Ender’s Game: Movie Review

The new sci-fi feature “Ender’s Game” is based on the bestselling book of the same name by Orson Scott Card.  The film which was adapted and directed by Gavin Hood is at times a little too slowly paced, but manages to entertain none-the-less.

After a hostile alien force called the Formics invaded Earth in the not-too-distant future, the International Military began to recruit the planet’s most intelligent children for training.  The reason for this is because the younger the mind, the more complex thinking it can handle, which comes in handy for strategic war plans.  Young Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) is just the mind Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) is looking for.

Ender is part of a  group of other young cadets  sent to battle school which is located in a space station orbiting the Earth.  Even though Ender is generally shy, he is the first to open his mouth if he questions an order given to him.  He has trouble taking instruction that he doesn’t agree with. 

Butterfield (who you might recognize from “Hugo”) is great here.  “Ender’s Game” would have only worked with a gifted actor like this in the title role.  The young actor does a fantastic job showing us Ender’s frustration and compassion.  He is someone who not only loves his friends, but his enemies as well.   The supporting case does not slouch either.  Ford is more than fine as the tough Colonel, who sees Ender not as a child, but as a weapon.  Viola Davis is criminally underutilized here as Major Gwen Anderson, but I am thankful for the time she does get on screen.  Ben Kingsley has a much smaller role than I expected, but he is good here too. “Ender’s Game” also looks great.  Some of the CGI looks a bit dated in some scenes, but I loved the design of the battle school, especially the cadets quarters. 

Good sci-fi is a rare find these days and even though “Ender’s Game” is not a great movie, it is pretty damn good.  Sci-fi fans and hopefully fans of the book will dig it.

By: Marc Ferman