"Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker"

Sarah Bolger
Robbie Coltrane
Stephen Fry
Damian Lewis
Ewan McGregor
Bill Nighy
Sophie Okenedo
Alex Pettyfer

PG       93min      2006

“Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker” is totally a British produced film and was imported into American. It’s a quick paced film that you don’t realize 90 minutes has gone by. It’s entertainment for the whole family. As it’s British produced its imbued with British sensibility and an almost entirely British cast.

The book that the movie is based on was only about 200 pages, which lent itself to the quick pace. It moves by at lighting speed and having read the book I know some things that happen in the book that didn’t happen on screen. It could feel like a lot of things weren’t explained properly. If you watch the movie and don’t like it I suggest you read the book and then give it another shot.

I think where Anthony Horowitz made changes for the movie improved and moved the story along much better. As I have only read Stormbreaker, and don’t know what’s coming to Alex Rider in the future; I do know that Jack Starbright knows Alex is a spy sooner and one character is introduce in this movie instead of the third book.

Everyone in the family can watch it and enjoy it. Stormbreaker takes itself more serious that ‘Cody Banks’. There is not any foul language and relatively small amount of violent for an action film. It moves so fast that the kids will enjoy it also.

This movie was film entirely in England. The cast is English except for Alicia Silverstone and Mickey Rourke. They have their own sensibilities and it comes through in the film and it’s not a bad thing either. If you liked ‘Cody Banks’ you’ll like Alex Rider better.

The DVD is a little thin on extras. It gives you about six featurettes and that's it. There is one about where Anthony Horowitz talks about the reasons for the differences in the book and movie. Two features about stunts and the marital arts of the film and one feature about the special effect shots of the film. There are no delete scenes and no outtakes. Overall its a bare DVD.

I give it 3/5 Gs.