jOBS

While “jOBS” probably could’ve done with a recharge in the scripter’s office about mid-way through, it doesn’t meet expectations by running out of juice while the folks are still talking. In fact, it uses the more memorable moments of it’s subject’s life to MACsimum potential.

It’s something to behold. Right there on the screen in full display. You can’t take your eyes off it.

Oh, and Ashton Kutcher? Not quite as impressive as that mole, resting uncomfortably on one of his co-stars faces, but he does an OK job.

As Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, Kutcher (“Two and-a-Half Men”, “Killers”, Twitter.com) looks the part, walks the part (Jobs had quite a distinctive walk) and talks the part. He’s not especially powerful, nor does he make too many interesting choices in his performance, but the sitcom star turned cinema joke does quite a good job in one of his more challenging performances.

But let’s be honest here, as a matinee idol Kutcher’s as desirable as a CD Walkman in an iPod world. Nobody’s going to be checking this out for him. Good thing then that Job’s iBio is driven more so by it’s story.

Job’s tale of rags to riches is one everyone will be interested in, especially considering his inventions are as commonplace as toilet roll. Even without his brilliance in the realm of technological creation, Jobs was quite an interesting, complex guy – quite a rare species, his arrogance and eccentricities somewhat a turn off, his talent and determination admirable. He was a man equal parts evil and good angels on the shoulders. And director Joshua Michael Stern and writer Matt Whitely capture most of that magic.. and madness.

Job’s story isn’t all here, just a smidge of it, but you get a good idea of who the man was, and more so, what he accomplished in his short time on earth. It’s a pretty positive and influential movie meme.

Equipped by a magnificent support cast (Matthew Modine, James Woods, Dermot Mulroney, Ron Eldard and a terrific Josh Gad), a barrage of classic period-transporting tunes, a great production design, and an enlightening if a little malnourished script, “jOBS” has enough APPening in it to keep you engaged (when it does dip, one can just jump on on their iPhone and finish that Words with Friends game. Either way, you’re still acknowledging Jobs.) But hopefully the sequel will let us in on who at Apple is to blame for the bloody battery life of the iPhone.