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Stormbreaker (2006)

Director: Geoffrey Sax

Average user rating
3 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

They’re touting this Anglo-German ’60s-style teenage spy flick as the next big post-‘Harry Potter’ thing. And certainly, the production values have not been skimped on. It opens with a flash a bang and a wallop as we briefly catch the face of Ewan McGregor being pursued by an unknown enemy along a Cornish road. Shortly after, some bloke shimmies down from a helicopter and empties his handgun into the driver’s seat. Four minutes of screen time, and that’s Ewan’s lot. It transpires that McGregor’s Ian Rider was more than just the enigmatic uncle and guardian of 14-year-old blond skater dude Alex Rider (Alex Pettyfer). Ian was part of some secret agent operation and Alex is about to learn from Bill Nighy’s gloriously quirky MI6 spymaster (was he modelled on a Pathé newscaster?) that he is to be his uncle’s replacement and sent to investigate the suspicious goings-on at flamboyantly attired tycoon Darrius Sayle’s (Mickey Rourke) overly secure high-tech installation. Darrius has just offered all the schools in Britain a free Stormbreaker computer, but MI6 isn’t convinced of his generosity…

This is unabashed Bond-lite spy-jinks through and through, from the aforementioned opening to the Hamleys backroom serving as a gadget emporium to the predictable, London-set cliffhanging finale. Pre-teens usually love films where their peers are in jeopardy from nasty adults (witness ‘Oliver!’, ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’, ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’) and there’s every indication they’ll lap this one up too, despite the ridiculous storyline. Of the dressed-to-thrill cast, only Pettyfer disappoints; he just looks and sounds too bland to be a teen hero. But I’ll leave that for the kids to decide.

Author: Derek Adams 2006-07-18 10:33:46

Time Out London Issue 1864: July 19-26 2006

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User reviews of this film

  • toni french said...
    Posted on Mar 20 2009 07:12 this film is very good i enjoyed it so i give i a 5 stars
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  • 007 said...
    Posted on Mar 15 2008 10:43 It's pretty flawed - the second time you watch it. But if you're into cheesy action, this film is for you. Some scenes are very well cast, others ... well ... maybe the director was letting his four year old kid have a go at the camera. Overall... you either love it or hate it. It does grow on you.
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  • frank james said...
    Posted on Sep 30 2007 13:14 the fil is really good coz it is full of action
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Stormbreaker

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Cast & crew

Director: Geoffrey Sax

Cast: Ewan McGregor, Mickey Rourke, Bill Nighy, Sophie Okonedo, Alicia Silverstone, Missi Pyle, Sarah Bolger, Alex Pettyfer, Ashley Walters, Damian Lewis full cast

Genre(s): Action/Adventure

Duration: 90 mins

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