IMDB Synopsis: ENDER’S GAME
‘The International Military seek out a leader who can save the human race from an alien attack. Ender Wiggin, a brilliant young mind, is recruited and trained to lead his fellow soldiers into a battle that will determine the future of Earth.
For the unfamiliar, Ender’s Game is an adaptation of a 1980’s Sci-Fi novel by the author Orson Scott Card. In the future, Earth survives a devastating invasion by an insect-like alien species know as the Formics, averted only by the actions of one soldier, Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley, Gandhi, Hugo, Iron Man 3). Several years later, the whole planet is now unified behind the International Forces who are preparing for further attacks and an effort to end the Formic menace once and for all. Due to the adaptability and improvisation tactics of the alien attacks, a program is created where children with an aptitude for strategy and aggression are selected for Battle School where they will be trained in war games to lead the assault on the Formics. The reasoning being that children are faster thinking, absorb information quicker than adults, and have a tendency to ‘think outside of the box’. Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield, Hugo), is the third child in his family to attend Battle School and quickly progresses under the watchful eye of Colonel Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Blade Runner). He shows mastery of the war game scenarios, wins the respect of his fellow cadets, and graduates to Command School where he starts Battle simulation training to turn him into the leader of the fleet that will determine the outcome of the Formic conflict.
Overall, Ender’s Game delivers a polished telling of a Sci-Fi cult classic that should appeal to casual movie goers yet also satiate most fans of the book. The moral complexity of the novel has been sanded down somewhat to make it more easily digestible but that’s not to say it lacks depth compared to more mindless fare. Asa Butterfield does well in the lead, convincing us of the inner struggles and angst his character Ender endures throughout, his ‘young Ed Norton’ voiceovers were a little lacking in conviction though. Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit), imbues a sense of warmth sorely lacking in the film until her arrival, one that should have been represented by Ender’s sister but I will discuss that later. It is, though, an absolute pleasure to see Harrison Ford engaged with material again. His switching between the gruff and tender, to nudge Ender on the path to becoming the Commander they need is both engaging and touching to watch. A real return to form for him. As to Sir Ben, his Mazer Rackham is serviceable enough, delivering more of a cold bluntness in his role as mentor. He seems to have developed a penchant for weird accents of late which is sadly the most memorable thing about his performance. The rest of the cast are fine although the fellow cadets do lack some definition. A fine line is trodden to mostly avoid schmaltz but with a largely young cast the film does take on a ‘young adult fiction’ feel at some points. I liken the film to the SyFy miniseries adaptation of Dune made several years ago. Functional, hits the right points, is accurate; but lacking a little bit of soul or greatness. It does little to convince a person unfamiliar with the work as to the significance and cultural impact of the book.
In the wake of Gravity, a new standard has been set for effects scenes in space and I’m happy to say Ender’s Game doesn’t offend. The CGI was solid, more real than glossy, reminiscent of Elysium which is a good thing. From the slight touches on Earth, a beautiful launch setting for space travel and the gesture-based computers, there is enough there to show advancement but keep things grounded and real. The zero G combat scenarios were handled well (probably one of the more difficult components of the book to deal with) although that segment was a little rushed. The later battle simulations were at times beautiful to watch and others more reminiscent of an intensely busy video game, similar stylistically to The Matrix Revolutions with the drone usage (another connection to modern warfare debate).
The film deals with the contemporary issues of virtual violence (gaming) and distant/detached killing via drones. In essence, Ender’s Game is an extension of today’s video game generation coupled with some of the political maneuvering of the past few years. The motives and need to attack the Formics are rooted in propaganda on the part of the military. Fear has been instilled into the populace to such an extent that parents not only allow their children to be trained in warfare at a very young age, but are proud of it. While watching I kept thinking of a similar film in Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers. In each of these films, fear tactics and a certain fascism has led the war in pushing for a conflict with a alien/foreign threat. Troopers is a bit more on the nose with its commentary, although saturated with far more satire and irony. In Ender’s Game it is watered down but similar themes permeate the film. The need and justification for violence and how it can lead to the sacrifice of morality and other aspects of humanity is explored. Having children be the focus and tool of this corruption is both disturbing and fascinating, but rather than embrace this and explore darker territories, Hood made a choice to let our minds perhaps fill in the deeper meaning of these themes to produce a more mainstream and accessible feature.
With any book adaptation there are going to be things omitted due to time or logistics. The focus in the film really is on the battle sequences and the enduring molding of Ender into the commander they need, notably through the influences of Graff. But what is undeveloped here is the foundation for Ender’s fears and motives, his relationship with his siblings, notably his sister Valentine. Our initial introduction to the family made his brother out to be a bully rather than a psychopath and his sister to be whiney rather than sensitive. It is the pull between these two emotions that are the bedrocks of Ender’s development throughout the movie, the fear he may become too aggressive like his brother and the efforts of Graff to prevent him becoming too like his sister. These relationships were not cemented enough initially, had they been it would have permeated the structure of the rest of the film and made it stronger as a result. The adaptability of the Formics is also glossed over. Reinforcing that would have put into better context the use of children for their adaptability and unorthodox thinking. The Formic threat in general is somewhat lacking and may have been helped by an expanded sequence at the beginning showing the initial conflict although the anti-Formic propaganda seeded throughout the film is a nice touch.
My main issues are with the pacing of Ender’s Game. Gavin Hood, director of Tsotsi and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, turns in a polished adaptation but there are missteps with the structure of the film. In addition to the aforementioned rushed introduction to the Wiggin family, the Battle school segment is also truncated. Ender’s ascent from the bottom of the class ranking table to top was very abrupt. Some expansion of his evolving strategy was needed, his ability to think unconventionally was glossed over. This is handled much better in the battle simulation portion of the film.
Finally, the ending. Yes, the book’s surprising ending is thankfully intact; delivered well in a sobering finale. However, the goodwill generated by this is a tad undone by a poorly delivered coda to tie things up. The pacing issue reemerges too, while in the book the climax is expanded upon here it is rushed. Rather than experiencing an emotional resonance and seeing the ensuing political and moral fallout in human society (as in the books) as well as the toll the events of the story take upon Ender, it moves quickly to a path of redemption. The motives and accountability of the war and propaganda machine are not held up in the end. Ender moves on. It is not just himself that is affected but the whole of humanity that should deal with the weight of his actions. This aspect is lacking, I would hesitate to say we are left with a ‘feel good’ ending but we are certainly deprived of one that would make us think a little deeper about what unfolds.
Ender’s Game is a solid interpretation of the source material. It is not as thought-provoking and has pacing issues, but it delivers the intended message. The performances are strong. The effects and direction are accomplished. And the momentum the final third picks up carries you through to a decent ending. Fans of the book should be well satisfied and those who go into it unknowing should be sufficiently entertained.