Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker (PG, 2006)

common sense media says

Teen spy hero makes leap from book to screen.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie is fine for tweens overall (despite lots of violent material) and will appeal to kids who've read the popular book series it's based on. It's fairly tame when it comes to sex and language, but the violence is pretty intense for a PG-rated film. There are guns, shooting, and explosions throughout, as well as scenes of peril and action (involving airplanes, motorcycles, horses, cars, and boats). No blood is shown.

Positive messages: A main character depends on violence to solve problems. The MI6 people aren't exactly warm and cuddly, and they force Alex into service. A character is senselessly killed.
Violence: Guns, shooting, fighting, and explosions throughout. A man with two guns (pointed into the camera) assassinates a character, although we don't see the impact. A character is killed for making a simple mistake. Many scenes of peril, including car and motorcycle chases, skydiving, and careening off buildings, although no blood is shown.
Sex: Mild flirting between teens.
Language: A couple of "hecks."
Consumerism: Nintendo, BMW, Mini-Cooper, zit cream, a fountain pen that shoots sodium pentathol, reference to Hogwarts.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Some drinking among adult characters.

More on Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about whether a 14-year-old would really have the guts and gumption to be a spy. Why does he put himself in dangerous and life-threatening situations? Did he have any other options, or was he forced into being a spy? Parents can ask kids who've read the books to compare them to the big screen version -- which do they like better? Why? Who would they have cast in all of the roles?

What's the story?

What's the story?
After his parents' tragic deaths, 14-year-old Alex Rider (Alex Pettyfer) ends up living in London with his banker uncle, Ian Rider (Ewan McGregor). When Ian is killed under mysterious circumstances, Alex learns he was a secret agent for MI6, Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, and he'd actually been craftily training his nephew to become a spy. The head of MI6's Special Operations Division, Alan Blunt (Bill Nighy) decides it's time Alex got into the spy business. Alex is reluctant, but acquiesces when he sees all the cool spy gadgets and learns that his nanny (Alicia Silverstone) will be deported if he doesn't cooperate. Soon, Alex is tailing Darrius Sayle (Mickey Rourke), a shady businessman with ties to several dangerous and hostile nations, and the creator of Stormbreaker, the most sophisticated computer system of the 21st century.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
If James Bond had taken up spying as a teen, his adventures probably would have looked a lot like this action-packed movie based on the popular Alex Rider books by Anthony Horowitz. There's plenty of action and violence, but no blood is shown, making this an acceptable film for tweens who aren't overly sensitive. The film should be especially appealing to kids who've read the popular book series it's based on.

As Alan Blunt, head of MI6's Special Operations Division, Bill Nighy is a scene-stealer, but Mickey Rourke gives a rather uninspiring turn as the bad guy.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Weinstein Co.
Director: Geoffrey Sax
Cast: Alex Pettyfer, Alicia Silverstone, Ewan McGregor
Genre: Action/Adventure
Run time: 93 minutes
Theatrical release: October 12, 2006
DVD release: December 19, 2006
MPAA Rating: PG
MPAA explanation: sequences of action violence and some peril.
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This review was written by Jane Boursaw
 
 

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What parents & educators say

10

Most useful reviews by all members

mkalv
teen, 17 years old
 
A Super-Cool film.
I love action movies and spy films, and since I'm not old enough to see James Bond, this was the perfect solution. Car chases, explosions, cool gadgets, this film is what every tween boy should like.

 
Fans of the book series will like the movie version. Lots of action, lots of violence, acceptable acting. Teens and up.

Little movie freak
teen, 15 years old
 
Not Entertaining ,pretty Boring and not to good either!
Is this a good movie. Not even close! This is why i am rating this movie as a 2 stars(out of five) stars. This movie is pretty boring not that entertaining and not great either(well, for me at least) If I were you I would skip this movie. DON'T SEE THIS MOVIE! SKIP IT! WARNING: Some frightening violence and images occur in this movie that could scare younger children 9 and under.Best for ages 12-14+

ralexin
teen, 18 years old
 
The kind of movie you'd watch over vacation when you have nothing to do.
I found Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker an entertaining, but very silly, movie. I found the plotline a little bit confusing, even though I'd read the book previously, but otherwise, it was engaging and fun. As an action movie, it has a little bit of violence, including a person getting stabbed by a blowfish, martial arts, a person getting attacked by a jellyfish, and gun use. Good for kids above nine or ten years old.

tweeni
teen, 15 years old
 
a good movie for adventure lovers
this movie is excellent for any adventure lover. the story flows smoothly and is exciting throughout. however, some of the violence may scare kids younger than ten. all in all a very good movie.

indigo175
kid, 12 years old
 
good movie, loosely based on book though
good... sabina is like the 2nd main character tho but she isn't in da first book n e way. And ian rider doznt appear in the book anyway, anthony horowitz, the author, just describes him in the sense that alex is thinking about his uncle. Also, I couldn't help but noticing that the actor that plays Alex has blond highlights... =D

EspeonDarkrai
kid, 10 years old
 
Awesome!
Really good. Dont do this at home.

Hannah181822ab
teen, 18 years old
 
Amazing!
This movie was amazing. I think it could hold just about anybody's interest. It is a great spy movie. Alex Rider is just this typical kid but MI6 wants him to work for him. They send him on this mission to find out the truth about the Stormbreaker computers. It was a great movie definatley worth seeing again and again!

agenta
kid, 10 years old
 
the armed forces recruits are mean to alex. first his parents died then his uncle dies than he is a spy trying to kill a computer programer with a computer called the stormbreaker

S Snape
parent of 11 year old
 
it rules! every action/adventure fan has to see this movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 
a must seemovie and must see book
the book was awsome it kept me almost falling out of my seat the whole way thruogh so if the movie is anything like the book it will keep you in suspince the whole way through.

 
Should've aimed for a PG-13 rating.
The book was too mature for the transition to be PG-13 without cutting/drastically changing out major points of the plot, therefore the movie was bad.

cammy48
kid, 11 years old
 
pretty painful
The movie was pretty bad (ironic right). The violence was bad too. A man is shot off a roof and is shown falling in slow motion. If there is no violence Alex is in intense peril, but although this movie is very bad it is pretty entertaining

moviereviewer
teen, 17 years old
 
average...
Although a good book it seems that Alex can get out of anything.

Johanjwalker
teen, 18 years old
 
Boo! I hated it! Cody Banks is SOOO much better.
Yeah, Alex Rider is packed with a lot of action, but I've got news for teens like me: the action sequences are pure crap. Boring. HOW couldn ANY movie make a scene where a boy is trapped in a small tank with a giant man-of-war jellyfish SO boring? How? I almost fell asleep. But if you really do want to watch it, bring some coke or something loaded with caffein with you if you're watching it an night. Kids, go elsewhere. Agent Cody Banks is great for tweens, and the Indiana Jones Trilogy is top-noth, and I mean THE BEST. Nothing really to worry about in this movie expect a little corny violence and one evil character getting electrocuted by a man-of-war. Still, this film is corny. I hated it. It went too fast and there was very seldom dialogue. Just explosions and boredom. Nothing else really to worry about, except the commercialism. There's a lot. But that's still nothing bad. However, be warned that Alex Rider is not for adults. Why? Because it's horrible!

Totalmovie555
teen, 16 years old
 
Stormbreaker is surprisingly taking the world by... um... storm! The gadgets are cool, with Nintendo's name stuck as one of the main features. Sure, kids can be a bit scared, but then again, anyone under 3rd Grade shouldn't even be watching the movie! If your tween-teen is not getting enough fun and action, see the movie.

yo jon
kid, 10 years old
 
soz again
eek

victorfavero
teen, 17 years old
 
Stupid movie Alert!
Stupid movie. I read the book first and liked it and have since read the entire series but this movie is idiotic. I thought it would be like the book but it was far less interesting. DO NOT WATCH.

thefrogprincess
teen, 16 years old
 
I loved every second!
I love the books and the movie! It is perfect for teens and pre-teens! I'm thirteen it is cool to think that a person your age can actually led such an exciting life. It is good for your imagination and it opens up new ideas in your mind. And I love it because it is so well thought out. :)

Rokoman
kid, 11 years old
 
Great family spy movie!
My friend introduced me to this book series and I had to see this movie. My whole family ( Younger brother, 4, younger sister, 8, older brother, 11) watched this movie and everyone loved it, even my little bro, who wasn't scared at all.

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