Film Review: ‘Ender’s Game’ Loses Personality in Journey From Book to Film

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CHICAGO – Gavin Hood’s “Ender’s Game” may be the best example of a current problem with science fiction: From “Oblivion” to “After Earth” to most of “Star Trek Into Darkness” and now this adaptation of the Orson Scott Card book, modern science fiction has become so depressingly sterile as to drain the genre of most of its joy.

Rating: 2.0/5.0

Perhaps it’s the upgrades in CGI that have led to films that look like video game cut-scenes but these stories have been drained of what we need most from blockbuster entertainment – personality. “Ender’s Game” has so little edge that it’s completely round. It’s a serviceable film (certainly more than “After Earth”) but the streamlined, personality-less approach makes it feel like a product more than a story. The stakes are non-existent, partially because of the source material but also because we’re never invited to enjoy this world or what happens in it. It’s not a ride, it’s a demonstration. I miss when sci-fi offered rides.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Ender’s Game” in our reviews section.

We know from the very beginning of “Ender’s Game,” as a quote of his is put on-screen like he’s the author of “The Art of War,” that Andrew “Ender” Wiggin is going to be an important military figure. And so what follows is a story of inevitable conclusion. How does Ender turn from the bullied kid to the powerful leader? Such a pre-determined narrative requires character, flaws, personality, and people with which we can relate. “Ender’s Game” goes far too smoothly from that opening quote to its final credits to engage viewers.

In that time, we watch as Ender leaves his home, including beloved sister Valentine (Abigail Breslin), to join the International Fleet, the last line of defense against the Formics, an alien race who was defeated decades ago but who may be mounting another attack. The kids in training hear stories of the legendary Mazer Rackham and how he sacrificed himself for the greater good of mankind’s safety. Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) believes that Ender could be the next Rackham, a leader or men and women who operates on a different level strategically than his peers. Major Gwen Anderson (Viola Davis) is more concerned about Ender’s mental well-being, especially as Graff encourages the young man’s growth in solitude by isolating him through praise.

Continue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Ender’s Game” review.

Ender’s Game
Photo credit: Summit