Ender’s Game Movie Review

There was a time when an alien race attempted an invasion of our planet.  These aliens, called the Formics, were defeated, and subsequently driven back to their home world.  50 years later, Earth continues to be leery of another attack, this time one of more consequential impact.

So our precious military does exactly what you would expect of them: They enlist teenagers to fight the war for them.  It happens to be a bit more complicated than that, as these genius children are believed to be born gamers, and therefore can command a drone-fueled war better than our seasoned combat veterans.

Of these chosen few, Ender Wiggen (Asa Butterfield) is the chosen one.  That one child who encompasses all that we need to effectively wipe out the alien threat for countless generations.  Colonel Graff, the ever-growly yet still somehow restrained Harrison Ford, recognizes this in Ender and prepares him for his ultimate game.

Much like the war itself, the entirety of Ender’s Game hinders on Butterworth, who handles his role with deft charisma as someone you can believe could save us all, as well as that same someone you could follow into battle.  Watching Butterfield stand toe-to-toe with an Iron Giant such as Harrison Ford (not to mention a well-tatted-up Ben Kingsley), as well as the way he uses subtle facial tics to illustrate his underlying lonliness, showcases that this boy is an actor to follow.

The rest of the cast are mostly filler characters as this film is truly about Ender’s plight, with 2 notable exceptions.  Abigail Breslin as Valentine, Ender’s sister, provides the heart of the film as his one true motivation for saving mankind.  Although her screen-time is limited, her presence is felt throughout.  Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) is the only other standout as Ender’s partner, Petra, who may have a little something extra in mind for her and Ender once all of this war business comes to an end.

Ender’s Game is an adaption of the beloved Orson Scott Card novel, and the first half of the film plays out as a kind of teenage version of Top Gun, with Ender constantly dealing with the inner turmoil of ‘Being the Best’; while the second half is Ender accepting his fate and preparing for battle.  This narrative actually helps the film, as just when it felt it was starting to wear a little thin, the other narrative began to take hold and we were once again invested in the story.

While most of the battle sequences take place with several actors attempting maneuvers in front of one massive visual simulator, the special effects within the space battles are absolutely breathtaking.  Director Gavin Hood, yes the guy who directed X-Men Origins: Wolverine, is at his finest when directing these zip-line paced action scenes.

Whether it is a zero-gravity version of rollerball, or thousands of warships commencing on a planet, every aspect of this Game were edge-of-your-seat thrilling and several times, all I wanted to do was somehow take part in the same game Ender and friends were playing.  These portions alone warrant a trip to the big screen to behold them in all of their destructive glory.

Overall, Ender’s Game has just enough heart to keep you invested in Ender’s journey towards the leader everyone believes him to be, while just enough action to keep those less interested in that journey enthralled with all the pretty lights in full display on screen.  This Game is definitely worth a play.

If $10 is the full price of admission, Ender’s Game is worth $7.50

 

Aaron Peterson
The Hollywood Outsider
www.TheHollywoodOutsider.com