“I’m a little black woman, in a big silver box.”
Terry Doolittle (Whoopi Goldberg) works 9 to 6 at First International Bank as a computer analyst transferring money from place to place. Terry is friendly with her clients to the point where her boss, Mr. Page (Peter Michael Goetz), isn’t happy with her professionalism, especially when she gives out advice or recipes. He harps on her to just do her job without the familiarities that she usually ends her transactions with.
One evening Terry receives a message on her terminal from someone calling himself “Jumpin Jack Flash”. His message is cryptic. He tells her that he is on an unsecure monitor, and he asks her to contact him the next night at 7. When she asks how, he tells her the clue to the code key to contact him is in the song. He then says he needs her help. He then abruptly ends the transmission.
The next night, after a multitude of tries, Terry manages to figure out the code key and gets in contact with Jack. He tells her he is in danger and asks her to go to the British Consulate and give them a message. She goes to the consulate and talks to Jeremy Talbot (John Wood) giving him the message from Jack. Talbot tells her he has no idea what she is talking about. She apologizes believing the whole thing was a joke and leaves.
The next night Terry is back on-line with Jack. He confides in her that he works for British Intelligence, is stuck in Eastern Europe, and needs help getting out. He also believes that someone at the consulate is a KGB spy who wants him caught. Before she knows what’s happening, Terri finds herself in the middle of deadly game of spies, kidnapping, murder and international intrigue.
“Jumpin’ Jack Flash” was released in 1986 and was directed by Penny Marshall. It is an American spy thriller comedy.
Although it’s not a great comedy, it is a fun little film. The highlight, of course, is Whoopi Goldberg. The film plays like a series of comedy sketches. It is mostly a light comedy filled with silliness. In essence, it is a nice respite in a sea of trouble despite the plot being a bit contrived. Actually, the contrived plot adds to the camp entertainment. There’ more comedy here than there is intrigue but still worth watching.
This was the first feature film directed by Penny Marshall. Before that she directed a few television episodes. Her brother, Garry Marshall has a bit part in the film. Penny’s daughter and Rob Reiner’s adopted daughter, Tracy Reiner, has a small part in the film as Mr. Page’s secretary. The film also includes some SNL alum before they became household names. For example: Phil Hartman and Jon Lovitz, in minor roles. The cast also includes some well-known British actors such as Jonathan Price and John Wood.