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Stormbreaker
EMAILPRINTThe Weinstein Company

Mixed or average reviews
Based on 20 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 15 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Action | Adventure | Family/Kids
Written by: Anthony Horowitz (also novel and story)
Directed by: Geoffrey Sax
Release Date:
Theatrical: October 13, 2006
DVD: December 19, 2006
Running Time: 93 minutes, Color
Origin: Germany / USA / UK
Summary
RATING: PG for sequences of action violence and some peril
Starring Alex Pettyfer, Sarah Bolger, Robbie Coltrane, Stephen Fry, Damian Lewis, Ewan McGregor, Bill Nighy, Sophie Okonedo, Missi Pyle, Mickey Rourke, Andy Serkis, and Alicia Silverstone
Alex Rider (Pettyfer) is a normal teenager who lives with his uncle, a nondescript bank manager. Or so it seems until his uncle, Ian Rider (McGregor), disappears under mysterious circumstances. Alex soon learns that his uncle was a spy for Britain's secret intelligence service, M16 and he is recruited to take on a dangerous mission for them. Within days he's gone from schoolboy to super spy -- but will Alex's first assignment be his last? (The Weinstein Company)
Also On Metacritic
FILM: White Noise
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database View The Trailer Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Chicago Tribune Michael Esposito
It's better than some James Bond movies--no matter what your age.
Read Full Review >USA Today Staff [Not Credited]
Though the film is not terribly original (and features a jarringly miscast Alicia Silverstone as Alex's nanny), the action scenes are diverting, the veteran cast is amusing and the engaging Pettyfer makes a solid debut.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Jack Mathews
Despite a relatively paltry $40 million budget, Stormbreaker has the sheen and special effects of a Bond movie, and the ambition as well.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Wesley Morris
For kids strung out on Anthony Horowitz's 007-lite adventure series, this maiden adaptation is a pleasant enough diversion from having to flip the pages.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea
Taken for what it is - 'tweenage escapism - Stormbreaker is moderately fun.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader Joshua Katzman
The nonstop action in this British romp should ensure that its target audience, sugar-buzzed prepubescent boys, stay strapped in their seats.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Nathan Lee
Mr. Pettyfer is no Sean Connery, no Roger Moore, no Pierce Brosnan, no Timothy Dalton and no George Lazenby even, but the director, Geoffrey Sax, compensates for his zero of a hero by indulging the exceedingly amused and amusing supporting cast.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Maitland McDonagh
Sax keeps things moving, but the best thing about the film is the British cast.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Keith Phipps
Rourke's hammy, eyeliner-enhanced acting alone almost makes Alex Rider worth a look.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Gregory Kirshling
Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker is "Agent Cody Banks" played British and kinda straight -- that is, as straight as you can when your villain, who dispatches foes with a giant jellyfish, is played by a toothpick-chomping Mickey Rourke in purple eye shadow.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Mark Olsen
The film is forever trying to balance between being for younger teenagers and keeping their parents occupied as well, and never quite gets it right.
Read Full Review >New York Post Lou Lumenick
This lame teenage James Bond will leave audiences neither shaken nor stirred.
Read Full Review >The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Jennie Punter
A British flick based on the first novel in a popular teenage spy-thriller series by Anthony Horowitz, looks promising but, unfortunately, doesn't measure up.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Stephen Hunter
Perhaps as a publishing phenomenon the concept works, but on-screen it's pretty dull, with good actors in bad roles and bad special effects.
Read Full Review >Variety Derek Elley
A shake 'n' bake Brit teen-spy actioner, without a smidgeon of originality, humor or involving characterization, Stormbreaker is a high-profile bust.
Read Full Review >LA Weekly Luke Y. Thompson
It's ostensibly an action movie, and the action is so poorly shot as to be embarrassing.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hartlaub
While it's filled with quality actors, this James Bond tale for tweens feels like something you should be getting for free on television.
Read Full Review >Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach
About as clunky as a movie gets. It lurches from scene to scene with no sense of narrative grace, gives its roster of prominent actors nothing to work with and screeches to a halt with all the grace of a sprinter whose shoelaces have been tied together.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 4.1 (out of 10) based on 15 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Jura M gave it a3:
The novels thrill you with teenage espionage, action and drama. This movie doesn't. To get quickly to the point the movie is so full of "cheese" the excitement is ruined. This movie had a lot of potential to become a teenage classic but the director's completely wrong direction with the movie turns it into a woeful "action-comedy" when it should of definitely been on par with the balance of realism and fun in the newer James Bond movies. Ridiculously stupid costume choices and horrible castings (looks at the "ginger" Jack Starbright, eye-liner on Rouke and the "stormbreaker machine" which is a COMPUTER, not a giant rotating eye.) plus the bland acting of an actor who was way too old for his part as Alex ruined the film. Extremely disappointing! I hope a new director can take a new direction and turn these films into what they should be.
kitty gave it a10:
This is one of my favorite movies ever. I love all of the actors in it and I really think that they all did a good job. I also think that even though it isn't completely like the book they did a good job of changing things and still keeping most of everything.
rob gave it a5:
It was nice to see one of my favorite books put into film, however, it seemed a bit rushed and toned down. The book was exciting, the movie was childish.
Brian L gave it a0:
this is not even related to the book.... what the hell, who kill people hanging upside down from a helicopter anyway? and why not just shoot alex rider in the head?
Jay H gave it a6:
5.5/10. young adult James Bond, rather clever at times and has some good action sequences. The bad guys in this are so obvious it doesn't leave much for the imagination. Fun, shallow nonsense. Well edited, good cinematography.
[Anonymous] gave it an8:
Okay I so loved this movie and do not know y it got bad reviews. i mean how were they watching the movie anyway with alex pettyfer in it. so i liked it a lot. BUT I SUGGEST U READ THE BOOKS FIRST THEY R SO MUCH BETTER! i promise.
Thomas S. gave it a6:
Seen the movie yesterday on DVD. While it had entertaining moments it didn't feel very cohesive. The movie is clearly aimed at teenagers (which I'm not) and I greatly regret Ewan McGregor's early exit.
