JOBS DVD (2013)

SYNOPSIS: The story of Steve Jobs' ascension from college dropout into one of the most revered creative entrepreneurs of the 20th century. The extraordinary story of Steve Jobs, the original innovator and ground-breaking entrepreneur who let nothing stand in the way of greatness. The film tells the epic and turbulent story of Jobs as he blazed a trail that changed technology – and the world – forever!

MOVIE REVIEW:

jOBS is a missed opportunity not just for the filmmakers behind the indie project but also audiences who aren’t familiar with the late tech guru.

Produced and starring Auston Kutcher as Steve Jobs, the biographical drama spanned roughly three decades from 1974 when Jobs was still in Reeds College to 2001 when Apple launched their breakthrough product, the iPod. The Joshua Michael Stern’s movie has its moments to be frank unfortunately for a biography about a man who insist on nothing but the best, the end product is so downright mediocre (think Nokia and Blackberry), you are unlikely to queue overnight for it.  

For the 127 minutes long movie, you can’t help feeling jOB is written by the guys behind the Dummies guidebook. The script by Matt Whiteley glosses over Job’s life, highlighting merely the major events liked how he started the first Mac with Steve Wozniak in his dad’s garage, his quarrel with the Board, his subsequent departure from Apple, his erratic behaviour and henceforth. Transiting clumsily from one scene to another, everything looks and sounds too predictable, too safe. In the end the movie offers nothing that you haven’t seen or heard of the man who is known to display outburst of anger towards anyone and refusing to acknowledge the existence of his first born. Fleeting details which the movie showcased but never took a stand or explanation which makes the watching experience all the more frustrating.   

Yet you got to credit Kutcher for doing a remarkable job mimicking Jobs from the way he speaks to the way he walks. He might not be the most credible actor on earth though one can see Kutcher is indeed passionate and ballsy enough to attempt a slightly different project to his usual romantic, man-boy roles. For an indie production, the movie boasts enough familiar names such as Dermot Mulroney, Matthew Modine, J.K. Simmons, James Woods and Kevin Dunn to portray numerous real-life corporate personnel associated with Jobs and the production never in a way feels cheap.    

If an in-depth and mindblogging biography is your cup of tea, then jOBS will leave a sour taste in your mouth. It’s recommended you check out Walter Isaacson’s official biography of Jobs instead in the bookstores. The rest who are spending their free time awaiting the next iPhone and iPad, no harm rejoicing in this serviceable portrait of a man who changed Silicon Valley and smartphones forever. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Colours and images are not exceptional vibrant, it’s a soft-looking movie in general and likely a creative choice intended by the filmmakers while dialogue is clear for the talky movie.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee