Search - Alex Rider - Operation Stormbreaker (Widescreen Edition) on DVD

Solid Teen Bond Entry

O. Buxton | Highgate, UK | 06/18/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Just when you thought the Bond genre had finally choked on its own self-awareness - assisted knowingly by Austin Powers, Johnny English and so forth - enter Geoffrey Sax and his film adaptation of Anthony Horowitz' Alex Rider character. I'm not sure Stormbreaker does enough by itself to save the day, but it lays a solid foundation for the inevitable sequels to build on, so we may not have heard the last of Alex Rider just yet.

Rider is a mature-looking (shades of "I say, George! You're remarkably well developed for a fourteen year-old!) but in truth somewhat dull and simpering teenager and so has no interest in Honey Rider, Allotta Fagyna and their ilk (Alicia Silverstone who, ten years ago, might have aspired to play this role, makes do as a big-sisterish au pair), but does quite quickly transform from sulky schoolboy ingenue (avec "issues") to lean mean butt-kicking machine (still avec "issues"), no sooner has evergreen comedy buzzard, Bill Nighy, arrived on the scene to flap eyebrows and tell him how. Perhaps in homage to Roger Moore, eyebrow flapping passes for comic (and/or dramatic) expression for a number of the lead characters in this film.

It's all pretty routine stuff, pretty well executed on the whole, with nice (but not overdone) use of CGI from time to time. By and large it zings along and importantly never takes itself too seriously: most of the support characters get plenty of comic opportunities (Nighy and Mickey Rourke milking theirs for all they're worth), but Alex Pettyfer as Rider himself gets none - there's none of the cheeky wisecracking hero here, which a lost opportunity to establish a natural successor to Bond.

A couple of irritants: no doubt for the American market, the word "heck" is used liberally in place other expletives, which just sounded silly, but more to the point hypocritical given that the characters in question were happy to punch, kick, knife and machine-gun each other without a second thought, but all pruriently refrained from using the word "hell".

Lastly, there are a couple of unnecessary extra characters, and the final exchange between arch (but not particularly well established) villain Yassen Gregorovich and hero Rider defies all credible explanation, save as a means of wrapping up the film and laying the groundwork for the first sequel.

Interesting first instalment.

Olly Buxton

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Entertaining, Light-Hearted Version of James Bond-Like Teena

Tsuyoshi | Kyoto, Japan | 11/16/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"You may call "Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker" a British answer to "Agent Cody Banks" or a light-hearted version of James Bond adventures (sans Bond Girls). The teenager hero Alex Rider is given a slightly more dangerous mission than Agent Cody to save England from the plot of the baddie played by none other than delightfully campy Mickey Rourke (with special make-up). The film has almost no originality in story, gadgets (provided by "Q"-like inventor played by amusing Stephen Fry) and characters, but still entertaining with the capable supports and several impressive actions.

After the "accident" of his uncle (cameo by Ewan McGregor), young Alex Rider is recruited by MI6. Its boss (Bill Nighy) gives him a spy mission; that is, to disguise as computer genius and infiltrate into the heart of a big IT corporate that is planning to donate" the next-generation super computers called "Stormbreaker."

Missi Pyle and Andy Serkis appear as Rourke's deadly assistants (with funny over-the-top acting) while Alicia Silverstone as Alex Rider's guardian. Lovely Sarah Bolger (you remember the girl in "In America"?) briefly appears as Alex's friend and the supports include Robbie Coltrane (without beard), Damian Lewis and Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo ("Hotel Rwanda").

Beside the impressive cast, the film has two thrilling martial art sequences (directed by Donnie Yen ("Blade II"), which includes a fight between Alicia Silverstone and Missi Pyle. Of course they use stunts, but still the actions are well-choreographed and surprisingly exciting.

Probably the film is too light and not so original for those who have seen the 007 films, but still "Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker" is a decent, entertaining film.
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