Movie Information
Release Date: November 1, 2013
Director: Gavin Hood
Writer: Gavin Hood, Orson Scott Card (book)
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, Aramis Knight, Suraj Partha, Moises Aria, Khylin Rhambo, JImmy ‘Jax’ Pinchak, Nonso Anozie, Conor Carroll, Caleb J. Thaggard, Cameron Gaskins, Stevie Ray Dallimore, Andrea Powell, Brandon Soo Hoo, Kyle Russell Clements, Wendy Miklovic
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 114 minutes
By: Summit Entertainment
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Language: English
Country: USA
Wow! I can admit, when the first few trailers hit for this flick I had ABSOLUTELY ZERO interest in seeing this film. I thought it would be a CGI crapfest, with bad acting from children, wasted talent (Harrison Ford, Viola Davis, Sir Ben Kingsley), and an embarrassment to great cinema. Then on top of that, I found out director Gavin Hood was attached who delivered the disappointing X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie. So no hope could be found. I am soooooo proud to say that I was completely wrong, and this flick was fantastic. Nearly everything hit home. The acting, casting, effects, and sound, makes me eager for it all to come together on bluray to witness it’s culmination. There was one or two flaws with the overall story, but surprisingly enough, there were so many moral issues that hit deeper than I ever thought. I never read the book, but can easily say I’m now a fan of the franchise.
My favorite element of the film was the character Ender. Just imagine a younger version of Neo from the Matrix. This little dude was the man. He didn’t run around throwing it in your face, but only if you forced him into a corner. It felt like he had a 3 gallon IV of humble that he switched out every hour. While also not the biggest kid in his age bracket, he used all of his surroundings to his advantage. He was a master strategist which his older companions wanted to exploit. When trouble erupts he wouldn’t just defeat you, he would destroy you and everything you stood for. His confidence was at an upmost high, but still checked from time to time when dealing with authority. I wouldn’t say he had a problem with authority, but always needed a reason or asked why. Though that’s no complaint here because it may have been necessary to come out on top.
The concept alone is still a puzzle to me. In my opinion nothing can compare to hard work over time. And we got just that. Being a fan of martial arts movies, training montages always make me smile ear to ear. This doesn’t by far have anything to do with other martial arts flicks, but the hard training over time is still very much appreciated as it stretches. That’s easily the better parts of the movie. I love seeing characters grow. Especially when they’re already great. Though when you don’t use talent from the past, that has already proven themselves, it may punch a small hole in the plot. On top of all the great training it’s meshed together with spectacular effects. After viewing gravity my ambitions on visiting space have faded away just a bit, but after watching ENDER’S GAME my curiosity powers back up. I haven’t seen every movie dealing with space adventure, but I can say that I did witness space travel in a way I’ve personally never experience before. When I can walk out interested in space theories, searching google for anything related, it’s easy to say someone did a great job. More on effects the final battle was a great pleasure on the eyes. I was at the edge of my seat with my chin on my fits with a smile brighter than the projector.
In the end a reveal arises and puts our hero in a dilemma not most can handle. Though he does and is just another testament on how great he really is. If you read between the lines it’s real world problem that we deal with today. Sometimes greats are manipulated for other’s own personal gain, or twisted view. It won’t make you turn in your seat, but when you really think about it, if not checked it can possibly cause some serious damage to someone’s moral compass. The more I think about this film, the more I like it. Even as I’m writing this review. I have so much more to say, but want to keep your expectations in check as mine were low. I want to make you sure you have a great time just as much as I did, because this is undoubtedly a fun fantastic ride. Thumbs up to everyone involved because this is easily one to remember.