Ender's Game

(I'm going to preface this review with a little statement. This Week's movie is based on a book by an author who, while being recognized as a influential figure in science fiction, also has some social views I consider to be wrong. I'm not going to detail them, but if you are curious, a simple search on the internet will give you all the information you need on that. I also know that by seeing this movie you are helping to give money to said person who holds these views, and has spoken publicly about them. That all being said, my review is based on the movie I saw, and not he book, or the man behind it. So, in addition to the question about the movie itself, one may question if they should support this film due to your beliefs. If you decide not to see it due to those beliefs, I completely understand. My review, however, exists outside of that. )

(now, on with the review)

Based on the classic science fiction story, "Ender's Game" tells the story of a world threatened with annihilation, and the boy who may be it's only hope... at least that's the story on the surface. The hero of the story is a young boy named "Ender" who may have the skills, and mindset needed to lead humanity against what out leaders call, our biggest threat. As the story progresses, we see Ender develop in skill, and in leadership, but as he grows, he learns to question those very leaders who have selected him to save humanity. If that sounds like a rather vague plot description, know that anything more may lead you to more spoilers than you want in a review.

Like many great science fiction stories, "Ender's Game" is about more than just the lasers, and aliens and space ships. It's a question about humanity itself, and the extremes we are willing to go though. To be sure, there are a lot of high set piece special effects, but they serve to enhance the story, rather than to overshadow them. Without the plot, the visuals are stunning, but they meaning is lost. As you can imagine, the plot puts Ender, and us, in positions where there are no clear cut answers.

The cast of "Ender's Game" does a well enough job, if they are a bit wooden at times. The best performances come from the leads, Asa Butterfield, as Ender, and Harrison Ford as Col. Graff, the man who believes Ender is the boy who will save humanity. Butterfield portrays Ender's mix of confidence, and loneliness well, while Graff keeps us guessing as to where his true motivations lie, and how far he's willing to go. Ford seems like a great choice to me, as I, like many movie goers, have been conditions to like Ford's characters. these two help bring out the best in every scene they are a part of, and help keep us emotionally involved.

I mentioned the special effects before, but I did want to mention how good they are. I saw the film on Imax, and while maybe it's not as impressive as "Gravity" it does help to showcase the action. The action itself was also quite good, although most of it was held back until the very end. Again, the special effects are there to aid the story, not to be the main focus of the movie.


Parents, there is some violence in this film, but it's nothing compared to what we see in most teen oriented action movies. Even more impressive, in my mind at least, is the fact that the we see constant reminders of the impact of said violence. There are no explosions that kill scores of people that we simply forget about,and no  fights to the death that are just chances for action. This is a film that's more about violence, and it's impact on a child, than a film that showcases violence. If your pre-teen wants to go see the film, I urge you to go with them to see the movie. After it's over, sit and talk with them about the dilemmas that are central to the film.

 Many of the greatest Science Fiction stories are about much more than just simply space aliens. They are stories about us, and our fears. They're given bug eyes and mutant powers to make them more entertaining to us, but they help instil in us a real challenge to look at the world we live in in a different light. "Ender's Game" follows in this tradition admirably, both entertaining, and enlightening.