Summit Entertainment | Release Date: November 1, 2013
6.5
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 577 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
340
Mixed:
155
Negative:
82
Watch Now
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand
Review this movie
VOTE NOW
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Check box if your review contains spoilers 0 characters (5000 max)
6
ViolettSep 1, 2015
I have mixed feelings after this movie. From one side this movie seems unique, I don't remember anything similar. The movie is bright, dynamic, and there is Harrison Ford. From other side this is movie definitely for kids and teens. EnderI have mixed feelings after this movie. From one side this movie seems unique, I don't remember anything similar. The movie is bright, dynamic, and there is Harrison Ford. From other side this is movie definitely for kids and teens. Ender always trying to share his pain and emotions with you and fails badly. When I see his unnatural tears I feel nothing. The movie is very short - scene one - he fights at station, scene two - he fights with real army, and that's all. I'm not sure do I recommend it to anyone or not. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
6
SeveredWingJan 14, 2014
Without much in the way of strong character development most of the movie seems to just hand on it's flashy visuals. The story is not compelling mainly because it is simply too much to ask for an audience to connect with a very bland mainWithout much in the way of strong character development most of the movie seems to just hand on it's flashy visuals. The story is not compelling mainly because it is simply too much to ask for an audience to connect with a very bland main character. The movie tries its hardest to make you want to root for him as if he is some kind of underdog but at the same time constantly points out that he is pretty much already the "Chosen One".
In the end we are left with some great CG Special effects, a performance from Harrison Ford that borders on menacing, and a kind of cameo from Sir Ben Kingsley. No discredit to Asa Butterfield, but Ender just was not memorable which is sad for a movie titled after the main character.
Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
All this user's reviews
6
pkarapan77Feb 17, 2014
Unrealistic. Many roles are miscast with people that you could never possible imagine, in real life, would be capable of defending earth against a horde of alien invaders. It feels more like a Disney Movie at times, and tries to hard to beUnrealistic. Many roles are miscast with people that you could never possible imagine, in real life, would be capable of defending earth against a horde of alien invaders. It feels more like a Disney Movie at times, and tries to hard to be "feel good" at the expensive of putting forth a moral thesis. Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
All this user's reviews
6
FedelcaFeb 7, 2014
La primera impresión en las primeras secuencias de Ender's Game me parecieron atractivas e interesantes sobre todo cuando hablan de personas que no tienen nada en especial, pero que más adelante terminarán salvando al mundo, pero luegoLa primera impresión en las primeras secuencias de Ender's Game me parecieron atractivas e interesantes sobre todo cuando hablan de personas que no tienen nada en especial, pero que más adelante terminarán salvando al mundo, pero luego Ender's Game vuelve a tender una temática dramática en exceso y con actuaciones que no asombran demasiado (a excepción de Asa Butterfield). También cabe mencionar que se hizo muy larga, pero en las partes finales puede resultar entretenida. En conclusión, nada especialmente bueno, solo es ese tipo de películas que te entretiene por unos minutos para después poder regresar a casa para la cena. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
6
ekaraNov 9, 2013
Initially, I set the bar pretty low assuming this was adapted as children's film and I'm glad I was surprised. The film had a a great VFX Supervisor but not a great director. Despite the fact that most will watch this film because HarrisonInitially, I set the bar pretty low assuming this was adapted as children's film and I'm glad I was surprised. The film had a a great VFX Supervisor but not a great director. Despite the fact that most will watch this film because Harrison Ford's in it (and this role really suits him great), the lead actor had no screen presence nor any charisma whatsoever. Rule #1 in casting: the audience must always be engaged and captivated by your lead actor. Asa Butterfield was nowhere close to that, although he acted well enough...Director Gavin Wood and the producers' team should be the ones to blame here since they repeated the same one-dimensional plot with most sci-fi films and lacked an original presentation and connection. Overall though, this is an amazing spectacle to watch, but nothing more... Expand
5 of 9 users found this helpful54
All this user's reviews
6
eagleeyevikingFeb 2, 2014
Ender's Game has an overstuffed plot and might not be as though-provoking as its source material but still provides some solid action sequences and a good script.
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
All this user's reviews
6
JC86Dec 5, 2013
I don't want to give the wrong impression by rating it a 6. It's not a bad movie. It looks great, it sounds great (I saw it in IMAX 3D) but the feel is all wrong. The book really draws you in and makes you feel for this kid and I think theI don't want to give the wrong impression by rating it a 6. It's not a bad movie. It looks great, it sounds great (I saw it in IMAX 3D) but the feel is all wrong. The book really draws you in and makes you feel for this kid and I think the movie misses on that front. Interested to see where they take the series or if this was just a one off. Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
All this user's reviews
6
SomeGuyYouDunnoJan 10, 2014
The plot was so difficult to understand! I could only get about 25% of the plot before it ended, and the voice acting is a bit choppy. It is overall bland and confusing. Special effects aren't bad but rather overused. Lacks a lot of majorThe plot was so difficult to understand! I could only get about 25% of the plot before it ended, and the voice acting is a bit choppy. It is overall bland and confusing. Special effects aren't bad but rather overused. Lacks a lot of major scenes, such as (blocked) and (blocked). It is generally a bit mediocre, and with the Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and other good novel adaptations, it's generally gonna be overlooked. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
6
TheRunningReelFeb 3, 2014
In the year 2086 alien species called Formics attack the Earth. Commander Mazer Rackham sacrifices himself to save the planet. 50 years past without any sign of alien form of life on our planet but humans are still getting ready for futureIn the year 2086 alien species called Formics attack the Earth. Commander Mazer Rackham sacrifices himself to save the planet. 50 years past without any sign of alien form of life on our planet but humans are still getting ready for future battles, that might come any moment. The only weapon they have (except than machine that cost 7 billion USD) are genius kids - specially trained highly intelligent people. Most outstanding of them is Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) - a 15 years old boy with brilliant military tactics. He and another dozens of youngsters were permanently instructed and prepared on International Fleet's base in the space. However, they were never taught to be friends with each other, because only one of them would be "the chosen one" to lead the rest. If you look at Ender, he is an absolute outsider - a tiny, feeble, shy boy who sometimes turns out to be the biggest geek. But here comes a "surprising" plot twist that he has to defeat enemy that killed thousands of brave soldiers (no, seriously, this is not a plot twist, at all).

So, the movie basically evolves around him. And we're having quite long and peaceful voyage with Wiggin from very beginning to the end. At first I though of seeing massive battle scenes, with brilliant CGI, a lot fire and blood, but instead we have quite logical and predictable story of a confused kid who was foisted real guns. Watching a fantasy movie, I was not surprised how awesome and unreal Ender's character was. I liked how steadily and permanently he evolved on the screen, how he turned from a simple boy into a complex person. Asa Butterfield delivered very confident and emotional performance, even surprisingly better than I expected. He was great in Hugo, but here, having more character resources, he did exceptionally better. Wiggin is a little boy and a grown man the same time, who has self-reliance of elders and sensitivity of younger. All these was convincingly expressed in every emotion or movement of Asa.

The rest of cast is quite good, including Oscar nominees Viola Davis, Hailee Steinfeld & Harrison Ford, and Academy Award winner Sir Ben Kingsley. They all do their best to make a average story look more interesting.

Lacking massive attack scenes, it is hard to be surprised with visual effects. Only last 20 minutes bring enough action to see how well CGI and different techniques were used. But I still think there is nothing new even here, especially compared to Gravity, Star Trek into Darkness and The Hobbit this year.

Here is what I found to be the biggest problem. Ender's Game is not either kids movie or adults movie. It's somehow in the middle having few battle scenes for big people and few computer games scene for kiddos. Mixing these things does not fully worked with me. Personally, I'd love to see more action here. If Gavin Hood as a director could decide for whom he's making a film, I'd be more pleased.

Novel, on which film is based, has a sequel. I hope they'll make a sequel to motion picture too, but I want it to be more breathtaking and involving. Something like Star Trek into Darkness has done to me this year.
Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
6
RamonGuerreroMay 15, 2014
The plot is very solid, the screenplay is not very smart and fluid, and I still find troubles with kids acting, but there's something so interesting about the movie that makes you keep on watching, it is a catching story about alienThe plot is very solid, the screenplay is not very smart and fluid, and I still find troubles with kids acting, but there's something so interesting about the movie that makes you keep on watching, it is a catching story about alien invasions, with a different moral than all the other movies about the same topic. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
6
chwJul 17, 2014
Ender's Game was pretty good. Acting was a little (just a little) corny, but most of the actors in this film are under the age of 20, so it's hard for them because they're just beginning their career, so I cut them some slack, and that madeEnder's Game was pretty good. Acting was a little (just a little) corny, but most of the actors in this film are under the age of 20, so it's hard for them because they're just beginning their career, so I cut them some slack, and that made me give the movie a 9. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
6
vikesh2206Nov 10, 2014
Ender's Game has an overstuffed plot and might not be as though-provoking as its source material but still provides some solid action sequences and a good script.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
6
rebelmswarSep 23, 2015
A big fat "meh" from me.

Read the book thrice and was a fan of the series - I didn't hold out hope for this though. Still all in all a well done sci-fi coming of age in a military academy tale; same bullies, love interest, strict (yet
A big fat "meh" from me.

Read the book thrice and was a fan of the series - I didn't hold out hope for this though.

Still all in all a well done sci-fi coming of age in a military academy tale; same bullies, love interest, strict (yet loving) teachers, treachery and CGI. If you have never read the book you will most likely not feel as meh, maybe.
Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
6
sebastianaliApr 14, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Una película con un concepto super interesante que al principio podría parecer cliche pero créanme que no lo es, pero al final no lo termina de explotar. Algo que me ha gustado bastante es el carisma del protagonista, realmente te transmite muy bien sus emociones, y los momentos en los que hace estrategias si que están muy bien logradas con ideas algo creativas. Sin embargo, esto sigue siendo una película de "alienigenas", sin embargo, ellos no aparecen hasta recién el final de la película, cosa que uno podría pensar que seria muy predecible que aparecieran al principio, sin embargo, para esta película que los trata de ver como seres muy aterradores y demás, creo que fue muy desaprovechado, ademas de que Ender de la nada cambia de opinión sobre los alienigenas. Estuvo bastante tiempo entrenando para poder derrotar a los alienigenas solo para en los últimos actos pensar que podrían tener sentimientos. Sin embargo, como no se explora la vida de ellos y solo aparecen un poquito al final, al final termina quedando en la nada.
La manera en la que la película presenta los conceptos esta bien llevada dentro de todo y incluso es algo original, sin embargo se alarga de forma innecesaria y termina dejando muchas cosas sin explotar o sin explicar.
Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
All this user's reviews
6
AWESOM-0Apr 14, 2020
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Take away the novel and this movie isn’t terrible but when you consider how amazing the book is, this falls woefully short. It’s like the writers and directors didn’t even read the novel, they just looked up the synopsis on Wikipedia and made a movie off of that.
Here are my 2 biggest issues with the movie.
1. Peter and Valentines story arc get wiped out completely. It’s such a big part of Enders game. 2. They say that branches of the US armed services makes the book required reading. You absolutely can see why when you read it. Not so much watching this movie. You really are not shown the manipulation and conditioning Ender is put thru and his inner struggle dealing with it.
Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
5
MikimaxApr 20, 2014
As a person who never read a Ender's game book, this movie looks and feels mediocre. Nothing special and very shallow. That Ender kid is so annoying, i just wanted to punch him in the face.
Could have been better.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
5
TVJerryNov 5, 2013
The earth is threatened by an alien race and it's determined that young Earthlings are the best trainees for combat. Enter Ender, a unflinchingly serious boy, who rises thru the ranks. This movie takes place during the military training withThe earth is threatened by an alien race and it's determined that young Earthlings are the best trainees for combat. Enter Ender, a unflinchingly serious boy, who rises thru the ranks. This movie takes place during the military training with much of the time spent as Ender endures bullies, outsmarts everyone and questions authority (especially a stern Harrison Ford). The futuristic look is stainless-steel shiny and the effects are decent if unoriginal. Ironically, the fight sequences look like video games, but it's much more about drama than action. There are some non-traditional aspects that make it interesting, but it's not an exciting alien adventure. Expand
4 of 8 users found this helpful44
All this user's reviews
5
BikerjamesNov 12, 2013
I did not read the book, so I cannot comment on the comparison. I went into the film not knowing anything about the story. I thought the movie was compelling visually, but was unoriginal in the story which was too predictable. I'm alsoI did not read the book, so I cannot comment on the comparison. I went into the film not knowing anything about the story. I thought the movie was compelling visually, but was unoriginal in the story which was too predictable. I'm also looking forward to the day that Hollywood stops creating alien beings that look like gigantic bugs. I also found the soundtrack annoying with the music that is constantly going on at all times. The acting was fine across the board, but the script needed beefing up so that I cared more about the characters. Expand
2 of 5 users found this helpful23
All this user's reviews
5
KadeemluvmusicNov 26, 2013
I think Ender's Game should've been releasing next year, but since the movie already released it misses the target. I felt that the story is far short (although I love Harrison Ford and Asa Butterfield's performance) and just like anyI think Ender's Game should've been releasing next year, but since the movie already released it misses the target. I felt that the story is far short (although I love Harrison Ford and Asa Butterfield's performance) and just like any YA-wannabe novels like Eragon or The Golden Compass, they don't have a single amount of audience that you want in a entertaining but flawed sci-fi movie. I don't know why Ender's Game was going to be released November because The Hunger Games: Catching Fire just released on the same month and by the way, Catching Fire breaks box office records, Ender's, however, not so much. I'm afraid there's no other choice than to cancel a sequel to some thought that Ender's Game could be a bigger hit. But then again, I think they must think about their mistakes in the first film. There's no future in Ender's Game and it's another big disappointment of 2013. Expand
3 of 4 users found this helpful31
All this user's reviews
5
MattyiceNov 11, 2013
Enders Game was by no stretch a terrible film. However, it could have been made much better. All of the characters in the tim seemed a bit lifeless, including Asa Butterfield (who plays Ender), who did not seem fit for the protagonist role.Enders Game was by no stretch a terrible film. However, it could have been made much better. All of the characters in the tim seemed a bit lifeless, including Asa Butterfield (who plays Ender), who did not seem fit for the protagonist role. Along with the poor casting decisions, the plot that made the original book so critically acclaimed was completely changed, including the entire ending of the film! That did not make me happy at all.
While there are many things wrong with this film, the one thing that they got right were the SFX, which were bright and engaging.
In the end, this movie could have been made much better if it were not for the poor casting choices and different plot.
Expand
4 of 7 users found this helpful43
All this user's reviews
5
BrianMcCriticFeb 12, 2014
This is a film that looks good has solid performances, but takes itself way to serious. There is basically no humor or even a smile also the plot gets a little ridiculous. Overall it's highly forgettable. C
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
All this user's reviews
5
funkymooseNov 7, 2013
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I loved the book and of course knew the movie would be drastically different. However, in my humble opinion, they missed a lot of what made the book great. Character development for Peter and Valentine and their relationship with Ender was very light and those characters are crucial to understanding why Ender is perfect. The personas that Peter and Valentine take on in the online world were not even touched on. The plot felt rushed. The dynamics of the world were not well established... I feel like if you didn't read the book, you would be COMPLETELY lost.

Which takes me to my next point... it seemed like they were trying to please both a core and mass audience and in doing so, achieved neither.

With my griping out of the way, the movie did have its merits. Absolutely visually stunning space looks beautiful. Ender and Graff were well portrayed. The action scenes were great. And the battles at Battle School, which were tough for me to visualize while reading, were executed very well.

All that together makes for a pretty average movie. Nothing to look twice at, but maybe worth seeing if you read the book.
Expand
4 of 6 users found this helpful42
All this user's reviews
5
Doodahday66Feb 15, 2014
Another movie which sort of pales in comparison to its book. Well, its decent, but for a movie like this I expected more character development... Ender, for example, seems to near perfect right from the start, and does not seem to developAnother movie which sort of pales in comparison to its book. Well, its decent, but for a movie like this I expected more character development... Ender, for example, seems to near perfect right from the start, and does not seem to develop much, kind of like characters from the first Star Wars movie. He also suffers very few setbacks which protagonists usually do. It's just...not quite right... Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
5
cag11Nov 24, 2013
I has excited to see this movie, and I got to say it did come close to my expectations. The only thing though is that the movie missed out on lots of important things that made the book good. Other than that, I loved it.
4 of 5 users found this helpful41
All this user's reviews
5
rygar666Nov 1, 2013
Weak attempt to be Sci-Fi Harry Potter... The book has a loyal following but the film fails to really engage. Trying to cram everything into 120 minutes and make you care just doesn't work.
7 of 14 users found this helpful77
All this user's reviews
5
PechSOGNov 5, 2013
Great special effects. Decent, Unfortunately story filled with lack of sense....read the book. Has some good moments but too many nonsensical as well....
2 of 5 users found this helpful23
All this user's reviews
5
MasayoshiNov 9, 2013
It is important for anyone that has read the book to understand that a lot of things have obviously been changed. As I was watching the movie I was flustered by how fast the storyline moved, spending a maximum of fifteen minutes on a sectionIt is important for anyone that has read the book to understand that a lot of things have obviously been changed. As I was watching the movie I was flustered by how fast the storyline moved, spending a maximum of fifteen minutes on a section of the book that took 4 or 5 chapters normally. Certain major aspects of the book were changed such as the Demosthenes and Locke saga, and completely disregarding Beans brilliance.
For anyone who has not read the book, you might as well not see it unless you are a huge fan of sci-fi and would appreciate the fictional scientific developments that have previously not been seen in a sci-fi movie to this date. The acting was mediocre at best. The special effects were amazing. The cast was... Interesting. Overall, if your looking for a GOOD sci-fi movie to watch I recommend, Star Trek 1 or 2 or even renting an old Starwars movie!
Expand
2 of 5 users found this helpful23
All this user's reviews
5
LensesDec 16, 2013
Since the books were horrible to begin with, it is probably best that the movies includes almost nothing at all from them. Once again, you get what you expect with this movie. CGI, Bad acting, and nothing new under the sun. Im afraid ISince the books were horrible to begin with, it is probably best that the movies includes almost nothing at all from them. Once again, you get what you expect with this movie. CGI, Bad acting, and nothing new under the sun. Im afraid I have to give it points for CGI. But at what point are we going to stop giving movies a free pass just because some visual effects company got paid 20 billion dollars to make realistic looking graphics. Scifi effects are not the only thing that scifi fans want in a movie. We have reached a point in public consciousness of moviegoing, that we do not want to be treated like infants that need to be distracted with a bright, shiny, red balloon. We need a bit more substance people. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
5
victoratorJan 23, 2014
I never heard about this story before I watched the movie, so my review should be objective. As a sci-fi fan I quite enjoyed Ender's Game, athough I was severely disappointed with how the movie ends. The acting was alright, the setting and CGI never heard about this story before I watched the movie, so my review should be objective. As a sci-fi fan I quite enjoyed Ender's Game, athough I was severely disappointed with how the movie ends. The acting was alright, the setting and CG was good. There were some unique ideas included in the design.
The main flaw of the movie is a really weak plot and too many unanswered questions and too many kids on the set. If you are into sci-fi movies, this is a definitely watchable and you should enjoy it. If you are not a sci-fi fan however, the movie will seem an idiotic cosmic flick with giant insects.
Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
All this user's reviews
5
ThatLostGuyMar 17, 2014
To start off, this review is not for those who are fans of the the book, but for people who haven't read it. Enders Game, in a world where kids are trained to become part of the military, one boy, "Ender" (what kind of name is that) shows,To start off, this review is not for those who are fans of the the book, but for people who haven't read it. Enders Game, in a world where kids are trained to become part of the military, one boy, "Ender" (what kind of name is that) shows, 'promise' so he is chosen to be trained to become a commander. With a cast that it has, what can go wrong? Well first i will say, i enjoyed it; it is one of those movies that you watch once and then you would probably re-watch it a year or two later because what happens will just shock you to the point that you don't understand what the story did. There is very little sympathy with the character, because it is hard to connect to the characters themselves. Sure enough Ender is represented as the typical high school smart kid who gets bullied because of his smarts, yet has anger issues whenever he gets picked on. Entertaining, i can say that would describe this featurette, just like any other Harrison Ford movies, entertainment, cheesy one liners, serious periods that take just a few minutes to get over, and a child to exceed his expectations (just like Shia Lebouf from the latest Indiana Jones movie).

When rating this i will not be going by the book, but the film itself as a stand alone.

Ratings:

Music: B
Acting: C+
Cinematography: B+ (lake scene is nice)
CGI: A- (very interactive)
Narrative: Start, and middle B, near the end C+, end B-

Positives + entertaining, make sure you have good speakers, a monitor is also enough to watch it. The CGI is very interactive, pay attention to the games that are played within the movie.

Negative - the narrative is too straight forward, and the shock will just make you annoyed. Acting is alright, but sometimes it is just like every other war story just mixed with kids, which is just like the representation of the playground. Just without ships, bombs, and zero gravity.
Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
5
GarfoodleJul 25, 2016
As much as I wanted to enjoy Ender's Game, I just couldn't. The movie was too short, and failed to explain a lot of things that I'd assume were vital plot points. The premise was cool, the acting was good, but the movie was ultimately tooAs much as I wanted to enjoy Ender's Game, I just couldn't. The movie was too short, and failed to explain a lot of things that I'd assume were vital plot points. The premise was cool, the acting was good, but the movie was ultimately too short for it's own good. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
5
NiteniteAug 31, 2016
This wasnt that good. Special effects and designs rubbish. Asa Butterfield is very bland as main actor. Harrison Ford better than tecently but still not putting 100% effort in. Although i was surprised by the twist which i thought was good.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
5
CoreGamer1408Dec 14, 2018
Do not read the book before this film the book is amazing and it will only make this ok film adaptation look even weaker. Harrison Ford is a class act the rest not so much.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
4
RecoveryRxNov 10, 2013
Worst book to movie adaptation I've ever seen. I guess if you haven't read the book you have a much better time of enjoying it, but they thoroughly butchered it that's for sure. Easily should have been a 3+ hour movie so much is rushedWorst book to movie adaptation I've ever seen. I guess if you haven't read the book you have a much better time of enjoying it, but they thoroughly butchered it that's for sure. Easily should have been a 3+ hour movie so much is rushed through terribly. And what is with all the random alterations to some scenes that added zero to the storyline? So dumb. Expand
6 of 7 users found this helpful61
All this user's reviews
4
philliesphan626Nov 2, 2013
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First of all, let me say that I think this movie is OK as a stand-alone film. The acting is done decently well by most of the cast, and I liked what they did with the limited material that they had. Asa Butterfield does a decent enough job portraying Ender's emotion and his genius. I like Hailee Steinfeld, who plays Petra, but there isn't much conflict surrounding the character. Harrison Ford is good as Colonel Graff, but that's like saying that this chocolate tastes good, of course he's good, it's Harrison Ford. The Battle Room scenes are cool effects, which helped me out, as those scenes were difficult for me to imagine while reading. The way that it deals with the morality of warfare, manipulation, genocide, and repopulation do make it smarter than your average blockbuster.

Unfortunately, the film can never be a stand alone piece as it is an adaptation of an incredibly smart sci-fi novel, and is thus held to a higher standard. This is where the movie has its many, many failures. Now I understand that a movie has to be different from a book, as it needs to tell a 300+ page story in around two hours. However, when these changes serve to undermine the meaning or the themes of the source material, I start to get angry.

First and foremost, the characters are aged up to be into their adolescence, and the time period of the movie is squashed into the span of a year. I am perfectly aware of why they did this. Child actors make it incredibly difficult to make a good movie (ask Jake Lloyd), and to go through the course of the story, at least two actors would've had to play Ender and the other characters that age over the course of a six-year story. However, the absence of the longer timeframe takes away much of the impact, as in the book Ender lives literally half of his life under the thumb of Graff and the military. This largely undermines the impact of the child soldiering conversation raised by the novel. The relationship between Ender and Bean is broken, as Bean is the same age as Ender in the film version, removing the key dynamic of the characters.

One of the key forces that defines Ender in the book is his continuing isolation, first from Valentine, then from the Launchies, then from the friends he made at Battle School. Graff says his line directly from the book about this, and successfully does this on the shuttle. However, after Ender wins his battle with Bernard (in a far less clever way, mind you), he is accepted by the battle school. After Ender is named commander, however, he never has the estrangement from his soldiers that he does in the book. They simply enjoy having Ender (who they all like and respect), as their commanding officer, without any change in his relationships. Ender never faces Petra or Alai in battle, forcing him to destroy, humiliate, and therefore alienate them. They simply both end up in Dragon Army, something Colonel Graff would never have allowed in the book. Nonetheless, Ender, Petra, Alai, and Bean are all portrayed well, which is more than can be said about one of the characters.

Bonzo de Madrid is completely miscast in this movie, which ruins almost all of the scenes in which he's involved.

The thing that I hated the most, though about this film is their stripping of the roles of Peter and Valentine. Valentine and Peter, and Demosthenes and Locke, have one of the ongoing storylines in the book. They manipulate world politics and involve themselves in an impeding war with Russian Empire. This storyline serves as a complex development to both Valentine and Peter's characters, a change in the separated siblings character as opposed to their perception of one another, a commentary on becoming who you pretend to be, a political argument about the nature of the mob, an example of bad motivation leading to a positive result, an analysis of child prodigy, a view of parental and sibling relationships and how they develop over the years, and my favorite part of the book. Naturally, the filmmakers chose that NONE of this had ANY place in a Hollywood blockbuster, and cut ALL OF IT. It also robbed us of the drama of Ender's fear of becoming Peter, as Peter is on screen for all of FIVE MINUTES, so we don't know him as the audience.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Hollywood took something that was thought-provoking and clever, and made it into a marketable Hollywood blockbuster. All in all, I think it has some merit (Harrison Ford!), but fails to reach anywhere remotely near the novel's impact.
Expand
10 of 12 users found this helpful102
All this user's reviews
4
insanity82007Jun 3, 2014
I'm giving it a 4 because while the special effects were brilliant, they screwed the story up way too much. They didn't develop the characters properly. They missed out too many chunks from the book that were vital to the story making sense,I'm giving it a 4 because while the special effects were brilliant, they screwed the story up way too much. They didn't develop the characters properly. They missed out too many chunks from the book that were vital to the story making sense, including MOST of Enders battles at battle school. They also changed things from the story. Like the Hunger Games movies, they dulled the story down to cash in on the teenage audience and made the constant tension that was in the book almost non-existent. None of the cast really matched their roles very well, including seasoned actors, Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley, who, while absolutely brilliant actors, weren't really the right choices for their roles. The only right choice seemed to be Abigail Breslin for Valentine. They also missed out a HUGE chunk of the story with Peter and Valentine's characters Locke and Demosthenes. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
4
ThegodfathersonNov 1, 2013
Ender’s Game vacillates between grand, sweeping space vistas and tight, penetrating close ups, mostly on Butterfield’s steely gaze. If you’re into meticulously rendered computer generated space, well then, a good 60% of Ender’s Game is forEnder’s Game vacillates between grand, sweeping space vistas and tight, penetrating close ups, mostly on Butterfield’s steely gaze. If you’re into meticulously rendered computer generated space, well then, a good 60% of Ender’s Game is for you. And if you’re by chance also into moral grey areas concerning the mental manipulation of children in war, then a minute percentage of screen time will work for you as well. But in the end, the film struggles to condense too much material into a two-hour run time. The book spanned six years, while the film packs all that into just about one year. With that much emotional ground to cover and a plot punctuated by long, computer-generated battle sequences, the story suffers from a lack of a sense of urgency and some seemingly forced character growth. Not even Sir Ben Kingsley as the legendary General Mazer Rackham could lend enough gravity to a story that very nearly gets lost in space. Expand
11 of 21 users found this helpful1110
All this user's reviews
4
GnawerNov 10, 2013
Movie tries to be as close as possible to the book, and fails. Book is about psychology, character development, and tactics, which does not translate well to an action movie, especially if there's a lot of it. And without reading the bookMovie tries to be as close as possible to the book, and fails. Book is about psychology, character development, and tactics, which does not translate well to an action movie, especially if there's a lot of it. And without reading the book first, I doubt you'd understand half of what's going on there. Expand
5 of 7 users found this helpful52
All this user's reviews
4
ElucidateNov 3, 2013
Overall, Ender's Game is too reliant on special effects to fill the gaps left by mediocre acting and plot holes. It is simply too unconvincing to be a memorable achievement in film.
13 of 17 users found this helpful134
All this user's reviews
4
RevRonFeb 2, 2014
I suppose “Ender’s Game” could have been a decent, average adaptation of a book that was written by a complete lunatic; however, the film was just an emotionless, joyless and thrill-less rollercoaster ride that had no real ups or downs.I suppose “Ender’s Game” could have been a decent, average adaptation of a book that was written by a complete lunatic; however, the film was just an emotionless, joyless and thrill-less rollercoaster ride that had no real ups or downs. While the special effects look incredible, the film feels like that was the only important part of the film as every scene that should be about the characters plays out like the really cool looking CG effects are the real star. Even the great performances and themes of the film feel like they play second fiddle to a movie that was more about the special effects. In the end, “Ender’s Game” was just boring and lacked any real spark. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
4
dyshpoNov 14, 2013
this movie adaptation is to awkward to watch really lead actor has no charisma to be a leader The weird shower scene is reminiscent of prison rape. the aliens though not the main focus of the story could have been focused on more. Ender'sthis movie adaptation is to awkward to watch really lead actor has no charisma to be a leader The weird shower scene is reminiscent of prison rape. the aliens though not the main focus of the story could have been focused on more. Ender's brother and sister have no story and in the book they were main characters to. Expand
6 of 7 users found this helpful61
All this user's reviews
4
theseparatorNov 10, 2013
For any film fanatic that also happens to be an Orson Scott Card fan, Ender’s Game was the type of film that warranted the hanging of a calendar on the wall and blacking out the days until the film's November 1st release date. I was thisFor any film fanatic that also happens to be an Orson Scott Card fan, Ender’s Game was the type of film that warranted the hanging of a calendar on the wall and blacking out the days until the film's November 1st release date. I was this excited for months about the film, and yes, I saw it opening night. But after having seen it, I say with dismay that although the admission may not have been a total waste of money, it may have been better spent on a few drinks at a bar, or on a Shake Shack dinner (for the non- drinkers). I was just so unexpectedly un-enthralled that I’m still in shock.

The film opens with Ender Wiggin as his parent’s third child in a world where thirds are not highly regarded, yet a prestigious military school’s administrators monitor Ender’s life via hidden cameras, and through this observation witness the potential genius within Ender. But whatever they notice, it is not shown to the audience.

Nonetheless Ender leaves his family behind to study at this elite training school where plans are secretly being made; Ender will train to become the next great commander of the Earth fleet. While at battle school Ender meets the legendary Mazer Rackham, a famous Maori warrior whom singlehandedly defeated the aliens previously, when they attacked Earth. Rackham’s job now is to mentor Ender, to prepare him for the greatest battle of his life.

Director Hood’s rendition of Ender’s Game does just adequate justice to the original plot of the book. I pined for a grittier, R-rated Prometheus or District 9-ish kind of rendition, and instead I got something related more to Will Smith’s Independence Day.

There were no gaps left in the timeline of the film, gaps necessary to explain how Ender could possibly have become a fleet commander at all. As Director Hood portrays it, the audience sees Ender go from cadet to commander overnight, almost literally. No human past, present, or future, (not even Ender) could pull that off.

Blasé scenes are followed by descriptions of grandeur that made me wonder if I had just watched the same scene as the military commanders. In front of a group of new recruits Ender is praised by Officer Graff (Harrison Ford) for his intelligence, a set-up for later peer torment? But the intelligence Ender shows here is hardly praiseworthy. It’s just a smart-alecky remark about zero gravity. Later, when Ender is confronted by a gang of boys, whom he ends up defeating, the fight is not convincing, yet again, administrators swoon. This type of device, apathetic scene followed by glorious praise occurs over and over throughout the film. Descriptions of awe are purveyed when no actual awe has taken place.

Asa Butterfield's unmoving performance is largely responsible for the film’s failure. He is not a convincing Ender, and so all his examples of greatness seem staged. Every time Ender does something “miraculous” and is praised for it, it’s reminiscent of the medieval age; a king’s steward dolloping out praise at every instance to keep his majesty satisfied. Harrison Ford is also pretty terrible. Come to think of it, pretty much all the acting, except Ben Kinglsey’s is bad.

Errata: Ender spends significant amounts of time whining about the administration blocking his email account. What does this have to do with the plot? Nothing. Since when do starships send and receive email? They don’t. There’s ansible technology in this world people! (machines capable of instantaneous or superluminal communication) Starships are way past “email.”

Overall, I’d say Ender’s Game was only kind of bad, but it so totally not awesome.

PS- I love that some people have rated this film as a zero. That is awesome!
Expand
4 of 7 users found this helpful43
All this user's reviews
4
BradHJan 29, 2014
I had high hopes for this movie, Ender's Game was one of my favourite books when I was younger. The movie was a failure in capturing the flavour of the book and wasn't even especially entertaining in it's own right. To anyone who hasn'tI had high hopes for this movie, Ender's Game was one of my favourite books when I was younger. The movie was a failure in capturing the flavour of the book and wasn't even especially entertaining in it's own right. To anyone who hasn't read the book I would expect them to be confused and not even understand why some elements of the movie existed. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
4
lukechristianscSep 26, 2014
this is one of the films which is not fun at all totally boring but graphics are good though in space. I was watching tv at home flipping through channels then i saw the middle of the movie well last 5 or 10 minutes of it. Wrost film of 2013this is one of the films which is not fun at all totally boring but graphics are good though in space. I was watching tv at home flipping through channels then i saw the middle of the movie well last 5 or 10 minutes of it. Wrost film of 2013 %$#$%^&* total bull **** this movie is. Are they seriously gonna make Ender's game 2 ? . Grade ????????? Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
4
choc_raisinsMar 23, 2014
It's a bit like putting my youngest child in Heathrow Airport's Flight Control tower and just letting him get on with it. I'm sorry, really I am, but I simply cannot buy into an annoyingly precocious child being responsible for the safety ofIt's a bit like putting my youngest child in Heathrow Airport's Flight Control tower and just letting him get on with it. I'm sorry, really I am, but I simply cannot buy into an annoyingly precocious child being responsible for the safety of all mankind, with the power of all of humanity's armed forces at his disposal. I don't care how much training (not much, evidently) he is purported to have had or whether or not he has been bred and nurtured for this very purpose. I am not eleven.

Adapted from the book (not read it, sorry, nor am I going to) this tale of one child's training as a future Admiral in the next Starship Troopers sequel (oh alright, I take that back) has had its own set of problems, development-wise, judging by just how long it took to reach us. Pitched as a sci-fi with eye candy, exploring more than the average number of themes for this type of thing, our hero, Ender Wiggins (Asa Butterfield) takes destiny and apparent fate by the scruff of the neck and goes about trying to save us all from the evil Formics, a race of bug-type aliens that previously tried to colonise earth some fifty years earlier, ultimately failing, but killing tens of millions in the attempt. Ever since, plans have been afoot to take this war to the enemy planet and do away with them once and for all. And the best people to tactically outsmart the foe on this possible final day of freedom are apparently young children with no actual experience of warmongering whatsoever. So, a global blockbuster epic of galactic proportions. And with it, a hefty $110 million in the making.

Perhaps it's because I never read the book(s), but I didn't know or care who any of these people were. The film takes alot for granted with regard to its audience, assuming that we have a clue what the hell is going on in the lives of everyone involved, what their motivations are and what, if any, relevance they have to events taking place. Such hefty production expenses would usually have to ensure that the film reached as many people as possible, but it really didn't feel like the previously uninitiated were being considered, which is unfortunate, given that this would have comprised most the paying members of the audience.

Add to this the incredulity that those very same audience members will have felt by having this young man in charge of their very existence and just how likely, even in magical Hollywoodland, that would actually be. I can swallow quite a bit, but even this seemed more far-fatched than the clearly questionable premise was to begin with.

Now I don't want to come across as a bully, but Asa Butterfield really doesn't have the gravitas to pull off a tactical master of the universe. For a start, he looks like he's about twelve, he has no charisma to speak of that would garner any kind of respect, especially from other children, who are, without doubt, the most difficult of demographics to get any kind of common-sense, consideration and deliberation out of. Even more so with teenagers. His direction may have been to play Ender as understated and thoughtful, but these qualities are not enough to make this character believable. Age is not on his side here, and what he lacks in years, he must therefore make up for in other areas. Sadly, this was not the case.

Perhaps there are elements of Ender that we (them that didn't read the book) are not aware of. Again, we return to the problem of the characters not being fleshed out well enough for the more clueless in the audience (ie, me) to appreciate. I just don't know. I didn't read the book, so I don't know. What I do know is that I felt like I must be missing something fairly relevant to a plot that I was largely unaparty to.

The performances from the grown-ups on show were all pretty good, though none were outstanding. Harrison Ford, Viola Davis and Ben Kingsley all supported the fledging war-maker suitably, although most of the time, they appeared to be just as reticent as me to believe this mere slip of a boy could muster enough respect to command a trip to the shops, far less potential genocide of an entire alien race.

Looked pretty but lacked a cohesive narrative that the newcomer to the stories could follow and was sorely lacking with the choice of Butterfield as the lead. Not to be too harsh on him, but the finger of blame should probably go to the casting department in this regard, for choosing an actor that already had a serious handicap in this area, through no real fault of his own.

This will come and go and you probably won't notice.
Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
4
BB_CriticApr 30, 2015
Ender's game is directed by Gavin Hood and stars Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, and Ben Kingsley. This movie is based on the book, Ender's Game. The plot involves a young boy named Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) who is asked to participateEnder's game is directed by Gavin Hood and stars Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, and Ben Kingsley. This movie is based on the book, Ender's Game. The plot involves a young boy named Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) who is asked to participate in a Battle School to train him for the real enemies, which are called the Buggers. I personally disliked this film because of it's awful fast-pacing and it's sub-par acting, and the fact that the ending did not make any sense what-so-ever. I am the kind of person who looks deeper into the logic of movies, so if you are the kind of person who can shut their brain off and watch a movie, then you will probably enjoy Ender's Game. By itself, Enders game is an "eh" movie but as a movie adaptation to a book it is just horrible. 4/10 Expand
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
All this user's reviews
4
TheTitanAug 8, 2015
This movie was a huge disappointment at first. I have recently read the book, and came into the theater with a great deal of excitement. But this movie was bad.

The movie had good CGI and sort of good acting, and I have to admit that it
This movie was a huge disappointment at first. I have recently read the book, and came into the theater with a great deal of excitement. But this movie was bad.

The movie had good CGI and sort of good acting, and I have to admit that it did a good job on some parts, like the end fight scene. The main problem was in the plot.

The plot ruined the movie so bad that I blindly hated the movie after seeing it, and would have doubtlessly given it a 1 or 0 had I written the review then. Ender becomes the supreme commander of earth's army fighting another race in a minuscule space of time. I found that downright stupid. What made the book truly good was the general progression of Ender through the ranks, the book was about how he grew up, learned new things, and slowly became the tactical genius that ended up winning the war. Here, that all is fully and completely taken out, which kind of turns the movie into a cool piece of eye candy. The book did not translate well onto the large screen because the people making the film decided not to describe the processes going on in Ender's head (yes, that can be done, watch the show 'sherlock'), and they didn't include his growth and progression. It is worth a watch for the visuals, acceptable characters and a weak plot that still makes some sense, but there isn't really anything else.
Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
3
tdebugFeb 9, 2014
This is movie is wrongly classified as it actually family sci-fi movie, that way it would be 8 points or so, I'm sure many kids love it. But since it pretend to be a real sci-fi, I would say the story is very weak and worth 4 at the very best.
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
All this user's reviews
3
Nobilis1984Dec 5, 2013
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A cruel experience.

I've only seen a few minutes of it, and knew that this is a lousy movie. He is also rated with a total of only 51%. As far as my rating is pretty close.

Why?
Although he looks good and has Stars to offer but this story is no good. In dozens of films, this principle is applied. A geek is a hero. More you did not have to offer?

Too bad that the stars can not really show off their skills. I would have preferred more of Ford and Co as of this untalented children.
Expand
3 of 4 users found this helpful31
All this user's reviews
3
FireintheArcadeNov 2, 2013
I've read the book and was deeply disappointed on what the movie decided to focus on. Ender was a complete badass and that wasn't captured at all in the film. He was so ridiculously good that the rules were changed constantly to be at hisI've read the book and was deeply disappointed on what the movie decided to focus on. Ender was a complete badass and that wasn't captured at all in the film. He was so ridiculously good that the rules were changed constantly to be at his disadvantage, but he still won every game (there were hundreds of games, but the movie didn't mention this either). I realize that the movie had to leave some stuff out, but if you don't have an intriguing protagonist, you have nothing. Asa Butterfield just didn't seem like Ender. He was feared by everyone in the book, but again the movie did not give that vibe. Some other things that bothered me were Locke and Demosthenes being completely left out (that's half of the entire plot in the book), the extremely boring dialogue, and just the lack of heart in the entire film. It took itself WAY too seriously and it was really hard for me to care about any of the characters. The only positive I could take away from it was how it looked, now complaints there. Expand
12 of 15 users found this helpful123
All this user's reviews
3
lmbDec 1, 2013
Honestly, I can't help but feel like this review is a little biased, but after a great deal of thought I realized that it is, and that is why this movie was doomed to fail from the start. Ender's Game is one of the deepest, most thoughtHonestly, I can't help but feel like this review is a little biased, but after a great deal of thought I realized that it is, and that is why this movie was doomed to fail from the start. Ender's Game is one of the deepest, most thought provoking books there is, and is a must have for every bookshelf. The problem with an idolized masterpiece such as Ender's Game is that any attempts to re-create it as a motion picture will certainly be compared to the book. As most of us know by now, turning a book into a movie is no easy feat. You have to pick and choose what parts should be in the movie, who should portray the characters, and how to interpret the more abstract parts of the book. Ender's Game is about a boy who's spirit is crushed and who's childhood is extinguished for the good of mankind. The story contains numerous moral dilemmas, most of which don't have an easy answer. All in all, as a movie, Ender's Game was fine. It wasn't great, but it had it's moments and if you haven't read the book then I would advise you to go see it. However, as an avid fan of the book and all it's sequels, I feel like the movie fell victim to the inevitable outcome of not living up to the book's standards. Re-inventing the book as a movie has dented the god-like status that Ender's Game holds, and I feel like they shouldn't have tried in the first place. Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
All this user's reviews
3
AncientMartianFeb 26, 2014
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I find the concept of taking children out of their homes for the express purpose of raising them into soulless ADULT military tacticians very intriguing but that's not what this movie is about. Ender's Game would have you believe some supposedly genius kids are fit to fight aliens with death star like spaceships after playing a mouse video game and few rounds of laser tag.

That's like handing a ballistic missile submarine over to a bunch of kids from a school for the gifted. In my opinion there is a great deal of potential for a story here but it just wasn't handled well. If I wrote the script I would had Ender, in his teens, being chosen for International Fleet after doing well on a mandatory military/tactical test given to the students of his school. Ender is ripped away from his fairly carefree childhood into a military world of discipline and brutality.

Instead of learning literature and history like regular middle/high school kids Ender learns about military science and strategy. Instead of playing laser tag Ender and his peers would learn the ins and outs of space warfare by controlling real starships (small fighters at first then graduating up to bigger more powerful vehicles) in training exercises. Throughout the film we would see how Ender copes with his new environment as he grows into a young adult (and his brain finishes developing) including his emotional struggles such as being away from home, having no or few friends, and living by the harsh rules of military discipline.

I would also add some a some depth to the Formics. Give them a reason for attacking Earth, have them do evil and sinister things, and most importantly make it so you couldn't beat them just by hitting them with a death star laser. In the final battle Ender and his peers are actually inside the starships they are commanding, therefore creating the element of danger.

Simple changes like this would have vastly increased the quality of the plot in my opinion. As it stands the impressive visuals of Enders Game were entertaining but that's all I liked about the film.
Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
All this user's reviews
3
SadoMisoMar 24, 2014
I do not know how they could make this movie with the blessing of the author of the book. This film looks as screenwriter snatched from the book every 20th page and then write idiotic ending. In this film there is only depleted Ender'sI do not know how they could make this movie with the blessing of the author of the book. This film looks as screenwriter snatched from the book every 20th page and then write idiotic ending. In this film there is only depleted Ender's story, no history of his family, none of the other characters - only prosthesis without own thoughts. Expand
4 of 4 users found this helpful40
All this user's reviews
3
Le__XenomorphApr 24, 2015
This movie is just a mess. The plot makes no sense and neither does that god awful ending. It is so rare to see a movie filled with such ill-logic. Not to mention the awful, emotionless acting. The only positive of this movie would be theThis movie is just a mess. The plot makes no sense and neither does that god awful ending. It is so rare to see a movie filled with such ill-logic. Not to mention the awful, emotionless acting. The only positive of this movie would be the battle sequences, those were actually cool. 3/10 (bad) Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
All this user's reviews
3
realperson2018Jul 29, 2022
I finally watched this movie because there was nothing else to watch on TV. To be honest I had been avoiding it. My antipathy to the book's author had kept me from watching it. I had read the Ender series a long time ago. I had actuallyI finally watched this movie because there was nothing else to watch on TV. To be honest I had been avoiding it. My antipathy to the book's author had kept me from watching it. I had read the Ender series a long time ago. I had actually liked it. It was based on an original idea. The key was Ender himself. I have nothing against Asa but he did not embody Ender. Primarily this failure should be blamed on the script--which was too mechanical and relied too much on dialogues with his commander. Interactions between Ender and his squad were almost non-existent. I also found the ending annoying. The writer/director/someone decided that Ender could not be the bad guy. The clumsy attempt to salvage Ender's humanity failed miserably. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
2
SnodogNov 29, 2013
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ender's Game, the novel, was thought provoking, philosophically deep, and psychologically amazing. Orson Scott Card brought characters to a level of connection between each other and the reader that few other authors can or will. He also has a wonderful insight to a future that could possibly take place and the minds of people living there.

Ender's Game, the movie brought all this to a 2 hour blockbuster hit that, quite frankly, didn't have anything blockbusting about it. Amazing ship design and man do I wish I could step into the command simulator, but other than that, it was a hollow shell of what it could have possibly been.

Ender didn't have anything special about him. In the novel he was a brilliant 6 year old boy who was a mix of Peter and Valentine, basically a critical and amazingly brutal tactical mind with the loving knowledge and understanding of the enemy. I can give them credit for attempting the bridge through dialogue but little else. In the movie, he was a 15 year old too susceptible to his emotions and nothing stunning about his thought processes.

Bean, while having a mind more brilliant yet less compassionate than Ender, so much so that they had an entire novel about him, was reduced to just another lackey. They might as well left him out for how much they changed him.

Graff, in the novel was a puppeteer mastermind pulling EVERY string behind battle school. In the movie, he's an overly militarized ****

Dap was the bridge between home and battle school, instead he was a drill instructor.

The story was compressed from a 6 year epic to a 1 year laughable story.

So much character development that was left out and changed that it's just another space thriller. The screen writers understood nothing about the book and characters to make this movie. I would rather seen this as a trilogy, including all the character development, thought processes, and reasons for why the characters do what they do than watched what I watched in the theater.
Expand
3 of 5 users found this helpful32
All this user's reviews
2
wvmoviefanNov 4, 2013
How sad to see Harrison Ford reduced to playing in this sci-fi "game" that's obviously aimed at 10 year-olds or people who have stopped development at 10 years of age. Will be a big hit with game players who see the world as a place whereHow sad to see Harrison Ford reduced to playing in this sci-fi "game" that's obviously aimed at 10 year-olds or people who have stopped development at 10 years of age. Will be a big hit with game players who see the world as a place where video rules and reality, characters, interaction, mentality, and yes, even creativity, aren't essential. The sad thing is that the popularity of films like this is proof positive that the human race is really on track to destory itself (no outsiders needed!) Expand
7 of 9 users found this helpful72
All this user's reviews
2
EvilNortonNov 1, 2013
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A lot of surface structure, but no heart. In the end, bedazzling graphical scenes took front seat to capturing the depth and conflict the majority of the characters in the book go through. There are quite a few of the book's characters present, but really, just a hollow shell of what made them lovable throughout the series. The 2 most important characters were severely reduced; Ender and Graff. This movie failed to capture any of the depth that is Edner Wiggin. Graff went from a very complex and morally conflicted character to a soulless bureaucrat who's only interest is results.

Locke and Demosthenes were completely eradicated from the story, and Peter was only present for 4 minutes of the film.

A 4 year story was reduced to just over a month, which was impossible to follow at the brisk pace the movie moved at. Years of battleroom competitions condensed into 2 battles, the second demonstrating abilities of a well-oiled machine that doesn't make any sense considering half the competitors had never set foot in an actual battle.

In all, it just felt completely rushed, and void of depth. The battleroom sequences were awkward at best,. The Bonzo-Ender confrontation felt completely weird, and the majority of inter-character relationships were cardboard cutouts as plot devices.

I understand that a majority of things are lost in translation when brought to the screen, but there ARE adaptations that were well done (LotR, Interview with the Vampire, and even Hunger Games).

After waiting 17 years for this to come to life, it left a lot to be desired for. Those who enjoy action sci-fi, and not looking for a deeper meaning will enjoy the flick. But, anyone who is intimately familiar with the book and are looking for any resemblance beyond sequence of events and a couple peppered in characters will likely leave the theater feeling disappointed.
Expand
15 of 22 users found this helpful157
All this user's reviews
2
SchnitzelPoofJun 9, 2014
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Let me begin by saying that I’ve read the book(s), but I’m not going to delve into the minute differences between them and the film. Frankly, it could’ve worked even with all the things that were cut - but it doesn’t, for a myriad of reasons:

While the movie does contains most of the events that Ender went through, the pacing is all wrong - it feels as if you’re watching Ender’s story in fast-forward mode. For a movie 2 hours long, they sure managed to rush every scene. As a result, there is no meaningful character development - the kids are hollow, placeholder faces, which appear like a generic ad for diversity. In addition, there is no sense of achievement: success seems to fall out of the sky on Ender, and difficulties are overcome with unexplained, laughable ease.
Finally, important concepts (like the limitation on number of children, or the Ansible) are not explained properly in-film, leading the viewer to guess and deduct on his own. On the other hand, “the enemy’s gate is down”, one of Ender’s critical insights, is gained nonchalantly even before his first battle, without any context, or apparent meaning. It’s as if 10-year-old Einstein sat for breakfast one day, and randomly told his mom, “you know what? I think E=MC^2”. What horrible storytelling.

But the worst comes when the actual war begins. It’s as if this were Ender’s Game as told by the Buggers (AKA Formics for the polite). All of a sudden, humanity isn’t desperately fighting for survival against a superior, infinite enemy, that has murdered tens of millions. Instead, it has the bugs “boxed in”. A single-planet species, with an asteroid base somewhere, has somehow *boxed in* a species with an unknown number of colonies, and endless fleets. Perhaps the script writers require a rudimentary lesson in spacial geometry?
Forget tactical brilliance against insurmountable odds, the inhuman fatigue that the children had to suffer, and the sacrifice of the people in the war fleet, up to the ultimate, last-ditch victory. In their place we are presented with Hollywood’s standard infantile anti-war morality, that turns humanity - yet again - into interstellar brutes that literally just won’t listen. In an astonishing accomplishment, this movie manages to avoid all the politics that are in the original story, while pushing its own inferior agenda instead.

I'm giving the film a couple of points, since visually it was done quite well, and the actors did seem to put a decent effort into their roles. However, it is an insult to a classic science-fiction story.
Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
All this user's reviews
2
NeonisysNov 1, 2013
Lifeless, lacking in heart, direction and character. Weak and pointless exposition. Not a good Sci-Fi film, falls into all the standard pitfalls. Falls into severe navel gazing and thoroughly unenjoyable.
12 of 25 users found this helpful1213
All this user's reviews
2
MrQuozNov 9, 2013
Really bad. Plot filled with glaring holes, pointless and completely unjustified twists, and no character arcs to speak of. Action is at best slightly enjoyable, at worst absolutely ridiculous looking. Acting is universally bland andReally bad. Plot filled with glaring holes, pointless and completely unjustified twists, and no character arcs to speak of. Action is at best slightly enjoyable, at worst absolutely ridiculous looking. Acting is universally bland and disappointing. Characters do things for seemingly no reason, and then stop acting a certain way with no explanation. Over all, a waste of your time. Expand
7 of 9 users found this helpful72
All this user's reviews
2
SalandNov 9, 2013
This movie is a failure on nearly every level. If you haven't read the book, you'll have no idea what's happening as it skips along the plot and crashes into scenes like a bumper car on an ice rink. If you have read the book, you'll knowThis movie is a failure on nearly every level. If you haven't read the book, you'll have no idea what's happening as it skips along the plot and crashes into scenes like a bumper car on an ice rink. If you have read the book, you'll know what's going on and hate it for what the movie's doing with the plot.

Isolating it from the book still leaves it as a failure of a movie. There is no character development, even Ender's is minor at best. The rest of the characters are basically stock foils with names and have barely any interaction with other "characters" in order to create any sort of connection with the audience.
Expand
7 of 9 users found this helpful72
All this user's reviews
2
LillyBlackNov 10, 2013
Disappointing after reading the splendid written book! Watching the movie, I've felt like they've just gone from one milestone to the other, while adding some trendy 'mushy feeling'. And the end... oh, they've altered it! No spoilers, but theDisappointing after reading the splendid written book! Watching the movie, I've felt like they've just gone from one milestone to the other, while adding some trendy 'mushy feeling'. And the end... oh, they've altered it! No spoilers, but the book is so much better, it was frustrating watching the movie. Expand
5 of 6 users found this helpful51
All this user's reviews
2
thegsterFeb 12, 2014
If you read (and liked) the book, you will likely be very disappointed by this movie. While adapting any book for a movie requires a lot of condensing, the script for this movie does a very poor job. Much of the emphasis in the book is inIf you read (and liked) the book, you will likely be very disappointed by this movie. While adapting any book for a movie requires a lot of condensing, the script for this movie does a very poor job. Much of the emphasis in the book is in Ender's relationships with his fellow trainees, his family and with Graff. These are pivotal to his development as a commander, however it all feels very rushed in the movie. There is almost no back story and no character development at all. The script leaves you with more empathy for the aliens then it does for any human character. Frankly, some of the scenes are so random and rushed through that if i hadn't read the book, i don't think i would have understood why they were even in the movie. Overall, one of the worst adaptations of a good book that I have seen in recent times. It is sad to see Orson Scott Card's book turned into such a travesty. I hope they at least paid him well for the privilege. Expand
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
All this user's reviews
2
ScioneFeb 18, 2014
This movie has little to no emotion. the complex emotional ties between Ender and his colleagues were so glossed over it fails to draw you in. There were so few battle room battle and explanations for the genius that runs in his family asThis movie has little to no emotion. the complex emotional ties between Ender and his colleagues were so glossed over it fails to draw you in. There were so few battle room battle and explanations for the genius that runs in his family as well. Glaring plot holes and a complete lack of emotion is why I gave such a negative review. The effects were amazing though and that is the only reason worth watching this dumbed down movie adaption. Expand
4 of 5 users found this helpful41
All this user's reviews
2
CommanderDonutMar 31, 2014
Let me preface this by saying that I am generally a fan of book to film conversions, especially when, as in this case, the author has had a hand in its production. I watched the Harry Potter films with a certain amount of glee knowing thatLet me preface this by saying that I am generally a fan of book to film conversions, especially when, as in this case, the author has had a hand in its production. I watched the Harry Potter films with a certain amount of glee knowing that its author had played a fairly integral part in bringing them to life, and it was with this in mind that I had been greatly anticipating seeing Ender brought to life on the big screen.

I have read the entire Ender series dozens of times over the years, with each re-reading being as fulfilling as the first, so when I heard rumours that it was finally to be made in to a film I was overjoyed. Learning that Card himself was to play a part in its transformation was also pleasing news. Until that is I actually watched it.

Let me be plain here. I do not expect any book, especially one of the same caliber as Enders Game, to translate perfectly on to the silver screen. Conversely I did not expect this a conversion to be such a gigantic insult to the source material. Literally everything in this movie is a watered down, imbecilic simplification of the book. Any and all feeling of connection with Ender is stripped away in the first few minutes and it doesn't get any better from there on out.

For the sake of not posting spoilers for anyone who may not have seen the film yet (and I advise that you do not) I won't go in to any detail, but suffice to say that whatever it was about Cards original novel that allowed the reader to connect to its characters has been as thoroughly vaporized as the enemies ships. From almost the moment the film begins you are rushed through at a light speed pace, never getting time to understand the characters or their motivations nor their connections to one another. Ender as he appears in the novel was someone that many thousands of people grew attached to, felt a kinship with and that is something that was a core requirement of making this in to a film. They failed. Miserably. I no more connected with this version of Ender than I could connect with a toilet roll. He and all the supporting cast were as devoid of meaning and feeling as it is possible for any living being to be and the entire film became an exercise in tediousness. I can think of no worse fate for Ender than to have been mutilated, chewed up and spat out in the manner that this film done, shame on Card for allowing this and shame on the cretin who made it.
Expand
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
All this user's reviews
2
TgcOct 12, 2015
Movie completely failed to show Ender progress. Viewers that didn't read book probably won't know what is happening. It seems like slide-show showing various not connected scenes from book. Also even that was done poorly - in example theMovie completely failed to show Ender progress. Viewers that didn't read book probably won't know what is happening. It seems like slide-show showing various not connected scenes from book. Also even that was done poorly - in example the biggest WTF for me was short Gonzo and tall Ender. Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
All this user's reviews
1
JalemanyNov 3, 2013
How can such an empty and flat film for children be PG13?! Who, who is not a child, can enjoy such bad film?! Although thinking twice, children can be quite smart and discerning who can then enjoy this?!
6 of 10 users found this helpful64
All this user's reviews
1
donelsonAug 22, 2016
Both the book and the movie (to a lesser extent) glorify child abuse and war. The central concept of the author shows mental illness imho. I understand why Ender's Game is so popular with some people and it makes me very sad.
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
All this user's reviews
1
csw12Jul 16, 2014
On a technical level, Ender's Game does everything wrong. Gives no background, no setting, no plot, and no meaning and basically no acting. The movie is a total disaster from beginning to end and gets worse the further you get into the movie.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
All this user's reviews
1
Trev29Jul 17, 2014
Ender's Game is another pathetic attempt to cash in on young adult books. The acting was horribly embarrassing, the script is inept, and the visuals were a mess. The overall story was just outright stupid.
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
All this user's reviews
1
extrablueNov 4, 2013
Ugh. Lots of pretty trinkets and flashes. For those who haven't read the books the movie lacks depth, character or substance. For those who have read the book the just seems to be a series of disconnected pull quotes with nothing connectingUgh. Lots of pretty trinkets and flashes. For those who haven't read the books the movie lacks depth, character or substance. For those who have read the book the just seems to be a series of disconnected pull quotes with nothing connecting them. My thoughts as the final credits began to flash were I would be embarrassed for my name to be shown along side this piece of trash. Expand
7 of 10 users found this helpful73
All this user's reviews
0
lilkillpappyMay 22, 2014
The vast majority of fans of the book are well into their 30s by now, but for some reason they decided to make this film for teens. What a pile of crap. This film has the emotional subtly of being hit over the head with a brick, and lacks allThe vast majority of fans of the book are well into their 30s by now, but for some reason they decided to make this film for teens. What a pile of crap. This film has the emotional subtly of being hit over the head with a brick, and lacks all of the honesty of the book. Plus they cut out a huge part of the book. Why did they do all of this??? For the same reason they do everything... Money!!! So despite the fact that they made a pile of crap they got a lot of money for their pile of crap so they are happy. As for us adult viewers, who were fans of the book, and require some depth to our stories and characters, we are just **** out of luck. Glad I didn't pay to watch it in theaters. They didn't get a dime from me! Expand
3 of 5 users found this helpful32
All this user's reviews
0
KyndigNov 1, 2013
First, I am a huge fan of Ender's Game, the book. It's an insightful and meaningful look at the mind of a gifted kid, with deep social and psychological commentary. Anyone who grew up "gifted" can relate to the isolation and otherness, theFirst, I am a huge fan of Ender's Game, the book. It's an insightful and meaningful look at the mind of a gifted kid, with deep social and psychological commentary. Anyone who grew up "gifted" can relate to the isolation and otherness, the self doubt and fear, Ender feels throughout. The book meant a LOT to a lot of people, and whoever wrote this screenplay clearly did not understand it.

They turn ender into a totally unlikable Mary Jane character who advances through the movie with no motivation, is pushed through ranks for no reason whatsoever, and somehow inspires loyalty in random people by doing approximately nothing, all while being a violent, irritating prick with no empathy for those around him.

The changes to the plot are nonsensical, things were changed for no reason. Worse, some of them ignore reality (for instance, the command school being in another solar system if that were the way it was in the books, Valentine would have been old and the fleets would have been long past their destinations, as there is no FTL travel). They ruined the mind game. They made great characters flat as hell.

Long story short, the lost the message, the characters, everything great about the book and gave us a crappy, generic piece of science fiction. Avoid this movie if the book means anything to you.
Expand
14 of 21 users found this helpful147
All this user's reviews
0
rabaker07Feb 9, 2016
This is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. The writing is absolutely horrifying. There's not much more to say. It's one of those rare movies that is actually painful to watch.
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
All this user's reviews
0
ApisNov 11, 2013
Painfully slow, predictable and boring. Like watching a screen-saver or someone else playing wing-commander for two hours. Not recommended. Haven't read the book, but if it is anything like the movie it can't be very good.
7 of 24 users found this helpful717
All this user's reviews
0
MikefromAngusApr 20, 2014
A dumb movie for teens. The movie dragged on and on! Boring and dull, the actors were awful cast as well. Avoid this movie, you have been warned!

The end
4 of 4 users found this helpful40
All this user's reviews
0
FellixDec 10, 2013
I just watched the movie and I just have to vent for a minute.

First off this movie barely follows the book at all, it only had 1 or 2 scenes that where directly similar to the book, and believe me Ive read the book twice in the past 6
I just watched the movie and I just have to vent for a minute.

First off this movie barely follows the book at all, it only had 1 or 2 scenes that where directly similar to the book, and believe me Ive read the book twice in the past 6 months, I have a list here of some of the changes, and while they might seem like little changes they were actually quite large.
1 Ender was 6 at the begging of the book not 15
2 Enders school was just like normal school
it wasnt a military academy as portrayed
3 Enders sister was like 8 in the book not 16
4 Enders brother Peter was 12 not 23
5 Enders father was American Born in America
Not Russian born in Russia (Really why would you change that its stupid and only takes away from following the book)
6 Major Anderson was a MALE
7 There was only one girl in Battleschool
and her name was Petra
8 Bean came to Battleschool 2 years after Ender
9 Ender was never friends with Bernard and he
wasnt in Enders army and he didnt participate in
the final battle in fact Bernard wanted Ender dead
after Ender broke his arm
10 for some reason Bernard had 0 conflicts with
Enders and Shen just doesnt exist even though
he was Enders first friend and a Major importance
to the beginning plot (Another REALLY WHY THE HELL IS HE A PROTAGONIST)
11 Dink Meeker was a white Jew not Black he was
never in Salamander army he met Ender in rat army
12 Bonzo Madrid was 4 years older than Ender and
much much larger and stronger…. The fight scene
between them seemed like a joke compared to the
book scene where Ender kneed Bonzos nose into his brain
blood started gushing from it. He didnt even see him after that in the book but in the movie Enders personality is so distorted to that of a rebelious teenager whereas in the book he was a Very quite un rebellious boy. (AGAIN BONZA WAS 4 YEARS OLDER you already wanted to use older actors so why not use one for him, why dont you switch the actor that you used for Enders brothers for him)
13 seriously they made battle school only like 3 months long, Ender was in battleschool for like 6 years
14 Ender never emailed his sister nor did he want to, in fact he didnt actually want to see her again what a stupid change, it changed Enders entire character this is Fing rediculous at this point.
15 Petra was not Girly she was VERY AGRESSIVE, she did not have a love interest in Ender
16 ENDER NEVER LOST
17 Really the MD device is a lazer, and of course only one ship has it, and of course those ships are just drones, Fing rediculous, it almost makes the end battle seem like a joke because no one died whereas in the book all of those pilots had just sacrificed themselfs burning up in the atmosphere and actually detonated the MD device inside of their own ship THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD PART OF THE BOOK and it could have translated so well to the movie…
Really they just cut out 90% of the story and changed 99% of the rest, it is very loosly based on the book and if they had made a book based on the movie it probably wouldnt have even been published it was that bad.

I could go on for days but I cant it was just that bad, it was bad in the same areas as the Dragonball Evolution movie…
Expand
6 of 12 users found this helpful66
All this user's reviews
0
fallendeusNov 10, 2013
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. All i have to say is PLOT HOLES, PLOT HOLES, PLOT HOLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There are so many lazy short cuts taken in this movie, like throwing random voice overs in to deliver story.

I knew they were going to change some things from the book but damn, they destroyed this story. First off, they made Ender a whiney little made Anderson a woman, completely changed the beginning of the story, they turned Peter into a whiney about how he wasn't chosen, they just throw in random ass dialogue trying to explain the giant plot holes they kinda skipped Holy this is terrible who's idea was it to say "lets put Bean on the same shuttle as Ender and skip like 3 years of the story", Dap is a complete apparently instead of the "mom" he was supposed to be in the novel, apparently they are studying Mazer, oh the battle room guns apparently freeze you even outside the battleroom, dont even get me started on the battle room and the stars, LMFAO apparently the enemies gate is down?!! when they dont even know about the game or what the damn guns do! Apparently Bernard and Alia aren't friends, Shen doesn't exist in the movie, neither does Locke or Demosthenes, Ender is apparently some wise ass who talks back to the commanders.... ok so i just turned the movie off at the Giants Drink part... this movie is just to terrible to watch anymore
Expand
6 of 9 users found this helpful63
All this user's reviews
0
117dilushamcNov 1, 2013
114 minutes felt like 1140 minutes. So Boring and so dull. A nearly bad popcorn flick that should have been released alongside After Earth. I really don't wanna say anything more about this movie, but Metacritic asks for at least 150 characters.
10 of 23 users found this helpful1013
All this user's reviews
0
Type4101Nov 20, 2013
I tried to view this movie in a neutral way, attempting to see it as a story independent from its author, but I couldn't. It was impossible to take the movie's moralizing on the nature of humanity, when the author is an evil, disgustingI tried to view this movie in a neutral way, attempting to see it as a story independent from its author, but I couldn't. It was impossible to take the movie's moralizing on the nature of humanity, when the author is an evil, disgusting bigot who openly hates people and advocated for their legal oppression. The author says that people who do not hate gays are like Hitler (ironic...be a bigot, or you're acting like the biggest bigot in World History?). when I view the movie, all I can think is...these are the heroes of an evil man, from the mind of a hateful, vile person. It ruined the movie for me. I may not even be able to look at Harrison Ford the same way ever again. Sad, that Sci-fi had to be corrupted this way. Expand
6 of 8 users found this helpful62
All this user's reviews
0
DemonSoulNov 7, 2013
So cheesy. The acting is like throw up. I could not stay interested. Fell asleep after 40 minutes. It might have gotten good after that. But for that first hour minutes the dialogue/ script, the acting, were of the lowest quality. PeopleSo cheesy. The acting is like throw up. I could not stay interested. Fell asleep after 40 minutes. It might have gotten good after that. But for that first hour minutes the dialogue/ script, the acting, were of the lowest quality. People don't talk like that...at all. To me, good sci-fi is like Minority Report, Back to the Future, Alien & Prometheus, Even Horizon, Safety Not Guaranteed, District 9, Empire Strikes Back, AI, even Tron Legacy. I know the book was legendary, so I'm pretty disappointed they squandered the brilliance of the source material. If you liked the movies I listed, we have similar taste...Avoid wasting your time with this non-entertaining movie. Expand
6 of 10 users found this helpful64
All this user's reviews
0
oxygen22Nov 1, 2013
I have never seen a bigger disgrace to any book in my life, and by far one of the most boring movies ive seen in years. How can you destroy a book, AND the chance at making a good movie, in one go? Enders game can. If they just would have atI have never seen a bigger disgrace to any book in my life, and by far one of the most boring movies ive seen in years. How can you destroy a book, AND the chance at making a good movie, in one go? Enders game can. If they just would have at least followed the story for 10% of the movie, i would have been happy.

-Signed, just an angry fan.
Expand
7 of 13 users found this helpful76
All this user's reviews
0
mmcriticNov 1, 2013
This generic looking jumpsuit sci-fi is about gifted kids who are taken to fascist military school where they are manipulated into perfect war criminals and learn to solve their personal problems with violence. The visual effects areThis generic looking jumpsuit sci-fi is about gifted kids who are taken to fascist military school where they are manipulated into perfect war criminals and learn to solve their personal problems with violence. The visual effects are expensive looking but watching Ender play video games quickly gets old. The acting, at least by the adults, is woody and uninspiring. It is like Starship Troopers for kids but without the sarcasm, I'm not sure that is the kind of movie I wanted my children to see. Expand
8 of 23 users found this helpful815
All this user's reviews
0
OnlymeamiNov 4, 2013
As a fan of Enders Game the series I went in with low expectations expecting stuff to change slightly and things to be cut out. But this film cut out the wrong parts leaves you feeling like someone shoved a novel down your throat by force.As a fan of Enders Game the series I went in with low expectations expecting stuff to change slightly and things to be cut out. But this film cut out the wrong parts leaves you feeling like someone shoved a novel down your throat by force. The film fails to explain crucial information the friends I went to see the movie with said they were confused and it left me to explain. Why does he keep talking to his sister? Why did that kid just say salam alaikum? Why didn't he kiss that girl? They tried too much if they left out a bunch it would have been better.

That being said I liked the visuals the character choices were fine with me it's just I feel you miss the point of Enders Game. Hopefully this makes people pick up the books and read them.

Biggest pet peeve bugger hug? SERIOUSLY!?
Expand
7 of 10 users found this helpful73
All this user's reviews
0
TwistedTurtleFeb 15, 2014
I am a huge fan of the book. This movie by itself might get an alright score from me but since this is based on a good and deep book this movie must be judged more harshly. This movie rushes through key points in the books and skips mostI am a huge fan of the book. This movie by itself might get an alright score from me but since this is based on a good and deep book this movie must be judged more harshly. This movie rushes through key points in the books and skips most important moments. The movie fails completely to show the audience the emotions and thoughts of characters that make the book so amazing. The movie also ignores Enders slow descent into madness and doesn't show the hardships endured by nearly every character. They would've been better off just calling this an entirely different movie. This movie is horrible when put beside the book, I've never wrote a review but this movie was so bad and disgraced the book so much i had to immediately write this review. Expand
5 of 7 users found this helpful52
All this user's reviews
0
The_MelodiousDec 2, 2016
Horrible.
The book was good but the movie is really bad. The character is really cliche and the zero gravity scenes were really annoying, also the overuse of special effects and bad acting made me hate this movie. Also the story is really
Horrible.
The book was good but the movie is really bad. The character is really cliche and the zero gravity scenes were really annoying, also the overuse of special effects and bad acting made me hate this movie. Also the story is really complicated for a movie.
Expand
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
All this user's reviews
0
ElfesnessSep 27, 2020
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is possibly one of the worst sci-fi movies I’ve ever seen, it feels like I’m they dragged one lifeless, emotionless act out to be a whole movie and as many have said before feels like watching a computer game being played that you’re no part of. Full of unhappy kids being forced into child Labour as child soldiers, getting ready albeit being constantly sleep deprived to fight an enemy we know almost nothing about. Somehow Ender ends up to become in command of Americas (where is the rest of the world) fleet and as a side note is the only one who thinks that we should maybe find a way to communicate with the enemy. Like duh that would be a good idea! Constantly being told the others are your competition - because in war you don’t need to rely on your team right? Oh wait no you do.
The only interesting part are the last 5-10 mins when Endet helps the Alien species he was tricked into destroying.
Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
All this user's reviews