Without reading any reviews, I took the leap last week and saw Jumper, starring Hayden Christensen and my girlfriend, Rachel Bilson.

Often when a movie features lead-character narration, not only does the construct betray a weak script (“Mr. Exposition,” my bf calls it), it can be just plain irritating (I’m talking to you, The Pursuit of Happyness). Both critiques apply to Jumper. Just a few frames into his character’s first-person backstory, Christensen addresses the audience as “chump,” and I certainly felt like one long before the credits rolled.

The special effects were pretty cool (some characters have the ability to transport themselves or “jump” anywhere in the world), but the plot was thin (why are so-called jumpers being pursued, exactly?) and the characters are incomplete. (So sad for the easy-on-the-eyes Hayden Christensen and Summer Roberts.) However, the real disappointment is that the guy behind the very excellent Bourne trilogy also lensed this mess of a movie.

You likely know director Doug Liman from Swingers (his first major film), but it’s his second outing, Go, that’s one of my all-time favorites. Go tracks the events of a drug deal through the viewpoints of three sets of characters, the chronology eventually entwining all parties. Critics like Roger Ebert have drawn positive comparisons to Quentin Taratino’s Pulp Fiction. Last night, I was reminded of how good Go is, catching most of it on one of HBO’s digital channels.

The cast of Go includes Sarah Polley, Scott Wolf, Timothy Olyphant, Taye Diggs, and my ex-girlfriend, Katie Holmes (“Gay men are so hot. It’s tragic”). Two of my favorite small-screen comic actresses also have scenes late in the movie: Jane Krakowski (Ally McBeal, 30 Rock) and Melissa McCarthy (Gilmore Girls, Samantha Who?).

And let’s not forget the Go soundtrack, which is mostly unstoppable. It features a kick-ass remix of Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride,” and Esthero, Fatboy Slim, and BT are also on board. Plus there’s “Steal My Sunshine,” an irresistible one-hit wonder from Len (the video has no connection to the film and, alas, no butter tarts, either):

Fantastic as Ronna in Go, Sarah Polley is up for an Oscar for Away From Her, which she wrote and directed. Polley received a nod for Best Adapted Screenplay, with the film also nabbing a Best Actress nomination for Julie Christie. The 80th Annual Academy Awards, hosted by Jon Stewart, airs Sunday on ABC at 8/7 CST.