ENDER’S GAME – The Review

So, it’s time again for a film based on a popular young adult book series. Yup, already. Seems like the latest Percy Jackson adventure just left the multiplexes while the publicity machine for the second Hunger Games is in full swing. Well, this one has a bit of a different pedigree. First off, it is set fully in a space-hopping, science fiction future instead of the magical and supernatural based Jackson, Harry Potter, and Twilight (HG is set in the future, but minus much of the typical SF gadgetry). And it’s not based on a book series from the last ten years or so. The original short story that spawned the series was published way back in 1977. It does feature a teen hero and his pals,  with adults offering guidance (much like the faculty at Hogwarts). But this is no school or camp. These kids are for-real soldiers defending the planet. Hitting the theatres at long last is Orson Scott Card’s ENDER’S GAME. Let’s blast off…

As the film begins we are told that fifty years ago, an insectoid alien race, the Formics, attacked the Earth. Luckily they were driven back to their home world, but the military believes that they may return anytime. Teens (and some pre-teens) are recruited by the military and trained to defeat the Formics in a re-match. One such gifted teen is Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) who is whisked away to the training station, floating miles above Earth. Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) and Major Anderson (Viola Davis) believe Ender has the special skills needed to lead the forces against another invasion. Throughout the training period Ender endures bullies, excels at a testing computer game, and eventually commands his own squadron which includes best pal (and maybe gal) Petra ( Hailee Steinfeld). The squad must act as one to win the training games and become Earth’s defenders. But Ender has a feeling that he’s not getting the full story…

Although he’s featured prominently in the TV spots, Ford is not the main focus (I guess marketing wants us to make a connection to some other Ford SF flicks. hmmm?). The main character is right in the film’s title and Butterfield does his best to bring him to life. Trouble is that the hero is kind of bland. Ender is too somber and serious. A few times he lightens up by putting down another bullying cadet, but then he’s dour once more. We wonder why Petra and the others are drawn to him (well, he’s not a thug likes some others up there). Steinfeld, who was so terrific in the TRUE GRIT remake, feels shackled by the standard moon-eyed girlfriend role. Ford pops in to liven things up a bit with his usual “growl and scowl” (his “go to” for many recent roles) while his character’s relationship to Ender remains murky. Davis is there as a more sympathetic adult coach, but the script doesn’t give her coherent motivations and the character away to be replaced by… Ben Kingsley, who pops up as a mystery man there to explain things to Ender (including his own distracting facial tattoos), and comes off as a watered-down Obi-Wan Kenobi. Miss Sunshine Abigal Breslin is there as Ender’s much-adored big sister Valentine who’s there as his Jiminy Cricket as she gives him a pep talk.

For the longest time Scott Card resisted offers for film versions of his work, saying it could not be visually translated. Even though he’s listed as one of the producers, he may still be correct. The film sluggishly lurches from one set piece to the next with little sense of urgency. The Formics are never shown gearing up for battle or hovering toward our planet. They’re just “out there”. The endless training sequences quickly become tiresome especially a sort of lazer-tag team battle in zero gravity. Ender’s gang seems to spend half the film floating and firing at one another. A subplot involving a computer role-playing has some slick animation, but hardly advances the story. The big invasion simulation test finale’ has the cadets sitting at control screens using drone ships to blast away at Formic fleets that just look like swarms of bees or locusts while Ender waves his arms about and shouts commands. It all just resembles a really sleek, hi-tech Chuck E, Cheese. Again, not very cinematic. The Formic themselves resemble CGI gigantic preying mantises and reminded me of the beasties in the much superior STARSHIP TROOPERS. That flick embraced its satirical elements while earning an R-rating for a load of gratuitous nudity and gore. The new flick also has a political subplot that keys in to current debates, but it has little of the older flick’s cheesy fun. You’d be better entertained by popping in a disk of that older flick that by spending an interminable two hours with these junior troopers. As the old insecticide ads said, “Quick Ma’, the Flit!”.

1.5 Out of 5