ENDER'S GAME

The novel Ender’s Game is a science fiction classic loved by many for generations, including myself. However, when the movie came out in 2017 it was practically ripped apart by critics, casual movie-goers, and readers alike. I didn’t have high expectations starting this movie, and I was sadly unsurprised.

Ender's Game follows young Ender(emphasis on young) as he and many others are chosen for a special program to train future commanders of an upcoming alien war. He goes through grueling training, isolation, and psychological stress, all in the name of protecting Earth.

There are times when changing aspects of the story improves a film adaptation, but this is not one of them. Ender being cunningly brilliant and violent is a key aspect of the plot and theme. It’s why the International Fleet officers are obsessed with him; it’s why Peter (where is Peter?) incessantly bullies him; it’s why he’s painted as the hero that Earth needs. Mollifying that key trait of the main character does no good to the story and only makes the reasons for his selection hazy and uncertain. Perhaps Ender's disturbing capacity for violence was toned down in order to make him more appealing to the general audience.

The cadets’ actors are much older than the original setting (Ender and Bean are six and four at the start of training), so they end up looking more like mid-teens. Although it’s obviously difficult to find competent child actors around that age, the story’s concept loses much of its shock value and psychological horror elements because of this.

My main gripe with the film is that the whole plot, particularly the middle segment, felt so rushed; it played like a haphazardly put-together slideshow that kept missing the key points. Most of the scenes were crammed to the brim with exposition and the protagonist’s thoughts spoken aloud—an unfortunate side effect of adapting such a character-driven novel. and the other characters’ involvement was lessened due to time constraints.

The only thing that makes this film watchable is the visual effects, such as the zero-g battle room scenes, which manage to distract you from the atrocious acting(if you’re lucky).

Ender’s Game is a moderately entertaining visual experience for fans of the original novel, but not much else - all the condensations and changes made to the story and characters turn it into a slog of a film that’s a chore to sit through. If you’re a die-hard novel fan like me, you should steer clear away from this mess.

End score: 3.5/10