Stormbreaker (Cert 12A, 93 mins)
Stars: Alex Pettyfer, Ewan McGregor, Mickey Rourke, Bill Nighy, Sophie Okonedo, Alicia Silverstone, Damian Lewis, Robbie Coltrane, Stephen Fry, Sarah Bolger, Andy Serkis, Ashley Walters
Directed by Geoffrey Sax
 ALEX Rider is a 14-year-old James Bond type. Once you have swallowed that difficult plot point, you might be able to take in the rest of this teen fantasy.
Based on the first of the Alex Rider novel series by Anthony Horowitz (who also wrote the screenplay) this has orphaned Alex called in to help when his guardian (Ewan McGregor) is killed on an MI6 mission.
Bill Nighy hams it up as spymaster Alan Blunt while the leather-faced Mickey Rourke plays the villain, Darrius Sayle.
Rider (played by newcomer Alex Pettyfer) is asked to investigate the secret behind Sayle's Stormbreaker computer system. While Alex may use a bicycle rather than a posh sports car to get around, he has plenty of James Bond tricks up his sleeve. Director Geoffrey Sax keeps the action moving with lots of Russian spys and other villains. There are stunts and gadgets galore and a handful of British character actors to keep matters light-hearted when the action slows up. Pettyfer turns in a good performance as Alex and if you think his age prevents any glamorous Bond girls appearing we do get Alicia Silverstone as a ridiculously good looking housekeeper. | 
