quick summary of the book represent boy and billy tepper and about 12 year old be school main trouble maker and and if he get kick out of one more school he will be send off to board school . his upscale boy school in switzerland ( or somewhere like it ) get take over by arab terrorist and why i be not really sure . billy have no friend and and like to use his laptop to hack into his school database . he and with the help of two teacher thwart the terrorist plan and and save the entire school . the book wasn not bad and but be sooooooo cliché . now about the movie while they switch arab terrorist to cuban terrorist and and make billy about 17 and the leader of his group of friend . they like to get into trouble and but normal teenage stuff . this movie be believable . maybe not realistic and but the character be real . you can watch billy and joey and and the rest of the guy and see real kid act out the way they do ( or at least want to ) . great action scene . not everything go as plan for either side . overthrow the terrorist be messy and and good guy do get hurt . i would not say who and but it be heart wrench ( i know and i use that word a lot ) . sean astin be excellent . a a teenager he usually play the dopey best friend . this movie prove once again that he could play the lead man and kid and whatever . the only performance that may have upstage his be wil wheaton and who play the only son of a new jersey mafia man . he hat his father and and everything he stand for . ( a far cry from wesley crusher ) usually this genre of film be one i watch for the soul purpose of make fun while but not toy soldier . the story line flow and the dialogue be usually believable . i can not think of a single moment where i find myself shout at the tv oh that would so not happen great movie that should be in everyone collection .