Martin Smith Watched it again after a year of 3 and still very impressed with the movie. Starts out like a run of the mill "youth growing up and saving the world" You see 13 in a dozen of these with vartous themes. Enders Game floats above these. Brilliant special effects and much deeper caracters than the rest. Best is the total reverse of the movie after about 75 %. It turns into a dark and deep movie with a very very strong message. Brillaiantly acted, lively caracters, great story and even Mr. Ford didn't look as a derivative of Han Solo. Should be rated much higher than the IMDB rating and in my opinion a must see !! Highly recommended to all true SciFi fans.

lemon_magic I'll start out by admitting that I started Card's novel, but gave up after the first 100 pages or so because I just couldn't get into it. Nothing against OSC - I thought his novelization of "The Abyss" was wonderful - but the ideas and dialog left me cold. Having admitted that, I will also admit to finding my reaction to this movie adaptation puzzling - based on the visuals and Asa Butterfield's amazing acting job as Ender Wiggins, I should have loved it. But my enthusiasm for "Ender's Game" was not unbounded, and I blame that on the same problems with the plot that I found in the novel, and on the fact that it was obvious that the film makers could only fit in a "sketch" of the full story into the movie.For instance, I was never convinced that a pastime that was essentially "Zero Gee Laser Tag" would have all that much to do with massive star fleet battles. Yes, it was fun to watch, and yes, I could see Ender's tactics in the game foreshadowing his tactics in the final invasion - but it seemed like a contrivance. (Ender's interaction with the tablet game as a precursor to the true intent of the Formics was far more convincing). And the whole "newbie enters the Military academy" trope has been done to death already. And also, the plot twist about the final training exercise - while it did shake things up, it was essentially "a dirty bit o' cheating" in my opinion, and left me completely unsatisfied. Just as Petra's role in the big battle was completely contrived - it was obvious that a voice command and an automated aiming system could have done her role far better. (Nothing against the actress, who was quite likable and sympathetic). Probably the movie should have been expanded to two parts to let the plot development "breathe" and expand, but given what it cost to make and the flops of many of its expensive, high-tech contemporaries, I am sure the studio didn't dare. So it is what it is, and my reaction is what it is. Worth watching if you really liked the visuals in bombs like "Valerian", "Jupiter Rising", or "John Carter" enough to overlook the writing problems. Harmless enough even if you didn't.

Mihai Toma After Earth has barely managed to defeat an alien force who attacked by surprise, a recruitment committee was formed in search for brilliant kids who may one day lead our forces to victory. Ender, a highly intelligent teenager, is selected for the program and must prepare himself, working hard day by day, for an imminent war. It's a very exciting story of a boy which must evolve through work, commitment but also self control, in order to help Earth defeat the enemy who once tried to eradicate humankind. Through intense simulations, he will be able to understand the enemy and be all the time one step ahead, but the question remains how will he manage in the real life scenario. It's a film full of thrill and suspense, managing to transmit many emotions through Ender's superb character, which is, by the way, excellently played. We are made to feel and think that all is a game but the harsh conditions and difficult colleagues will prove to be another challenge for the young Ender which seems to have a solution for almost anything that could have been thrown at him. Besides the captivating plot, we are also faced with a completely unexpected finale, which brings much amazement to the viewer, while also leaving some space for a future sequel. The visuals are also top notch, bringing delight to the eye with every attempt.It's that type of movie which manages to create an unique atmosphere with the enormous help of one particular character (Ender's) which keeps you captivated throughout its entire length and provides an impressive and unexpected finale. It's an excellent movie overall which I cannot recommend enough.

hurricane_san I've read the books years ago (and should have stopped at the first one, but that's beside the point.) The movie managed to show most of the key points of the story. The parts that, in my opinion, are the steps marking an evolution to the next level. This is impressive given the movie is not even two hours long, but of course there is a cost. The biggest reproach I have is the lack of build-up. Everything feels rushed. The genius of the book, beside the twist(s), is the psychological development of Ender, the manipulations he is the subject of, the monstrosity of the adults and of the other children and ultimately his own. Where is the cold revelation of a few hidden deaths ? Where are the mysteries surrounding a weird trainer, and the very smart reason this Mr Mysterious, once revealed, is not too old? All gone.On its purely technical qualities, the acting was good. Harrison Ford of course but also the children that I didn't find annoying like I usually do. The image and special effects were good and measured and the music from Steve Jablonsky was very enjoyable.In my opinion, the movie is probably not very good for whoever didn't read the book first. But for me, when all is said and done, it was a kind of lazy trip through the memory lane of one of the best book I've ever read.