Cast: Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld
Director: Gavin Hood
Country: USA
Genre: Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
Official Website: Here
Editor’s Notes: Ender’s Game opens wide today, November 1st.
I have always enjoyed reading, but when it came to school I instituted my own form of rebellion. I put an embargo on the assigned readings, and I mean all of them. It didn’t matter if it was To Kill a Mockingbird or Pope Joan, I was not having the pedagogically mandated page numbers. Amidst this limiting and self righteous protest, one piece of literature found its way through: Ender’s Game. It was a book seemingly written specifically for my younger, geeky, and awkwardly pubescent self. Like many a blissfully ignorant adolescent, I imagined what it would be like to see the cherished novel on the big screen. How wonderful it would be to witness the glory of the Battle Room, to see my imagination visualized. As I sat in the theater, the fifteen-year-old me was giddy with anticipation, for it was finally coming to fruition. I even temporarily joined that silly young man, letting the excitement pierce an ever hardening shell of cynicism; that is, until Ender’s Game actually started.
The film has severe pacing issues. Ender’s rapid succession up the ranks feels rushed rather than an example of his prowess. In between each of his milestones we are treated to a scene of filler.
After an alien race, known as the Formics, attacks the world, Earth is forced to fight back. Having temporarily defeated the aliens, the planet is now in recovery. In hopes of establishing a strong future for our world, the International Fleet begins to recruit and train children. Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) is the youngest of three children, and the last hope for his family’s honor. Ender possesses a strong gift for tactics and strategy, attracting the attention of Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford). As his training progresses Ender must balance the difficulties of life in a war torn environment with his own insecurities and proclivity to being bullied. Graff sees a future leader in Ender, now he just has to get him to see it as well.
I could go into the typical “the book is better” diatribe but this seems like a disservice to the very nature of film criticism. Yes, a book exists and this film shares its title, but in all fairness it should be assessed as any other film. Having said that, the existence of the book, the very thing that allows the film to be, is why Ender’s Game doesn’t work. In a book you have the time to establish an environment, page upon page of typed words to immerse the reader in the world you have created. However, in films you have a finite amount of time, and in the case of most studio pictures, two hours or less. So trying to transform any book into a film requires a modicum of intelligent editing. You cannot recreate the experience of reading on-screen, as the reader’s imagination is the paintbrush to the book’s canvas. Ender’s Game does it hardest to throw as much of the book into the theater, but in so doing, cuts the film’s legs out from underneath it.
The film has severe pacing issues. Ender’s rapid succession up the ranks feels rushed rather than an example of his prowess. In between each of his milestones we are treated to a scene of filler. The in between scenes drag with stilted dialogue that would love to be considered authentic, and offer little character growth for anyone involved. So many words are wasted on uninspired exposition where time would have been better spent on establishing character motivations. It is eminently difficult to understand what is going on in Ender’s head, an aspect that is paramount to our connection with the character, and the odd attempt through narrated emails is laughably forced. Writer-director Gavin Hood cannot grasp how to properly convey the emotional aspect of the film, showing when he should tell, and telling when he should show. The relationships all feel hollow and Ender’s unstable psyche comes off as more annoying than complex and troubled.
The acting is serviceable across the board. No one is really outstanding but the child acting is just as good as if the film were filled with adults, with only one or two terribly amateur kids. Luckily the film is at least nice to look at. The special effects blend seamlessly in the construction of this futuristic world.
The acting is serviceable across the board. No one is really outstanding but the child acting is just as good as if the film were filled with adults, with only one or two terribly amateur kids. Luckily the film is at least nice to look at. The special effects blend seamlessly in the construction of this futuristic world. The Battle Room scenes and simulations stand out as beautiful feasts for the eyes. Hood is able to capture the childlike excitement that goes with the Battle Room and the melodramatic weight of the outcomes. While some parts are repeated ad nauseum, I’m looking at you Mazer Rackham glory video, they are at least consistently visually exciting. The computer artists were able to elevate the many battle scenes past video-game levels into a realm of the truly cinematic.
On its surface, Ender’s Game should be a home run: a beloved and celebrated book, an impressive cast and technology that can finally produce the images that the subject requires. That’s why the resulting film is all the more disappointing. The film falls victim to the most common mistake of book adaptations: trying to completely recreate the text on film. In an attempt to shoehorn in as much of the material as possible, the film has a hurried atmosphere lacking in proper development. Ender progresses alarmingly quickly while displaying no signs of actual growth. Long stretches of painfully mediocre and exposition heavy dialogue give the feeling of an Epcot pre-ride briefing, even occasionally complete with seatbelt instructions. Little attention is paid to the establishment of character or any emotional resonance. Not even the exemplar visuals, with the simulations and battle scenes nearly possessing a balletic quality, is enough to leave a lasting impression. Ender’s Game is a pillar of squandered potential, a shiny exterior with little of note inside.
[notification type=”star”]60/100 ~ OKAY. On its surface, Ender’s Game should be a home run: a beloved and celebrated book, an impressive cast and technology that can finally produce the images that the subject requires. That’s why the resulting film is all the more disappointing. The film falls victim to the most common mistake of book adaptations: trying to completely recreate the text on film.[/notification]
