Review of Ender's Game (2013) by Jeffrey M — 31 Jul 2014

An exercise in uneven film-making and poor adaptation, Ender's Game is a frustrating science fiction film that never lives up to its potential, and often doesn't even hint at it. Set in the future, the film presents a world in which the human race had nearly been wiped out by a hostile alien invasion some years earlier, with the leftover society preparing for another possible attack. Looking for a new generation of leaders, and the military seeks to hone the skills of the brightest youth available.

With Ender's Game, we are given Asa Butterfield as Ender, the protagonist. We are told he's the brightest they have, and shows the greatest potential. Yet, like much of the beats of the film, this never feels earned. The academy he is sent to is supposedly composed of near genius prodigies, yet Ender is the only one that shows any marked intelligence. What made him different? Why was he able to be so successful? The film never really shows us, but simply tells us. This is a carried trait throughout the film, never successfully building up to its dramatic moments. Ender's character arc is never fully realized, nor is any of the characters. We never care about any character, because we don't know them. The characterizations are thus shallow, and are executed with awkward dialogue, being delivered by largely unimpressive performances.

The technical elements of Ender's Game are impressive. The sets are well designed, the shots are nicely composed, and the CGI is beautiful. Visually, there's certainly some imagination, yet all of this is placed in a film devoid of compelling characters, a narrative that never finds itself, and a script with no humor or vibrancy, nor texture.

2/5 Stars.