Ender’s Game has been both emotionally-exhausting and thought-provoking for a wide variety of audiences since Orson Scott Card wrote it in 1985. Recently, a movie has been released that is based upon this military science fiction book. It was directed by Gavin Hood who also wrote the screenplay. Asa Butterfield, who plays the main protagonist Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, did a wonderful portrayal of a young highly intelligent and sensitive boy who is caught in a war that he did not was to participate in. Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Viola Davis, Abigail Breslin, and Ben Kingsley are a wonderful supporting cast that brings their own wonderfully diverse personalities and flavors to the movie.
Ender’s Game is about Andrew Wiggin learning how to defeat the Formics, an alien race who had attacked and almost won a couple generations back, and still keep his humanity. Ender has two major setbacks that he has to battle with throughout the entire movie 1)whether he is more like his sister Valentine Wiggin or his brother Peter Wiggin 2) how when he finally loves his enemy, defeats and end them, how can he get over his grief and move on.
The movie ran a total of 114 minutes and did not feel long enough. The movie was compressed and whole chapters were taken out that were necessary for the extremely multifaceted plot that encompassed many different views of what was going on in the war and what was happening on Earth. The movie though visually stunning and utilized up-to-date-technology still did not how the heart and soul of the book. Fans will both be disappointed and happy with how the movie turned out.
The actors did a superb job with the screenplay there were given. Minor characters like Bernard played by Conor Carroll had become more emphasized and fleshed out in the movie. Asa had to portray many emotions because of the many challenges and hurdles Ender has to endure and overcome. Both Major Anderson and Sergeant Dap did wonderful jobs on how deal with shaping young children into ruthless fighting machines and back to citizens who can function within society.
Though there were certain changes and shortcuts the movie implemented I was still actively engaged in the movie. This movie has gotten a very mixed reception for the controversy of a statement twisted by the public. I would recommend this to people who have and have not read the book. For the people who have read the book first it will bring certain things like the Battle Room and the egg of the Formic queen alive. The people that have not read the book will also enjoy the movie because of the plot line and action sequences. Overall this movie is worth seeing just not necessarily in the movie theaters.
Sources-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ender%27s_Game_(film)#Plot