, her anger, swearing, being thwarted? The widow of the CIA man and her help? Infiltrating the party, the consulate, the
computer? The party and her dancing? Dangers? The chases? Marty and his protection? The menace, joining the gang on the street to escape the British villains? The phone booth and its comedy? Archer Lincoln and the CIA? Her eluding everybody, the contacts, the torture? The truth drug - and the comedy about her telling the truth to everyone, including the boss? The showdown, Marty as CIA? Waiting at the meal for Jack Flash? The happy ending? The comic style and devices?

5. The British villains, suave methods and style? The background of English agents and KGB connections?

6. Terri at work, the computers, her absentminded friend, the comedy at the office? The boss and his superiority? His comeuppance?

7. The CIA contacts? The world of espionage?

8. Sarah, the contact, the challenge to her, the visit to the beauty parlour? Sarah's visit and helping with the contact?

9. Marty and his seeming ineptness, pleasant hero, his turning out to be tough CIA?

10. Jack Flash, in Europe, the computer contact, the comedy and pathos of the dialogue through the computer? His not realising she was a woman? The final meeting?

11. Familiar espionage themes, suspense, machines?

12. Whoopi Goldberg as comedienne heroine?