Enderâs Game (2013)
The director of X-Men Origins: Wolverine also directed Enderâs Game. That's a stunner. Then again, Gavin Hood also directed Tsotsi so really, it's the comic book movie that's the outlier. While this picture failed to make bank at the box office, that only means it's ready to be discovered by audiences at home. This is a thought-provoking, exciting and intelligent science fiction film, the kind we wish we'd see more often.
Set decades after an alien attack in 2114, it's only a matter of time before the Formics return. The International Fleet recruits gifted children (whose minds are better at grasping the complex mathematics involved in space travel) to lead a pre-emptive strike. Colonel Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford) believes young Andrew âEnderâ Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) will make the perfect commander.
When Enderâs Game was released in theatres, many called for its boycott. If you have the misfortune of glimpsing author Orson Scott Cardâs homophobia, you'll understand why, but hereâs the thing: Card isnât making money off of the box office. He IS from book sales, however. If youâre intrigued by the story (and you should be), forget the book. Go for the movie. In some ways, I like it better anyway.
Most films about alien invaders are about the big battle, the desire to crush the enemy, and seeing the space bug's homeworld reduced to ruins. Ender's Game is about something deeper. Itâs about a boy pushed to become a killer when he doesnât want to be. It asks legitimate questions about the morality of sending soldiers to war. It is wrong to rip him and his fellow students away from a normal life on Earth, but after the war, they don't have the luxury of being children either. It's immoral, but what's more important in the end; your principles, or survival? The training at the academy pushes the children to think differently than they would. The way Ender strategizes during the many exercises, the way he navigates among his peers, his family, and his superiors prove he is the perfect candidate Colonel Graff wanted. What you wonder is whether he's "perfect" because he's young enough to be molded into a mindless war machine or because he's not old enough to have his independence snuffed out. Youâll want to hit pause and think about these ideas before the plot moves onto the next one, but that would mean interrupting its flow.
The screenplay by Gavin Hood delicately balances character development, moral conundrums, and action. The bulk of the film is set not on the battlefield, but in a special school where Ender learns to strategize and learn about his enemies. The training exercises are skilfully directed, exciting, and satisfying. When was the last time you heard that about classes?
Unfortunately, Enderâs Game ends on a note that hints at a sequel that will never come. The story nonetheless feels complete. It features complex characters whose actions youâll love debating and analyzing. It boasts an impressive cast (Ben Kingsley, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Viola Davis, and many other talents join Butterfield and Ford), exciting action sequences, and a killer climax. It may not have the emotional depth of the novel (how could it when it only lasts 114 minutes?), but it comes close and itâs a lot more interesting to see people flying through the air shooting at each other than it is reading about it. (On Blu-ray, February 10, 2017)
