User reviews

I watched this again after enjoying the series. The ensamble cast are a collection of incredibly famous and popular actors with a deep and rich talent pool. I can only assume that someone made a deal with the devil to get this made. The story has every trope and cliché you can think of. The acting is horrendous and most of the interactions make you cringe and roll your eyes so hard you could power a small English village with the static electricity generated.

Skip this and watch the new series instead

Book adaptations rarely capture the excellence of the novel which they are based upon and though the same can be said for 'Stormbreaker', it still is a rather good film considering the fact it is mainly aimed at the pre-teen and young teen audience.

Based on the first of Anthony Horowitz's 'Alex Rider' novels, the story is centred around orphaned fourteen-year-old Alex Rider who lives with his Uncle Ian, a man who his nephew assumes is a dull bank worker but is in fact an MI6 operative. When Ian is killed on a mission, his superiors are determined to recruit Alex to break the case. Pressured into complying, Alex is trained at an SAS-type camp before being sent undercover to discover the true intents of psychopath Darius Sayle, who is planning a nationwide release of computers he has dubbed Stormbreakers.

In his big-screen debut as Alex Rider, sixteen-year-old Alex Pettyfer was a shade too old for the role (he was as tall as most of the adult cast, which took away the shock his role as a child thrust into danger). However, although he did have lapses where his performance turned wooden, he was quite successful in bringing the character to life, depicting Rider's determination, anger and cockiness well. It's just a shame he was no-where near as good as he proved himself to be in 'Tom Brown's Schooldays'. Mickey Rourke was great as the unhinged and vengeful Sayle, his real-life disastrous plastic surgery only enhancing his character's crazed nature. It was Pettyfer and Rourke who carried the bulk of the film but their co-stars, including Ewan McGregor, Sophie Okonedo, Robbie Coltrane and Stephen Fry, made their presence known despite having minor roles.

The fight and action scenes were nicely performed and depicted a suitably odd feel by conveying the fact it is a boy in the heat of the battle. I also enjoyed the homages to James Bond such as how the main credits at the start exploded onto the screen and how Mr. Smithers nicely complimented Bond's Q. And it was also change for the better to meet Ian Rider as he is already dead in the beginning of the novel so we never really get a feel of what his character might have been like (although we could have done without the stereotypical busy father-figure/neglected child scenes).

However, there were numerous low points in the film. I love Bill Nighy and he did give a good performance as MI6 boss Mr Blunt but the character just didn't come across right. He was too slapstick to properly depict the cold edge to Mr Blunt, a man who doesn't think twice about sending a child into the line of fire. The change to the character of Jack Starbright was also annoying. She isn't meant to be a karate expert nor does she ever become directly involved in Alex's missions so there was absolutely no need for the fight scene. It was quite irking to see the script was poorly handled in terms of keeping Alex's role a secret. Instead of both MI6 and Alex himself taking great care to ensure no-one ever learns of his part in bringing down Sayle, he's all over the news in the film and even his little girlfriend knows the truth. It ruined the idea that if recruiting Alex as a child spy became public, it would be humiliating for MI6 and disrupt whatever chance of normality Alex tries to harbour for himself.

For a first outing though, 'Stormbreaker' was enjoyable and would probably please young members of the family as well as parents dragged along. However, the unnecessary humorous touches to the film will very likely leave many older teens and twenty-somethings wanting a bit more 'meat'. Hopefully when they adapt 'Point Blanc', the darker edge that makes the novels so addictive is retained.

Stormbreaker was a decent film; this is an opinion coming from someone who has little knowledge of the books. It isn't as innovative as Spy Kids, but it is decent. The special effects and the action are above average, the performances from Mickey Rourke, Ewan McGregor and Bill Nighy are great and Alex Petyfer is an appealing enough lead, the soundtrack is nice and the film goes along at a fast pace. However the storyline is very predictable and sometimes ludicrous, the script is a bit weak in places, I found Alicia Silverstone surprisingly irritating here and the cameos from Stephen Fry and Robbie Coltrane are too brief to allow them to shine properly.

Still, it is a fun and mildly enjoyable flick. 6/10 Bethany Cox

I came to watch this film because I have been a fan of the Alex Rider books for many years. However, I was rather disappointed by the film. The main problem was that the film was very different from the book, with many parts of the story changed and with parts added. The ending was entirely made up for the film. I disliked the way that many of the actors chosen had no resemblance to how the character was described in the book.

I also felt that many of the action and fighting scenes were overdone and the superfluous parts annoyed me. The acting, particularly from the person playing Herod Sayle, was boring and unimaginative. The film was very jumpy in places, and I thought that people who had not read the books would have been confused by the ending. I thought that some of the lines in the film were quite strange and didn't really fit in with what was being said/going on!

However, I still gave the film a 4 out of 10 rating because of the many (usually unintentionally) funny scenes. I was particularly amused by Bill Nighy's acting in the role of Alan Blunt. Stephen Fry also added some comedy to the story in his role as Smithers. The film is reasonably watchable, probably because it only lasted 90 minutes.

Stormbreaker is the first film from Anthony Howowitz's successful Alex Rider novel series for Young Adults, think Cody Banks, Johnny English and James Bond.       

It's a spy film for teens and kids and though it's well crafted, we've seen it all before. There has been a lot of criticism leveled at this film, which this reviewer believes is a little harsh. There are some fine performances, including the lead, Alex Pettyfey who was chosen over five hundred others. Alicia Silverstone, Stephen Fry and Mickey Rourke also do an adequate job, but it's the veteran Bill Nighy who turns in the most entertaining role as Alex's boss.          

Someone close to Alex is more than he seems. Now that torch has been passed to Alex, whether he is really ready for it or not.     

There are several twists and turns as well as some impressive action scenes, but a lot of it is stagy and a little contrived, particularly the character of Nadia Vole who is just plain silly.     

There is little suspense and much is predictable. It really doesn't differ enough from similar teen fair which is a shame as Howowitz's books predate the other films it so closely resembles. However he wrote the script himself and only has himself to blame. I would have liked to see the series develop, however with only half of its 40 million dollar budget recouped in its worldwide theatrical release, it appears unlikely. Its DVD life will determine its ultimate future.     

However there's enough for kids to enjoy and that's really who it's aimed at.

For a relatively unknown spy action thriller, 'Stormbreaker' is a surprisingly entertaining film, even if it does try a little too hard to be the kids' version of James Bond. As you would expect, this film is full of gimmicks and never takes itself too seriously, with a bunch of over-the-top action sequence and a shallow plot that feels like it is almost entirely built around the action.

It does serve a purpose though and it's an ideal choice to pass some time. If you can see past the many plot and character flaws, there is sufficient entertainment from the action scenes alone, and that's what most people want to see from a film like this. 'Stormbreaker' is a passable family spy action film - it won't leave you bored but it won't leave much of an impression either.

I was at the World premiere in London and I was apprehensive about watching a film adaptation of a book as some of them work and others don't. This one definitely does. From the first minutes of the film, you know that you're in for a thrilling adventure. Alex Rider, played superbly by Alex Pettyfer, is very believable as a school kid thrown into the deep end by Bill Nighy who hams it up brilliantly as spymaster Alan Blunt. Alex Rider is a deadly weapon on two legs as you'll see as the film progresses. Marvellous Micky Rourke, plays the evil villain who keeps a very unusual and deadly pet and looks as if he's just stepped off the set of a Revlon ad (you'll see!!). There's lots of action, some love interest, but that's not overplayed and although some of the evil characters look as if they've been loaned out from Cirque Du Soleil, including Micky Rourke, they play their parts as they should be, comically but with a twist of evil thrown in. It all works very well but Alex Pettyfer is a revelation. He plays the part coolly, calmly and with a great deal of conviction. I think Sean Connery would be proud of him. The film throws in a few James Bondesque clichés and there is one scene in the film which will remind you of a particular person from Goldfinger !! All in all highly enjoyable, my 11 year old niece and 14 year old nephew and their friends really enjoyed it and I think you will too.

The Alex Rider books have been very successful so therefore it is a shame that they couldn't have been converted into a franchise. All the signs are there in this film that the production company wanted it to be one but sadly box office takings meant that dream faded fast. As a stand alone film Stormbreaker is good but fans of the books will know there was so much more we could have seen in later films had they been made.

Spy Kids and Agent Cody Banks set the bar for young spy films very high and despite some big name British actors jumping to appear on screen this film was not a hit. Everyone tries hard but there obviously was something missing.

What can anyone see that's good in this film? Plot: basic - could possibly have been made into a better film if the villains' motivation could be made convincing Characterisation: virtually non-existent. Everyone was a broad caricature.

Acting: overacted or non-existent. May be the fault of the director and/or the script. Particularly, what was with the villainess's accent and snarling expressions? Or were they meant to be facial twitches? The best bit was Robbie Coltrane doing a Tony Blair/David Cameron impression.

Action was functional but no tension was built at all. So much of it made me think it was a spoof but it lacked the humour.

I understand that the film is aimed at teenagers (or at least that the books were) but I had been led to believe that it was reasonably entertaining for adults as well. This was definitely not the case, and I find it hard to believe that teenagers would like it either. Maybe it's for younger children.

It would be interesting to see the reviewers' ages to find out whether it is young people who have given this film the ridiculously high scores that it has.

For the record, I am 30 and I watched it with my 23-year-old fiancée, who also thought it was the worst film she'd seen for a long time.

In short, I recommend you not to watch this film.

OK.. in my opinion,the review above is misleading,i mean maybe the person who saw this movie really liked it,but 2 look at it from a overall view,this is a movie that should never have hit the cinema,it should just have been released straight to DVD/WHS.for starters the acting is awful,Ewan McGregor delivers as usual good acting,but he ain't in the movie for that long.Alicia Silverstone delivers an OK performance,but it seems like shes been away from acting for way 2 long.Alex Pettyfer delivers quite good performance,and i would agree that he could have a decent shot of becoming a good actor in the future.Mickey Rourke is old... hes old but still one of the coolest actors,i do believe that no one could play the bad guy as he does in this movie,but that doesn't save this movie sadly.when you look at this movie from a standard now a days,the animations are awful they don't feel realistic,i know this is a family movie,but at least they could have made the effects better,it ain't that dam expensive 2 do.if you have seen the Harry Potter movies,and loved em like i did,from an adult view,don't bother wasting you money on the cinema for this movie,your just gonna feel disappointed,an think "was that it??" wait for the next harry potter or Point Blanc! and hope they have gotten a better cast,and have learned from they first mistake.

i cant really stop thinking "was the person who wrote the first review,payed for saying such good things about this movie??,this movie almost is just as shitty,as the Keanu Reeves movie The Watcher". witch reminds me,newer 2 buy a DVD before actually have seen the movie.

It's getting increasingly difficult for parents and guardians to share the experience of going to a theatre to watch a film with their teens. This might be an answer to this dilemma as long as you and your teens are in agreement about spending quality time together.

I thought that this had an exceptionally strong cast. There are enough "established" actors to appeal to the parents--Ewan MacGregor, Stephen Fry, Robbie Coltrane, and Bill Nighy. Heck, even a greasy Mickey Rourke does a turn as a comic book villain who threatens the world because he was an outcast as a young American in class conscious Britain! The story follows Alex Rider, an orphan who lives with his American nanny (Alicia Silverstone) and his mostly absentee uncle (Macgregor). A tragic turn of events puts Alex into close contact with his uncle's former employers who see him as a natural successor to his uncle, a British spy.

For what it is, this is a good film for teens. It doesn't insult their intelligence and gives them some strong themes to reflect upon. For the adults, it's Saturday afternoon bubble gum for the brain. You've probably seen this story before but it's certainly entertaining enough. Nothing memorable but go and have a good time.

I'll keep this short as this movie had absolutely no redeeming elements.

The acting was crap, although at least from the teen-cast no worse than could be expected.

Ihe action scenes (which was most of the movie) could have been OK, but was cut so fast you lost any sense of suspense.

The dialogue was wooden and unrealistic, and the plot full of holes.

I guess if you read the books and liked them, you will be able to daydream about them while watching the movie and avoid realizing how bad it really is, otherwise this is _not_ a good movie to go watch!

I thought it was an OK movie with a lot of potential. This movie could have been amazing: good storyline, great set/props, good martial arts choreography, and a few big name actors (Ewan McGregor and Alicia Silverstone). However, with the exception of Alex, I thought the main characters were played by the wrong people. For example, Mickey Rourke was the wrong person to play an ex-bullied guy who turned into a computer inventor. The other flaw I thought the movie had was the action: the fighting was choreographed well, but it wasn't realistic. It was a good movie regardless, but if it had a better cast I would have liked it more.

If watching a cast of actors mugging their way through a vapid and disinterested kid-friendly adventure film sounds like your cup of tea, then you might just enjoy STORMBREAKER. Those viewers with a decent amount of taste, however, will surely find it as difficult to sit through as I did: it's one of those lowest-common-denominator movies, an utterly puerile and crass attempt at money spinning.

Alex Pettyfer, a good-looking but ultimately bland young actor, stars as an ordinary schoolboy whose uncle (hammy Ewan McGregor) just happens to be a secret super-spy. From the opening action scene, which screams overkill, I knew the action in this film was going to be appalling: a mess of disjointed editing and seen-it-all-before stunts as Pettyfer trains to take over his uncle's job. Perhaps realising the crappy action choreography they were saddled with, the producers called in Donnie Yen to spice up a couple of martial arts bouts, but even these aren't enough to enliven the film.

Realism disappears on the horizon at the film's outset and from then on in it's content to recycle old Bond ideas while ripping off Harry Potter here and there (check out the phone booth scene which is directly copied from the entrance to the Ministry of Magic in that film series) In terms of the cast, STORMBREAKER has a tendency to show off the worst of the actors it employs and only Sophie Okonedo and Damian Lewis walk away with any kind of credibility. Andy Serkis is a walking caricature, Stephen Fry uncomfortable as a Q shoe-in, while Mickey Rourke is plasticky and uncomfortable as the nonthreatening villain. Alicia Silverstone has long since vanished from our screens, and you'll see why when you witness her wooden acting here. Bill Nighy turns out to be hammy and one-note, although the worst actor by far to appear is Missi Pyle, whose excruciating Russian accent is the most irritating thing I can ever remember seeing in a movie. Let's hope there's no sequel!

Many people who have read the Alex Rider series were looking forward to this upcoming film which projects the amazing adventures of the teen spy onto the big screen, however many people were afraid this would turn into another Cody Banks film and be given a bad image because of the recent teen spy films… That fear can now be forgotten!

Being a fan of the Alex Rider books myself you would probably expect a good review from me, but at first I had my doubts too. Things such as including Sabina Pleasure in this film seemed like a bit of risk and it looked like this film was going in the usual direction of a teen spy film (The save-the-girl-and-get-home-to-watch-the-Simpson's storyline). This turned out to be wrong, the author of the book incorporated these changes himself, and we can now call them improvements. It seems if he had one more chance to make changes, this was it, and they were great.

As promised we have been delivered an action-packed, amazing and riveting film! Book to film transitions often have their setbacks and sometimes turn out to displease the audience, but obviously having the author of the book writing the screenplay was a very, very good idea.

With amazing performances by stars such as Ewan McGregor, Mickey Rourke, Bill Nighy, Sophie Okonedo and many others this film turned out to be an excellent piece of work. Alex Pettyfer was an amazing Alex Rider delivering a performance worthy of an award.

Far from a family film, this movie was packed solid with action from start to finish. Lasting only around 90 minutes this proved to be enough time to fit Horowitz' well-written and great story into a feature film, nearly every aspect of the plot was included from the book.

A true work of art.

9/10

Have just seen this movie and it is a total waste of time and effort. Cant blame the actors because the script was terrible. The movie is similar to Spy Kids 3 and could be compared to the animated series of James Bond Jr. I had a hard time understanding the plot, and I'm an adult. Do not let your children see this movie, I rather let kids see the real James bond flicks than this rubbish.

I don't know what the studios these days are aiming at, but claiming that this type of film should be rated as a family flick is wrong. Don't underestimate the intelligence of children, the producers certainly do.

The plot is hard to understand but it is quite easy to distinguish the good guys from the bag guys. The good guys are funny looking and stupid. The evil guys are stupid and looking like cruella de ville. The fighting moves are inspired from "The Transporter" and the theme from James Bond flicks.