Movie Review: Ender's Game

Sometime last summer, I started a book, knowing that it was highly rated and the fact that a movie was coming out.  I only made it 41% through the book (my kindle tells me the exact percentage), or Chapter 9.  This chapter was very slow for me, and I ended up moving on to something else.  I finally decided to watch the movie...

Ender's Game

Released: November 1st, 2013
Watched: February 10th, 2014
My Rating: 7/10 stars

Starring:
Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Abagail Breslin, Hailee Steinfeld and Sir Ben Kingsley

Director:
Gavin Hood

Ender's Game is a book written by Orson Scott Card.  You can find the Goodreads page here. There is a bit of controversy surrounding this book, and OSC is a Mormon, and therefore has stance on homosexuals and gay marriage that doesn't quite fit today's growing views.  BUT - a book is a book.  It doesn't mean you have to read it, but I don't think it should be blacklisted.  This book was ages before it's time - originally published in January of 1985 (older than me).  I'm also glad that I at least read the beginning of the book so that I would have a general concept as to what the movie was about.

book cover

The movie is set 50 years after humans defended Earth against and alien race known as the Formics. The humans are working on figuring out how to prevent another attack as well as all other future attacks. They do this by training children - rigorous schooling, training, and learning of battles.  Through these steps they are looking for the next "leader" of the human army. It takes a balance of compassion and ruthlessness in order to lead well, and Ender may just be the one they have been searching for.

The movie was fun...I was able to follow it and hope for things.  I'm almost glad I hadn't finished the book yet because the ending was a surprise.  The cast was absolutely amazing, and I thought it was well done.  The effects were amazing - and at points I wondered how they had filmed it.

One issue I did have, was in the book - there was a concentration on not only Ender, but also on his sister Valentine, and his brother Peter (I got stuck in Peter's never ending chapter....).  Though both were in the movie (Val, more so than Peter) I don't think they really got the point across that they were polar opposites and Ender was a brilliant combination of them.

Lastly, that Asa Butterfield is going to grow up to be a great actor, I've loved everything I've even seen him in...now if he could just get past the awkward teen years...

Has anyone seen or read it?  I may have to try to finish it eventually - there are three sequels after all...