Is war inevitable? Do we know our opponents? If someone is hurt, are we all hurt? These are a few of the thought provoking questions raised by the movie Ender’s Game. The questions that Summit Entertainment posits are more heavy-weight than what other movies for our generation (cough, cough — Twilight) provide.
The movie is directed and written by Gavin Hook. It is based on the beloved novel of the same name, originally written by Orson Scott Card in 1985. Asa Butterfield, whom you may have seen in Hugo, plays Ender Wiggin in the film. Harrison Ford, no rookie when it comes to science fiction movies, plays the role of Col. Hyrum Graff in this film. Other main roles are played by Hailee Steinfeld, Viola Davis, Abigail Breslin, Ben Kingsley and Moises Arias. The movie is very well-acted by all cast members.
Ender’s Game is set in the future, 50 years after humans encountered an alien invasion by an ant-like species called the Formics. The military fought off the species, but still wants to completely eliminate them to prevent any other possible invasions. The military is made up of entirely of child soldiers because their young brains are far more malleable; it is easier to put a child’s mind in a fighting mentality than an adult’s mind. The film surrounds a brilliant boy named Ender Wiggin. He is chosen by the commander to be sent up into space for training at a boot camp by Col. Graff. Graff is sure that Ender is “the one” and is determined to train him to be a leader. The training includes simulation tests that will prepare them for battle. Looking at it from a wider perspective, the training was basically a video game. The boot camp manipulates Ender’s brain and treats him cruelly. In his camp he makes allies and foes unintentionally.
The gender roles in this film are rather stereotypical; the men play the strict harsh roles, while the women are more soft and sensitive. Most of the minor misfit characters are interchangeable. And yet, the story managed to beautifully show Ender’s journey from an underdog to the leader of the pack, even as he struggles with sympathy for his opponent and yearns for his home on Earth.
The critics of Rotten Tomatoes gave Ender’s game an average of 61 percent fresh. They criticized the movie by saying that t it is not as thought-provoking as the book, but admitted that it does have quite a number of thrills. For the audience rating, it was given 78 percent fresh, saying it was unexpected and entertaining. Alison Millman, a freshman at PV High, said, ”It was different from any other movie I’ve seen”.
Before seeing Ender’s Game, I watched the exciting trailer and thought it displayed the movie quite well. The movie begins with what I would call a somewhat cliché voiceover, but from that point on, the film greatly improved. It dove into many aspects of each character. Movies that are set in the future often seem to over-dramatize the thoughts that we have every day, but this film shows a variety of people who express different levels of sensitivity. For example, the commander was unemotional while Ender was sensitive and longed to understand others.
The cinematography was fantastic in Ender’s Game. There were many interesting angles and shots. The visual effects were spectacular. I haven’t seen a movie use such high quality effects as they did in the zero gravity scenes. The detail put into every shot was impeccable.
Watching the movie, I needed to keep close attention at the beginning where it could be confusing. The beginning scenes were extremely rushed without explaining most of what happened. Despite the rough start and the movie’s twists and turns at every corner, I was able to follow the action on the screen. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed with the ending to this movie; I felt it didn’t resolve all of the issues.
In terms of science fiction movies, I was entertained but not blown away. In comparison to other great sci-fi movies, Ender’s Game was decent. After his memorable turns as Han Solo in the famous Star Wars Saga, Harrison Ford seemed to take a bit of step down with this movie. If I were to give the overall movie a letter grade, it would get a B average. If you are not a science fiction fan, I would not recommend seeing it; but, if you are, I would suggest you give the Ender’s Game a shot.