Review of Ender's Game (2013) by Darian T — 05 Apr 2014

Rating: 6/10.

This was one of the books I did for my English Literature class; I did not finish it as I was very unimpressed by it. That's probably a mistake as, if this movie is anything to go by, the ending is actually the best part.

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Script/Direction: 1.5/3.

The first act felt artificial and scripted, but gains credibility by the time of the second act. The writing is contradictory at one point (Ender's brother was said to be disqualified from the training program not for tactical incompetence but because he was prone to violence, and yet Ender's trainers are shown to approve of Ender's violence and in fact continuously put him in situations that encourage such behaviour.).

Cast/Acting: 1/3.

Harrison Ford is too old to act; he's rigid and he mumbles. I don't really like any of the cast. Ender has a nice smile but he keeps making those ugly, pained expressions.

Production/Effects: 2.5/3.

Looks convincing enough and greatly helps make the film more believable.

Special/Other: +1.

A lot of films start out strong but finish weak; others start out weak but gain momentum and strength as they progress--I think the latter sort are usually the better (more memorable) of the two, of which this film is a good example. I thought the third act was brilliant; paradoxically enough, the story only truly begins when the film approaches its end. I say yes to a sequel.