Ender's Game Movie Review

Original Ender's Game story didn't even make the cover page of Analog

Today, after over 30 years, I got to see the Battle Room from Ender's Game. For those who don't know, the new movie, Ender's Game, written and directed by Gavin Hood is based on a novelette and later book by the same name. Ender's Game the novelette was written by Orson Scott Card and first published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact magazine in August 1977. The novelette was expanded to a full length novel published in 1985, winning both the Hugo and Nebula awards.

In the future, some 50 years after contact and war with an alien race, the Formics (or Buggers), mankind is training for another conflict. To prepare, children are monitored in their early childhood and then the most promising are chosen to go to battle school (and later command school) to train for the future conflict. What follows is the story of children, including Ender (played by Asa Butterfield), training into soldiers and commanders. Training that mainly takes place at the space-based Battle School run by Colonel Hyram Graff played well by Harrison Ford.

Hard to see here, but in the future there are still Audi cars

My ten-year old and fifteen year-old self really connected with this story. For many years it has been one of my favorite stories. There are details of the plot and backstory that I won't spoil in this review. My most favorite part of the story is the Battle Room, a zero gravity space where cadets in suits battle with "freeze rays" against other students in mock battles. I could imagine what it would be like flipping, flying and floating in that room while firing on opponents. Even back then I thought that this would make a fantastic team-based video game. I am happy to say that Ender's Game the movie nails the Battle Room in every detail (which unfortunately the picture of the room is blurry).

Ender's Game the book is a dense story with many plots and sub-plots that can't all fit into a movie (naturally). Some threads are cut entirely from the film, but are not central to the plot of the story. What I think is a detraction for those going to see the movie is that everything seems a bit rushed. I don't know if someone not versed in the story of Ender's Game will get the same detail and sense of character development in the movie that happens in the ~300 pages of the book. This means that some details of Ender's development at the Battle School don't have the impact or depth that I hoped to see.

Where's my damn holo display tablet?

The movie is visually stunning with terrific special effects. All of the story elements that matter are present, if not told in the same way as the book. What I am left feeling at the end of the movie is a little sad over how brilliant this story could have been as a three season run of 11 episodes TV show from the BBC or HBO. There the sub-plots that were dropped and the depth of the character development could have been fully realized along with more Battle Room and other training scenes. Instead we have all of the pieces, beautiful to look at, put together well with good acting but not the depth the whole could have had with more time.

Yeah, this looked pretty awesome on the huge IMAX screen

Ender's Game is worth watching and in IMAX looked great. The film, however, feels rushed and some of the details of the story lost their impact by fitting them into the 1 hour 50+ minute run time. Overall, I give Ender's Game 3.5 Mick Happies. Well worth seeing, but I recommend seeing it after reading the book to get the full impact of the story.