Jobs

Ashton Kutcher admirably embodies the iconic CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, in this film, Jobs, based on Steve's life, but the film itself is a little dull.

Personally, I have a love-hate relationship with Steve Jobs and Apple. On one hand, Steve was a brilliant dude who totally understands that most people want things that "just work". On the other hand, I'm a techie guy who likes to fiddle with things, and so every time I'm forced to use an Apple product and it prevents me from fiddling, I hate it. But that first hand always has me interested in Jobs.

This movie opens with Steve introducing the iPod in 2001, then it jumps back to 1974 with Steve at Reed College. It then moves forward to Steve working at Atari, making a partnership with Steve Wozniak and starting Apple Computers. We follow Steve through his early successes to his eventual ousting from his CEO position, to him leaving the company altogether. And, of course, his triumphant return. And we end with Steve Jobs recording the dialogue for the 1997 Think Different ad campaign.

Jobs, the movie, is a formula. It follows the exact path you would expect in a hero's journey. He begins, he climbs, he falls, he returns, he is victorious. It's so stock standard that it is barely worth watching. But there a moments where Ashton Kutcher manages to completely capture the image of Steve Jobs that I have in my head. Critics, at the time of release, gave a lot of mixed reviews, most of them giving it a middle grade at best. And that's what it deserves.

I can't, in good conscience, recommend this film. But if you happen to feel like watching it, it isn't a complete waste of time. Just don't bother watching the commentary, it isn't insightful and definitely doesn't make the movie worth watching a second time.