This series is produced at a very high level, not "kid's stuff" at all. None of the 2-dimensional adults. In short: ALEX RIDER respects its intended audience, but throws the net far wider.
There are a few plot conveniences that deserve overlooking, because the rest of the script and the entire cast is so strong.
When actor Alex Pettyfer portrayed Alex Rider in 2006, that film treatment was cartoony and Pettyfer's heartthrob beauty was spotlighted at every opportunity.
In 2020, this adaptation is gritty, frequently tense, and star Otto Farrant steals the show through the character he creates. My binge companion compared it to the kookiest James Bond flick and Daniel Craig's CASINO ROYALE. Farrant doesn't telegraph anything he does and none of his delivery feels rehearsed.
Like Craig, Farrant is worse for wear by the second episode. In the 2006 film, Pettyer always looks like he just stepped out of a salon.
One point off for the writer allowing a few story conveniences to become distracting. Otherwise, this version of ALEX RIDER is polished, thoughtful and gripping.
There are a few plot conveniences that deserve overlooking, because the rest of the script and the entire cast is so strong.
When actor Alex Pettyfer portrayed Alex Rider in 2006, that film treatment was cartoony and Pettyfer's heartthrob beauty was spotlighted at every opportunity.
In 2020, this adaptation is gritty, frequently tense, and star Otto Farrant steals the show through the character he creates. My binge companion compared it to the kookiest James Bond flick and Daniel Craig's CASINO ROYALE. Farrant doesn't telegraph anything he does and none of his delivery feels rehearsed.
Like Craig, Farrant is worse for wear by the second episode. In the 2006 film, Pettyer always looks like he just stepped out of a salon.
One point off for the writer allowing a few story conveniences to become distracting. Otherwise, this version of ALEX RIDER is polished, thoughtful and gripping.