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Whoopi Goldberg stars as a bank computer specialist who inadvertently decodes a plea for help and gets roped by the mysterious sender into a series of dangerous spy games. Jumpin’ Jack Flash was Whoopi’s second major role after her auspicious debut in The Color Purple. It should have been wonderfully refreshing to see her cut loose with the funny after the heavy-handedness of Purple, but this movie ain’t funny. There are moments of slapstick, including Whoopi’s battle with a paper shredder that gets ahold of her sequined gown, but they’re few and far between in a film that is otherwise mawkish in the extreme.

The relationship between Whoopi and her mysterious cyber-friend should have been the glue that held Jumpin’ Jack Flash together, but it’s not treated earnestly enough. Whoopi’s character’s nagging reluctance to help the stranger deflates any budding nobility or resolve on her part — you know, the qualities that heroes (and heroines) are made of?

The colorful supporting cast may be one of the best parts of the movie. Look for the likes of Carol Kane, Stephen Collins, Annie Potts, Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, and Jonathan Pryce. Directed by Penny Marshall (her feature directorial debut)… thank goodness her next movie, Big, was much better.