Stormbreaker, Lost in Adaptation ~ The Dom

A juvenile James Bond wannabe who became hugely popular in book series form but utterly failed to transition to big screen. What went wrong with Stormbreaker, the first and last of the Alex Rider movies?
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[@belisauriusfish9406]

This movie frustrated me as a kid because, apart from the issues with its appearance, they made the Portuguese man o war electric. Jellyfish are not electric. They’re venomous, with the venom being delivered via microscopic barbs on the tentacles. Of all the issues with the movie, that’s the one I zeroed in on as a child.

[@tristanhartup4936]

I guess the makers of this movie took marine biology lessons from Spongebob.

[@intergalactic92]

Frankly that at least remains consistent with the tone of the film (and general ignorance of the average film watcher/maker). If you don’t show the jellyfish zapping something with a highly visible electric effect then people will doubt whether this creature is dangerous at all. It’s a sad fact of many movies. However, it is also the least of the problems this film had.

[@waynefabian2428]

@Kyler Messiah Instablaster =)

[@kylermessiah2215]

@Wayne Fabian I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and Im in the hacking process atm. Seems to take a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@kylermessiah2215]

@Wayne Fabian It worked and I finally got access to my account again. I am so happy! Thank you so much, you saved my account !

[@merrittanimation7721]

When I read the books I always thought "wow I'm happy I'm not that kid" mostly because it was clear how miserable his life got in later books. Still enjoyed them though.

[@supervegito2277]

I recall reading up to Scorpia Rising, and yeah, he really has a rough life, i remember that.

[@goodjobeli]

me with percy jackson

[@BubbaGumNDB5]

Let's see yeah he got shot right above the heart, got beyond beaten up going down a mountain on improvised skis with limited snow cover, and I think he was also locked in a room in a building that was set on fire

[@Alex_IHateHandles]

Nathan Bonbrake While fighting a clone

[@marcusreading3783]

@@goodjobeli But Percy is a Demigod with superpowers and occasional literal divine intervention. Alex Rider is a perfectly ordinary kid who gets dragged into horrific situations against his will. While I certainly wouldnt want to be in either of their shoes, if I abserultly had to pick one, I'd go with Percy. If only for the cool superpowers.

[@chowyee5049]

For a kid's book, the Alex Rider series was actually quite restrained when it came to gadgets. They were subtle and plausible enough that I could actually imagine real spy agencies employing similar equipment. Aside from the younger protagonist, I actually thought they were more realistic than the James Bond movies.

[@SingingSealRiana]

they are and that really should worry us

[@honeycomb97]

Okay, this is a dumb aside, but thank you for including the "What?!" at the end of the "How do you do, fellow kids?" clip. People always cut that part and IT MAKES THE SCENE DAMMIT!

[@timothymclean]

I guess most people assume the "What?!" is implied. It's needed for the full scene, but for a quick joke referencing it...

[@douglaswolfen7820]

​@@timothymcleanhonestly, I've never seen the original, so I was never sure of the context. I thought it was some kind of parody where he actually gets away with the ruse The fact that he wasn't fooling anyone is news to me. And they're right, it really changes the scene

[@cjstanky]

I really like how the series shifted into a darker tone as the series went on. While many of the early books were more power fantasy, later entries did a good job at showing the toll being a spy takes on Alex and how negatively it affects him and his life

[@dewayner5388]

Ironhornet i remember that kind of being talked about in Point Blank where he realizes that he's a man when they need him and a kid when he needs a gun. It's like an early taste of exactly how much Alex is being, and will be, used by MI6

[@KotoCrash]

BIG SPOILERS I honestly wouldve been happy with the original ending Horowitz intended, where Alex was simply sniped on the the street by Scorpia after being too big a problem and dying in Jack's arms. Apparently after that book came out kids were so distraught at his death Horowitz revived him in the space book.

[@jetfirexx]

I remember really liking the ending of Scorpia and then being disappointed when I saw the poster for Ark Angel. Then I read Ark Angel and was even more disappointed. Scorpia was definitely the high of the series for me and the only book after it that came close was Scorpia Rising

[@limegreenelevator]

From what I've read, the ending of Scorpia (Alex getting shot - also, Jack wasn't there) was never intended to be the end of the series, although Horowitz did have to immediately say that Alex was still alive.

[@Rtotalmagic]

Matt Monitto In a set of notes accompanying a later edition of Scorpia, Horowitz claimed that he had always intended for Alex to survive, having written the end scene with help from a heart surgeon and weapons expert. Apparently, Horowitz deliberately wrote the scene so Alex would survive (the sniper uses a gun not suited for long-range assassination attempts - for some reason...). Somehow, he was surprised that readers did not figure this out...

[@catrionapritchard4679]

The later books, as I remember, managed to forge more of their own identity, but in so doing lost the power-fantasy fulfilment edge that drew so many young readers (including myself) to the series. While the increasing emphasis on the toll that Alex's intelligence career was taking on his life, the moral ambiguity and often outright abusiveness of his handlers and the trauma he had to deal with in consequence did give the books more meat, it also made them much harder going for an audience who had first come to the books seeking escapism rather than strict accuracy. Not a point against them, as the later books are generally the ones I enjoy more on the re-read, but definitely a bit off-putting the first time through.

[@jackhoward705]

I saw the same thing when I recently reread the series book by book. Comparing Stormbreaker to scorpia rising and realising how much it changed was quite jarring, although I still enjoyed them. Comparing it to Russian Roulette was right out.

[@merrittanimation7721]

Same

[@logansmith2703]

Catriona Pritchard the way I remember them they sort slowly morphed into that over the course of the series. Granted I read most of them over the course of one school semester so that probably helped.

[@catrionapritchard4679]

That was rather what I meant. They sort of followed the Harry Potter trend of having the books' themes mature with their readers (I read them over a few years as they were coming out, so...). It just seems a lot more jarring when it happens over a much shorter space of time in-universe.

[@logansmith2703]

Catriona Pritchard ah fair enough

[@TheDemonCurupira]

Funny you should mention Alex Pettyfer and Eragon because I thought they were the same actor until you said so. Never watched Stormbreaker but thought immediately, "Hey, that Eragon guy"

[@leelewis8749]

The Demon Curupira same here and after seeing both of them I'm still not sure they aren't the same person😉

[@TheDemonCurupira]

Lee Lewis Unfortunately, time and puberty has proven us both wrong but I think it's clear the casting department for Eragon had a pretty specific idea of what they wanted him to look like.

[@gracekim25]

The Demon Curupira They’re like twins😂

[@DearxMyxSongs]

lol I saw him and thought, “hey, that’s the Beastly guy!”

[@benwasserman8223]

Man I loved reading these books when I was younger. Scorpia was definitely my favorite for exploring Alex’s family backstory while presenting an “evil organization” that could make even SPECTRE blush

[@cristalat101]

Oml yes

[@GenderIsAnIllusion]

Yeah, and the fandom and fan creations are amazing too.

[@STOTTINMAD]

Scorpia was great

[@a.m.s6611]

one thing that annoyed me about Scorpia though was that he actually learned a lot at Malagosto/ when training with them but its never brought up yet later books keep referring to his time with the SAAS, I would have loved there to be some details about things he'd picked up on the island that MI6 never bothered teaching him - like anything involving weapons - but we got nothing could Anthony Horowitz not admit that his character (understandably after all his trauma) briefly went to the dark side? even in later books there was a line about how he'd done some training on the island when he was up against Scorpia the first time and I remember thinking mate you had full on joined up at that point don't try to play it off as a mission

[@a.m.s6611]

will forever love that one for the introduction of Tom my favourite Alex Rider side character

[@googamp32]

So... There's one thing that bugs me. If this franchise is pretty much Harry Potter with spies... Does that mean it has its own spy version of Terrance?

[@cisalzlman]

googamp32 yes pls

[@KotoCrash]

I always heard the comparisons to Harry Potter and honestly never understood them. Despite being power fantasies aimed at the same age group and set in the UK, they literally have nothing in common.

[@kkbluebyrd]

Tekno Pathetic agreed

[@eadlynjune]

Kye Dysarthria I’m sure that idea has been done before Harry Potter though. It feels like more of a genre at this point.

[@supervegito2277]

@@KotoCrash Young adult novels is how i knew about it. I think this is the series i was recommended for more reading material, post Harry Potter, but thats about it. Same genre and all. And then Artemis Fowl from a classmate. Well Alex Rider, or The Secrets of Nicolas Flamel series, which i also read back then... i needed new reading material... Hell i remember ending up reading just the english version of the latter, instead of waiting for the Danish version.. Being so tired of waiting, i went for the publication in my second language, instead of the first, is something i was proud of at the time.

[@AlexGoldhill]

Great review as always. One change between the book and the move that you didn't pick up on was how they portrayed Smithers, the Q expy. In the film Steven Fry plays him as quite dour and grumpy and rather dismissive of Alex. I believe Fry thought that he would feel insulted that his talents were being wasted on a child. This is the complete polar opposite of his character in the books who is quite cheerful and happy, takes an immediate liking to Alex and actively relishes the challenge of finding ways to sneak spy gadgets into things that a teenager would have on them.

[@ajerqureshi6411]

If I'm correct, I think in the sequel book, Point Break, Alex was instructed not to arm himself with any weapons or get himself involved in whatever scheme was happening (it was mainly recon), yet Smithers was so excited about the potential of coming up with gadgets, he designed and gifted Alex with them without the superiors knowing.

[@lanturn4950]

Yeah, almost once per book he gives Alex at least *one* weapon-type gadget (always something along the lines of 'stun grenade' or 'knockout dart', never lethal but weapons all the same) with a 'don't tell Mr Blunt' attitude.

[@TheKosstImogen]

And then much later for some reason it's revealed he's a dude in a fat suit. Years after reading that I'm still very much rolling my eyes and going "yeah whatever!" a la Liam Lynch.

[@joshslater2426]

I never read the books, but I felt disappointed that Horowitz revealed Smithers had been hiding his true identity for years.

[@DR3ADER1]

For adult users here, Horowitz is also the man behind Foyle's War. So, not only is he a good children's Author, he's also a really good television screenwriter. This also explains why he was also the screenwriter for the Stormbreaker film.

[@TheUnchainedGamer]

A British character getting kidnapped in a "Fake Taxi" brings about some interesting comparisons...

[@KitchenSinkSoup]

TheRealTheodericus I think Alex Rider would be a little young for *that* kind of taxi.

[@arnoldrivas4590]

(Laughing quite a bit here) Oh man! Bravo sir!

[@TheSufferingDarkness]

“Hello, love, where’d you like to - oh shit, a kid,” *Peels Out*

[@TF2Fan101]

Reminds me more of the first episode of Sherlock.

[@tobymartin2137]

Sabina being in this film would have been a serious example of an adaptation-induced plothole had they continued to make these movies, given that her not believing Alex about his involvement with MI6 was a major plot-point in Eagle Strike. I'm given to understand that the graphic novels (which followed the film rather than book version of Stormbreaker) addressed this by having her not believe his claim of who was involved, basically an evil Elton John. It was fortunate that Horowitz had created such a character...

[@nicholasfarrell5981]

An evil Elton . . . my God, I must read this.

[@kubamcmillan3078]

His plan is to destroy drugs with nukes​@@nicholasfarrell5981

[@HP-ej3bo]

Wait till you read the second book, where I'm pretty sure that Anthony is trying to sell me a crane in the 2nd chapter

[@Grievousish]

It's kinda funny that Alex Rider was basically James Bond as a kid, yet there was an actual YA series about James Bond as a kid.

[@jonathancampbell5231]

Alex Rider came first I believe, just a little earlier. Wouldn't be surprised if Young Bond was actually inspired by the Rider series in fact...though, granted, its not like kid spy stories were all that original even then.

[@CruelestChris]

YA series? There was a cartoon series, it's called James Bond Junior and it is the most generic of 90s cartoon trash.

[@1r0zz]

@@CruelestChris there is a officially endorsed (by the production, not by the late author) book series called Young Bond, first book published in 2005. I assume they are trash as the 90ies cartoon...

[@1r0zz]

when something is successful the vultures come in flocks...

[@benlowe1701]

@@1r0zz Actually, I rather enjoyed the Young Bond books. They were much more... visceral... as I recall. Still intended for younger audiences, but set in the time period of Bonds privately educated days. Not bad at all.

[@dvass7253]

Let's just all collectively say "Thank God for Kingsman: The Secret Service!" and pretend this epic fail never happened.

[@glennb6020]

D Vass and then they ruined that

[@WalkmanWillWalkAllOverYou]

Hear Hear!

[@LifeIsABeach3210]

That actor was 17?!?!! He could pass for 25 no problemo

[@UsonoHoushi]

LifeIsABeach3210 when you're actually close to the character's age. But look you older...

[@stewieismyhomeboy]

I mean, 17-year-old playing a 14-year-old is not nearly as bad as 30-year-old Cory Monteith playing high school sophomore Finn on Glee. Oh Dawson casting...

[@UsonoHoushi]

stewieismyhomeboy it's always quite amusing when they think this works.

[@Amateur_Pianist_472]

A very small 25 year old.

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

+UsunoHoushi It's at least as often a "give no shit" attitude because actual adults follow different labor laws than 16-18 year olds and putting 1 or 2 already known faces in a cast can boost the popularity of a program from the first episode on...

[@ArcherSlamBAM]

(For the record, I know that it was a JOKE, just want to point that out before I continue.) "It's a good thing this movie wasn't made during the Wii U era." ...because then the gadget would've been modeled after the 3DS, thus following the handheld console theme? What the hell is wrong with the 3DS? It's a good handheld console! XD

[@jmurray1110]

Well I think the 3D effect is shit but the tech has never worked for me with or without glasses

[@thesosoartist4458]

I think he forgot the 3DS was a new console

[@MissCaraMint]

The end does make more scense when you know that Gregorovich owes his life to Alex’s father.

[@WolfsbaneX]

I personally hated this movie. I was a huge fan of the book (I was 12-13 at the time I read Stormbreaker, and I finished it in one day) as well as the Alex Rider series in general. *Slight Spoiler* Watching Alex go from a wide-eyed kid who wanted to better understand his uncle to a jaded young man who actively detested being used by anyone was great (note: I’ve only read up to Scorpia Rising at this point). That might change after reading Russian Roulette and Never Say Die.

[@sherlocksmuuug6692]

17:20 Damn, I didn’t know the Queen had made Britain an absolutist monarchy again, enabling her guards to kill on their own accord. I swear, you turn around for one second... *Wait, is that the spanish inquisition cracking down on Catalonia?!?*

[@merrittanimation7721]

Sherlock Smuuug We better stop the war between the Protestants and Catholics in Central Europe then.

[@michalsoukup1021]

Technically UK never ceased to be pretty absolutistic, it is just that the monarchs willingly chose to exercise wast majority of the crown prerogatives on advice by their cabinet for like last 200ish years...

[@haruhirogrimgar6047]

And looks like they are back to kidnapping and burning innocent women to death as well.

[@Gew219]

"Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker" or how to make somewhat silly but entertaining children's book that much more stupid.

[@FVD]

Typical dumbass marketing tactics to attract the common American filmgoer. And don't get me started on the convoluted title to the Sicario sequel too, UGH!

[@elsie8757]

19:00 OH HI APOLLO, FANCY SEEING YOU HERE Unexpected Ace Attorney references never fail to make my day~

[@robertbrookes2000]

Just seen the first two episodes of the new Alex Rider TV series and man is it good. Really hope Dominic does a review or two on the series.

[@cooperminion825]

@AeonReign yeah. It's by IMBD and u can watch it through Prime

[@xix8314]

Anyone know why the series skipped stormbreaker and started with point blanc?

[@SingingSealRiana]

I am so confused what they did with yassen and ian though . . . literaly what the hell, I do not even want to think about the nonsensical implications

[@SpiderLingual]

Gotta admit, I was a teenage girl who loved the books because of the little-boy-targeted gadgets and unrealistically wild escapes. So, weirdly, I didn't understand any of the gameboy or biker explanations, and yet still felt like a little boy.

[@AureliaVerity]

Geez, the film credits for this are a who's who of UK national treasures. Stephen Fry, Robbie Coltrane, Andy Serkis, Bill Nighy! Shame to see it all so wasted. Also .... is ... is that Jimmy Carr? The stand-up comedian with the funny laugh? Holy Crap, i didn't even know he did movies! Tax thing must have hit him hard :)

[@kohakuaiko]

When you are only half paying attention and hear the line "all my currency just became self-aware and told me it loves me"

[@KayeHalliwell]

I got the impression he didn't know about the backup plan. so "cleaning up the mess" was something he thought he needed to do, despite his team very nearly winning.

[@AHealthyDoseofFran]

Coming back to this after the TV show reboot that started with the second book in the series, the flaws of the movie just stand out so much more. Not sure if you're into TV show adaptions Dom, but I'd be intrigued to find out your thoughts on the Alex Rider TV Show on Amazon

[@icemanlj2k7]

Hey Dom. I hate to be 'that guy' but Alex Pettyfer was 15 when he was cast and filmed this. Possibly crossing into 16 during later stages of production. Not saying your observations are wrong, but he wasn't 17 as you stated.

[@DerplingKing]

He looks 20 something

[@cooperminion825]

Maybe so but he looks like he's a 20 something trying to convince everyone that he's 14. When they did stuff like that for those 80s movies they at least had the decency to make them Seniors

[@icemanlj2k7]

@@cooperminion825 that's not what I'm saying. Yeah he looks older, but I was pointing out that Dom stating, matter of factly, that Alex was 17 was incorrect. He was 15/16. Not the 17. Dom got his research wrong on that one

[@cooperminion825]

@@icemanlj2k7 whatever

[@willrigby8202]

I read the graphic novel version of this, well the end of it anyway. I just realized watching this that it was based on the film, rather than the book. 19:12 Apollo Justice, fancy seeing you here.

[@merrittanimation7721]

Will Rigby I read the graphic novel version of Skeleton Key and the one about the crazy South African guy who kidnapped rich kids in a bid for world domination. I thought the art style was weird.

[@KotoCrash]

Loved this series as a child. I was always into the whole "Set up bad guy, set up gadgets, and then see them be used in creative ways to defeat him" formula of classic spy thrillers but was too young to appreciate the adult orientated ones. The writing is pretty simplistic, so is Harry Potter's, but Horowitz does take some interesting turns for the series as it goes on. Alex in particular, becoming less perfect and more psychologically damaged as he gets forced into this situation over and over which was interesting, darker and more complex character wise than other books aimed at the same age range. (Though I cant vouch for the later books that came out after my time) Needless to say I was pretty disappointed when the film came out and it was a goofy mess.

[@ThePonderer]

Stormbreaker? Isn’t that Thor’s new hammer? I just watched the Book Was Better video on this, too.

[@merrittanimation7721]

The Ponderer That's what I was thinking! Also that order of magic knights from the Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

[@craigmcnicoll4861]

Stormbreaker was actually the hammer Thor arranged to have made for a friend who'd proved worthy to wield Mjolnir.

[@exceedcharge1]

Craig McNicoll That friend is an alien named beta ray bill

[@craigmcnicoll4861]

Thank you.

[@exceedcharge1]

Craig McNicoll I dont know if thats sarcasm but i can never get over the name beta ray bill

[@luciesimpson6437]

I told my sister that adapting these books would be hard after reading them. She didn't believe me; she wasn't a fan, but said that they read like action movies. I think it comes down to what the audience are actually looking for. With this type of YA fiction, the wide-eyed kid being thrown into, and actually navigating, truly dangerous situations...it's the intensity and sincerity that resonates. It's why the Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe still appeals even after a century and why the Philosopher's Stone made JKR more money than god. Alex Rider is absolutely Young James Bond on paper, but making it like a Bond just doesn't work because it isn't the over-the-top ridiculousness or a badass, but morally questionable protagonist that actually appealed to the reading 10-year-olds. They had a better shot making it more like Harry Potter to be honest, but by the look of it they got hung up on the 'fantasy is for NERDS' while nicking all the visuals and trying to shove a tongue-in-cheek hammy spy flick that's super COOL into a story where the entire appeal hinges on the point of view character being both a power fantasy and every kid watching. At least it was made before every film like this was more interested in its sequels than its own burning wreckage. ALSO, my previous diatribe notwithstanding, Sabina is the epitome of the Bond girl ala PG-13...mostly. Elegant, clever, athletic, finds Alex sexy as hell, but ultimately Alex being a spy requires his commitment and her safety. The horseback ride reminds me though...of a terrifying and absolutely HILARIOUS sequence from Point Blanc which starts with spoilt rich-girl Fiona falling off her own horse in a train tunnel, nearly ends with them being run over when Alex goes back for her, and ends with her losing all the buttons on her shirt and making the 'you saved me' moves on Alex...which Alex ruins when he tells her that he'd "rather kiss the horse".

[@Rebeckiiful]

These were literally my favourite series of books as a kid... always did wanna snowboard down a mountain on an ironing board

[@gaybowser4648]

I first read Stormbreaker in Year 6 with my class and we all really enjoyed it. Some others in my class and myself went off and bought the full series collection 1-9 and read them all. I really enjoyed and still do, how Alex’s life slowly gets so much worse over the series and how by the final book, he’s completely done with MI6 and just wants a normal life. His also being easily manipulated like in the fifth book really made me feel like he was an adult but also a kid at the same time, a kid who grew up too fast but was also still naive and predictable. And I am so glad that Horowitz portrays MI6 as fucking horrible for forcing Alex to do all of this shit. Alex sees people blow up, commit suicide, get shot, betray him, threaten to torture him, he gets attacked at his school and so many other horrible things; in my opinion Horowitz did a fantastic job. Now I can’t remember the Stormbreaker movie that well but I do remember the scrapyard scene. In the books, there is no, ejector seat and instead, Alex is forced to break out of the car and the machine, coming out bleeding profusely and covered in oil. What did they do in the movie? They have ( as I mentioned) a stupid fucking ejector seat that sends Alex flying out and then is forced to fight about 5 fully grown men in hard hats. This is the dumbest shit I’ve ever seen. At the beginning of the second book, Alex follows a drug dealer who deals drugs to people who were previously friends at his school and finds that the guy works on a ship docked on the Thames. Realising that there is a construction sight very near, he sneaks in, climbs up the crane and uses it to destroy the dealers workshop almost murdering him in the process. Alex is then (obviously) found and taken to the police by the construction workers. If Alex could have beaten him up and destroyed his work without drawing so much attention to himself, he would have but he knew it was impossible for him to do. So much of the fantastic moments in the first book are taken out for comedy like that fight scene, when the series isn’t meant to be a comedy. Ok yeah Dominic mentioned all of this but there’s something else. Sabina is not a character until book 3 as mister Noble states. BOOK 3! And she’s bloody American not English! That’s like having Denethor show up in the Shire in TFotR. He lives really far away in a different country and isn’t relevant to the plot yet! Sabrina is also I think 17 when they first meet in the third book and is important as a character in the fourth, and I think ninth but I could be remembering incorrectly. She’s a good character- she isn’t a character in the movie.

[@ceeb420]

Holy fuuuuck, I loved that book series as a kid. I didn't realize it was still going on. Also, there's an actual book series that followed James Bond as a kid that came out around the same time as Alex Rider. First one was called like Silverfin or something, and was actually really good, from what I can recall.

[@alaaranaranoya1499]

Silverfin freaked me out when I was like, 13 I think. Freakin' Eels.

[@ceeb420]

Alaaran Aranoya Yeah, that prologue scene was intense.

[@jetfirexx]

The series (by Charlie Higson if anyone is wondering) was great until By Royal Command which kinda took a nose dive

[@annahughes8272]

Yeah, I liked Alex Rider for the action scenes, but then I read young bond and I liked that it had the fighting, but was also better written, had actual character development and felt less cheap, somehow

[@cosmicjami3]

Some of the Young Bond books are pretty good, but I mainly preferred Alex Rider as a kid because they had less romance in them. The Charlie Higson versions are good, but I found the other guy’s books a bit too romance-driven.

[@IthinkIambatman]

Reads the title and thinks ''Doms reviewing Thor's New Hammer?"

[@berengustav7714]

An ax.

[@JimmyC1994]

The only thing that I found odd about the books as kid was that Alex didn't turn fifteen until the sixth book meaning all his adventures took place over a single year. If Horowitz was capitalising on Harry Potter you'd think he'd have Alex age through each book

[@riptobias]

Uhm, Gregorovich is a hired assassin, The Dom. His "loyalty" is to himself and whoever provides his paycheck at the time, including but not limited to, keeping the identity of his employer(s) a secret.

[@user36able]

My favourite scene from the book series is just after Alex has a vicious fight with his identical clone. There is a description of a single boy emerging from the smoke, and it doesn’t make it explicitly clear whether this survivor is the original Alex- and then the book just ends! Like, given the many sequels after this it is kind of obvious that it is the real Alex that survived (I think) but I always thought that was a fairly ballsy ending for a children’s / young teens book series. (And then the protagonist might have died, but he also might not have. The end!)

[@kaitlyn__L]

This unlocked memories of my arguing with people at school, that he actually was the clone but didn't realise it

[@user36able]

I like that theory! It would have made the series a sci fi thing as well as a spy caper@@kaitlyn__L

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@user36able thanks! It’s been a while since I read it but I recall my interlocutors saying he can’t be a clone because he has all his memories. And I said they must have a sci-fi memory transfer machine or else passing-off the clones as Reformed children wouldn’t work - they wouldn’t recognise their families! I know they send Alex in the first place because Kids Come Back Different, but I seem to recall it being a marked difference in demeanour rather than having total familial amnesia. I also like the idea that some of the times before Alex discovers the secret elevator were actually in the upper half of the building even though he thought it was the lower half. And I like the idea that Evil McVillain accidentally did succeed in his aim to kill Alex, but would never know because Alex let the clone out. In all honesty though, Horowitz it’s a much more straightforward writer than all that. I think I just have a Thing for ambiguous readings, unifying the audience’s ignorance with the protagonist’s. Something poetic about someone not knowing that they don’t know something, when the clues were there all along.

[@gregorycourtney1532]

the books do develop their own identity. It starts getting dark with the third book (Skeleton Key) and just gets more personal and escalates from there. With out spoiling too much, they are good I recomend reading them, Alex gets A LOT of pyscholoical and emotional issues one would expect spy work would for a kid. That actually a huge theme later on: A kid spy is a bad idea.

[@logansmith2703]

The later books slowly get more mature and there own thing.

[@jaykay5811]

All the undercover 30 rock gags from Buschemi are genius af.

[@89xee]

This brings me back.

[@giovannibredo2196]

You should do "Pinocchio". Man, you're gonna have a ball with that. (Love your videos btw)

[@SonicDoctor]

A few years ago as a fan of the books I ended up hearing a rumour that behind the scenes one of the companies involved in the production either went bankrupt part way through production or ran away with a decent chunk of the money so that not everyone involved in the project actually got paid what they were due. Did anyone else hear this rumour or can anyone verify/disprove it? I'd quite like to find out if it's true or not.

[@gregorforrest5402]

I can't seem to find anything on bankruptcy or financial shenanigans, but the films production was handled partially by the Weinstein company - along with a few other companies - and they also handled distribution in the US. Horowitz also blames the lackluster promotion in the US for the film for its failure, so there is that.

[@sulsulii810]

Oh man, reading this book is one of my best memories from when I was younger. I was st my great aunt’s gorgeous house in the mountains and had been woken up early since I had to sleep on the couch. I grabbed a blanket and Stormbreaker and went onto her porch hammock and read almost the whole thing in one sitting, all the while it was foggy and raining a little... basically paradise for a little bookworm like me.Also, there have been more books since I left middle school? How?? The ending of the last book I read (either Scorpia or Crocodile Tears, you know the one if you’ve read the series) really didn’t leave room for more.

[@ohanna5074]

He found a way around those last books, trust me... and if you ask me he did a mighty fine job of it too, particularly with Scorpia Rising and Never Say Die. Give them a read, you won’t regret it!

[@intergalactic92]

@@ohanna5074 I grudgingly read Ark Angel..... I did regret it.

[@madelinevance8954]

I never read the books but my husband did. We watched the new TV show together and he thought they actually did a pretty good job at mixing the first and second books while modernizing it but not destroying the material or Alex’s character.

[@anselravenhart4753]

The graphic novel actually combines the movie and book, and I enjoy it best.

[@KotoCrash]

The books actually do become pretty good deconstructions of the "power fantasy" style of novels. By the last book I read when I was younger, Alex had lost a lot of people he cared about, had permanent injuries, survived a near fatal sniper shot, desperately wanted to escape MI6 only to have Blunt keep blackmailing him into going back into the field, and suffering from PTSD. A lot darker than you'd think after reading only the first book

[@OneTrueBelmont]

I laughed at the unexpected cameo of Apollo Justice. XD

[@aeioukay8532]

I’m just gonna say it.Anthony Horowitz is my favourite author of all time. I didn’t really see the similarities between JK Rowling’s writing and the style of writing in the books. However,I don’t think you could fully appreciate the differences and nuance of Horowitz’s writing without reading a few other of the books,which also get progressively darker .As far as I can tell,this style of writing is present only in the Alex Rider series,so I do suggest you read other works from Anthony Horowitz,like that James Bond book you talked about,or Horowitz’s Sherlock Holmes Novel, or his Fantasy series ‘The Power Of Five’. I just dunno,I really just Love Horowitz’s writing.

[@iaw02]

AeiouKay Power of 5 was so good, but I thought his best were the Nick Diamond detective series (which are so very funny) and also the Groosham Grange books. I feel like judging him just on Stormbreaker isn't very fair when he's written such a wide and brilliant variety of children's books

[@kiranadleeh9187]

I started reading this series last year, in 2020. Suffice to say that I am WAY out of the intended age group for it and the first book was a pain to read. But the series does improve and, ignoring the first book, I found them to be quite relaxing to read in that horrid period. My favourite book in the series so far is 'Russian Roulette'.

[@vggeek13]

I loved these books as a kid and was so upset they took out all of Alex's crafty intelligence, not to mention they really played down the reluctance to do anything but ruin the job for Yassen in regards to mi6 instructions.

[@victoriashevlin8587]

I never read these books, but I did enjoy his horror collections, which we're surprisingly disturbing in the best way. As an adult I greatly enjoyed his original Sherlock Holmes stories. Well written, disturbing and decently suspenseful.

[@nicole-corine4121]

Wait. His uncle dies... so they make him, a child, become a spy?! I hate when kids books are based on a stupid concepts like this. No sane adult would ever make a child responsible for saving the world. And any adult who would is probably the villain.

[@aleckirk2178]

To be fair to your last point, the later books really go into the manipulation Alex endures to keep being forced back into spywork. They threaten to deport his caretaker, lie a BUNCH, and dangle the truth of his family in front of him like a carrot on a string

[@GenderIsAnIllusion]

No one ever claimed that Blunt or Jones are sane just sayin

[@michaelgriswold5663]

Now that the tv series is officially out, I would be interested to hear what The Dom thinks of it. Great review though, strange that I'm finding it years later, but good review.

[@calemr]

I was a massive fan of the books, as a kid. When I was studying media in college, my class was taken to a screening, then given the chance to ask questions of some of the crew (I forget who exactly was there, possibly the director?) I was rather tempted to ask "Why did you ruin a perfectly good book?"

[@bulletscoded]

So glad you covered this, never met anyone else who read these books as a kid :(((

[@huntcd2012]

Alex Rider is still going on? I could’ve sworn they had at least two finale books in the past.

[@doodlecrazydc]

There is a new one this year (2020) as well.

[@randomclonetrooper6445]

It really should have stopped after russian roulette

[@intergalactic92]

Don’t get me started. I always thought Scorpia was a perfect end point for the character. But no. Apparently not.

[@jbcatz5]

@@intergalactic92 It’s frustrating that Never Say Die goes out of its way to undo everything that made Scorpia Rising something that said Nothing Will Be The Same Again.

[@KhaosN7]

Anthony Horowitx originally intended for the series to end after the ninth book (Scorpia Rising), but he ended up changing his mind and deciding to keep writing more Alex Rider books.

[@jeremyadler9620]

Great review! I read the book when it came out and loved it! I really enjoyed the writing and plot. It was just a lot of fun to read. I loved it so much that I read all the rest of the books as they came out. I even bought the latest one, Never Say Die, when it came out and am currently really looking forward to reading the next one, Nightshade, when it eventually comes out sometime in the future. As for the film, I REALLY didn't like it. It just seemed like a total waste of a good book, what with all the changes they did to it. I only saw it once and have no interest in seeing it again. I was also very disappointed with how they handled the relationship between Alex and Smithers, as it was one of my favourite relationships in the books. Smithers is very nice to Alex, which is a nice change from everyone else in MI6, who treat him much less kindly, with the possible exception of Mrs Jones. Out of interest, if and when ITV does an adaptation of the series, would you consider doing a similar thing to the show like you're doing with A Series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix, or is that show a one time thing? Looking forward to watching your crossover with Film Brain soon! Should be a lot of fun to watch :) Keep up the great reviews!

[@hujan1744]

When i saw the knife catcher i thought "Now, that's a smile only a mother could love." Then i heard how he got to those scars....Irony

[@somebodystopme3822]

Man as a kid i had a big crush on the guy who played Alex in the movie so I bought like the 6th book and read it in class reading time. Had no idea what was going on as I'd only seen the movie and read the titles of all the other books but ya know I had to do it to support my childhood crush.

[@sailoritaly]

Always glad to see a new Lost in Adaptation! :)

[@HarperNell]

Sailor Italy Your profile pic is magical

[@tomhur1]

I find it interesting that The Dom and Krimson Rogue had entirely different opinions regarding the bit in the book where Alex slips up and gives his real name. Dom prefered this and felt the movie version made him look dumber but Krimson prefered the movie version and felt the book was the version that made him look dumber.

[@PFiction24]

They could have fixed the end by saying the criminal organization wanted to get a huge ransom in order to not release the virus but the bad guy just wants to kill, then the assassin offing him makes more sense.

[@honeybadger2898]

These books were some of the first I ever read. My brother read them to me and they always bring me back to nostalgic times

[@MrAwesomebassplayer]

The dom you beautiful son of a gun glad to see you talking about this one. I read a lot of Alex rider books growing up.

[@regularshowman3208]

Actually, for me, at least, the appeal of Alex Rider books was the suspense. I always thought the books were so tense and engaging, especially with scenes like the escape from his uncle's car in the junkyard. Haven't read any of the books in a while, so I can't really speak much about their quality now, but power fantasy and relatability were never something that caught my interest.

[@Helleynea]

Every once in a while I've been remembering watching this movie, trying to remember the title and plot. Watching this I'm happy to finally get the title and otherwise archive the memory. This is certainly not something worth rewatching.

[@madelinemuller7869]

I really liked these books when I was younger. Thanks for doing something that was a huge part of my childhood!

[@zimbabweanzucchini4253]

I’d say dom, you should do a lost in adaptation on the Alex rider tv series

[@BlueScarabGuy]

Honestly, I'll be interested to see what they do with that TV adaptation skipping Stormbreaker. I read the first 6 books when I was a kid (Stormbreaker, Point Blank, Skeleton Key, Eagle Strike, Scorpia, and Ark Angel) and I remember enjoying them. Plus, Alex's pretty constant reluctance (born of the fact that the books actually have ongoing continuity versus Bond always starting from the status quo) helps differentiate him from his adult inspiration.

[@OneWingedHoneybee]

I remember loving these books in middle school! Honestly, I can't remember what I thought of the film though.

[@vagabondangel2753]

I smiled and practically jumped for joy when I saw this video! I've been hoping for The Dom to do an Alex Rider video since I first discovered his channel! So excited to watch!

[@spencerwarren1647]

I have Watch every single one of your videos and I watch them every day

[@1065chris]

Damn this book was everywhere in my primary school.

[@magosmarechferracioli1128]

So I act as the library aide at my high school, and let me tell you: There is an entire shelf dedicated to the Alex Rider novels. Not because they are immensely popular here, but because we have 2-3 copies of each one.

[@archaicfalcon4898]

what what is your school i would like to visit it

[@justmanic9673]

I use to read Alex Ryder as a child, I was like the only girl who did; anyway, I remember thinking they were okay but not great.

[@stardustnothing6115]

Goddamit dom this would’ve been really helpful 2 weeks ago for my test

[@cornboi3227]

THE dom

[@shirtymop6463]

What is the reason to change the villain's name from a biblical villain to a hellenic villain?

[@TheSufferingDarkness]

Technically, in the Book of Daniel, there is King Darius

[@HeSheXie]

I remember being really into these books as a kid. The power fantasy did appeal to me, and the series does forge its own identity later. It's a quick read for kids who don't particularly like Harry Potter (and I didn't at that point).

[@TheSoundOfGeorgia]

I read the Alex Rider books almost as a joke. All the boys in my class were reading the series, so I decided to give it a go, sure I *wasn't* going to like it because it was the 'boy's book'. And then I freaking loved them, and it's one of my favourite series of all time. The movie came out right around the time I read the series, so I was definitely in the mood for it at that time. I know this adaptation isn't perfect; they did change a lot - mostly in weird ways (and even ten year old me thought they were weird), but for whatever reason I actually enjoyed a lot of them. I loved that we saw Sabina (even though she doesn’t appear until books three), and I thought Alicia Silverstone was great as Jack, and, really everything. I haven’t seen the TV show, and part of me doesn’t want to, because Alex Pettyfer IS Alex Rider to me, but Point Blanc’s my favourite book. Even if I do though, I think this will still be my favourite. Despite everything I have so many fond memories of it, and will always unashamedly love it. (Also, 19:01 - this is how Alex’s hair is described on page two of Stormbreaker: “cut short, apart from two thick strands hanging over his forehead, was fair” I always thought Alex Pettyfer’s hair was book-accurate at least in colour)

[@kaitlyn__L]

There was a girl in my class who insisted that the Blanc in Point Blanc should be pronounced the same, French, way as Mont Blanc since that's where it's set. I remember arguing that would ruin the pun, since you can shoot someone point blank but not point (white). She argued back it makes no sense to spell it Blanc unless you say it Blanc. I took the view that, being set on Mont Blanc it's just a spelling pun and isn't necessarily intended to be pronounced. We never did resolve that... lol

[@sirrliv]

Interesting that they chose to film large stretches of this film on the Isle of Man, a sadly overlooked gem of the British Isles that can be most accurately described as "England's Living Time Capsule". If nothing else, I got a kick out of seeing landmarks like Castletown Harbour, Castle Rushen (the best preserved Medieval castle in England, Europe, and arguably the world), the Nautical Museum (formerly the home of George Quayle who was long believed to be a Napoleonic smuggler but was actually a spy for the British. Also home to Quayle's boat, the Peggy, believed to be the world's first sailing yacht, and one of the only intact unrestored vessels from the Napoleonic Era), and what I believe was a small power station just outside Douglas, the island's capitol. All made more interesting for me as I'd just been on a long weekend holiday to old Ellen Vannin not long before I saw this movie and got a laugh out of thinking "Hey, I've been there!" On the negative side though, just watching these clips is it just me or does everything look more grey than it should? It seems like this is something that appears in a lot of bad movies; to make things feel more super-serious than they are, the director will add a grey filter over every shot in post resulting in the colors feeling more muted and drab. And it never works, it just makes the film look more boring.

[@theneriiren]

Yeah I know, right? Was really nice to see the Isle of Man be represented in a film :) even if said film bombed at the box office. Am a final year creative writing university student in London but when am not studying, I live on the Island with my family and got a kick too from seeing the landmarks and other parts of the Island like Port Erin beach, Foxdale and Sayle's base being filmed at the Energy-from-Waste Plant just outside Douglas :) My little brother, who's now 10, started reading the Alex Rider books about two years ago and was excited to watch the film movie adaptation but, like me, was disappointed with the film itself especially with the iffy dialogue, hammy over-the-top acting and its assortment of dumb parts - was, like The Dom, saying 'But why?' throughout :P

[@beeman2075]

I think it was about ten years ago that I started to watch Stormbreaker, and after half an hour I couldn't get into it, despite quite liking some of the James Bond films. I'm hoping to visit the UK in September for a holiday (from Australia), and have always been intrigued by the Isle of Man. I might watch the movie again, to see the area scenery on film. Thanks for mentioning the filming locations in your comment.

[@sirrliv]

I highly recommend it. The Isle of Man is an amazing place. If you can, set aside at least 3 days there to get an excellent sampling of everything that's on offer. For accommodation, look up the George Hotel in Castletown; an easy bus ride from Ronaldsway Airport, usually pretty cheap rates, excellent staff, great food from the downstairs pub, and all of the best attractions seen in Stormbreaker are literally right on your doorstep.

[@theneriiren]

Yeah I agree with @sirrliv :) it's a lovely place to visit, I recommend the George hotel too :) I also recommend the b&b/ self catering cottage business (now with eco friendly 'pod' chalets/mini houses) that my family runs in East Baldwin (10 mins out from the capital Douglas) - here's the link to the website: relaxatballawyllin.co.uk/

[@beeman2075]

Thanks sirrliv and Phoenix95 Productions for the info :) I'll look up both the George Hotel and the b&b in East Baldwin. I'm aiming to do a 2 week walking hike around the Lake District, which would be very convenient to then hop across to Isle of Man. It looks on google maps like there's a boat or ferry service from Heysham to Douglas, but I'll look into those details closer to the time. I'm a photographer, and if I visit, I can touch base on here afterwards with a link to some photos if you're both interested. Cheers :)

[@braveng7909]

You should really read more of the books they’re a touch juvenile sure but they really are enjoyable

[@rachelmiller8528]

How did I JUST find out you covered Alex Rider? It's one of my favorite books series, I think I've been reading them for over a decade now, and I just want to say: thanks for tearing this movie up😂

[@josephscybert4661]

Hi Dom! Truly, every time I see that you have uploaded something new, it makes me happy. Your channel is very much a favorite of mine...thanks much!

[@ZekeAxel]

That's Beastly!

[@skyslasher2297]

I’m wondering the lost in adaptation of one of the animated Disney movies specifically hunchback of Notre Dame or maybe jaws

[@joshslater2426]

A quite ironic thing about the film is that its DVD cover had a review saying Stormbreaker had enough to “put Bond in a bin liner.”, the same year Casino Royale was released.

[@musicalnotextr]

I wonder if the pitch for the film for this was “British Agent Cody Banks”. I’ll pause while you take a second to remember that film.

[@leviadragon99]

Yeah... I remember seeing this one and not being impressed. I read some of the Alex Rider books back in the day, and as they went on they did start growing some teeth, Alex barely surviving an assassination attempt and having to deal with the painful recovery and PTSD afterwards being one memorable example. The first book in the series was hardly masterful literature, but I have a vague recollection of annoyance at the movie managing to dumb down and declaw even that.

[@gracekim25]

So do the movie writers not understand that we have school uniforms?😅 we’re not like America

[@FraserSouris]

Gracekim1 They probably saved a lot of money not making uniforms for like 4 scenes. This also made the power fantasy aspects cooler I don't fault them for that. Uniforms are bad

[@FraserSouris]

Mario Lisa Hey, Uniforms are bad. I’d rather be allowed to wear whatever ugly shirt to school than only have to keep 2 or 3 versions of clothes always ready

[@chargestone96]

Fraser Souris ive never had a problem with uniforms, its easier then "clothing policy" and rverything being similiar makes everything simpler

[@FraserSouris]

Mario Lisa Rich kids would still bully poor kids for external factors like their school equipment. Uniforms don't affect it too much

[@chargestone96]

yes all those stories about kids getting bullied because of their stationary

[@5ft4inprotagonist24]

I've been wanting to see you make a video for the Alex Rider movies. This made me so happy.

[@LivingEncyclopedia]

I’m trying to figure out how to word this... Dom. I don’t know how it’s possible, but you always manage to review things I know or at least have an interest in. I know this sounds like it’s not a big deal, but... it’s really surprising to me. Absolutely no one where I’m from is familar with the media I like. I always feel really left out because it’s hard to find anyone who goes beyond what is mainstream. Seeing all the things that I like, no matter how seemingly different or obscure they are, in one place makes me feel really happy. I know a lot of it is because Patreon people asked you to review them, but... that actually makes me feel a lot better. Because now I know there are other people out there who think like me.

[@Deamonslayer576]

When i was watching this I couldn't figure out if i had actually seen the movie or was just confusing it with 'Agent Cody Banks', which i think is a way better kid spy movie than this one. Turns out i had watched and thinking back i remember skipping through chunks of this movie cause i though it was so ridiculous. I have never read the books but remember one if my friends being really into them. Still was kinda interesting to get a flash from my childhood.

[@NolanDean]

Stormbreaker is simple wish fulfilment for young kids that knows exactly what it is and doesn’t hide it. But I don’t mind, it has enough cool villains for me to be drawn to it. Hopes for the ITV series, although it’s a bit weird to skip Stormbreaker seeing as I understand, Yassen isn’t in Point Blanc.

[@angelabeyer2497]

THis review will always have a special place in my heart. I was watching it while going into labor with my son. XD

[@silverbrumbyfan]

YES I just finished re-reading Stormbreaker the other day and the whole time I was reading I was thinking why hasn't The Dom done this yet