Read the book years ago and I thought the movie was well done. In a world that seems to be invested in virtual war games disconnecting from human emotion or compassion this movie is a great statement on the current day status of drone warfare and future of warfare being played out on video screens. Good special effects. Thought-provoking.
Ender's Game
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aaronfransen
Jedi Master
A friend of mine thought the film should have spent more time in battle school, like the book did, however I thought they did the book justice. It's always hard to capture the content of a book in a film, and you're better off trying to capture the spirit of it.
I enjoyed the film, even with the ending that wasn't in the book (was in a couple books later, if I'm not mistaken). In fact I think adding the ending they did actually did the character justice.
I enjoyed the film, even with the ending that wasn't in the book (was in a couple books later, if I'm not mistaken). In fact I think adding the ending they did actually did the character justice.
furryfrog
Jedi
Do not read this post if you have not seen the movie or read the book, and intend to do so, it will spoil it. :(
I read the book when I was a kid, and still remember the ending when they told him the battles were not a simulation. I thought the movie was a good representation of the book, though there were some differences. Before I went to see the show I was wondering If they were going to include the computer game that he could never win, It was nice to see that they did. They did a good job showing ender's "mama bear" combination of violent and emphatic traits, but it was only mentioned once that he was a "third". In the book he was ridiculed for being a "third" quite often.
In the book version (if memory serves correctly) the kids gave orders to the crew of the spacecraft more face to face on video communication, and in the movie they did not show any person on board the spaceships receiving the orders. It was only in mention at the end that they were crewed by real people. The book version had them using different spacecraft in all the battles, not the same ones like in the movie. The last battle in the book for example had the oldest and least technologically advanced ships, because they were the farthest from earth. The "simulations" in the book were all part of the "real" campaign, but in the movie I had the sense that only the last battle was "real" and the previous ones were "simulations".
It was not confirmed in the movie that he killed the bully, which in the book he did, and was an important part of the story. Killing the bully was one of his "tests" in the book, and he passed. Ender was created, through manipulation, lies and deceit, to do what he did. I guess the same could be said for a lot of us humans here on the planet now.
I read the book when I was a kid, and still remember the ending when they told him the battles were not a simulation. I thought the movie was a good representation of the book, though there were some differences. Before I went to see the show I was wondering If they were going to include the computer game that he could never win, It was nice to see that they did. They did a good job showing ender's "mama bear" combination of violent and emphatic traits, but it was only mentioned once that he was a "third". In the book he was ridiculed for being a "third" quite often.
In the book version (if memory serves correctly) the kids gave orders to the crew of the spacecraft more face to face on video communication, and in the movie they did not show any person on board the spaceships receiving the orders. It was only in mention at the end that they were crewed by real people. The book version had them using different spacecraft in all the battles, not the same ones like in the movie. The last battle in the book for example had the oldest and least technologically advanced ships, because they were the farthest from earth. The "simulations" in the book were all part of the "real" campaign, but in the movie I had the sense that only the last battle was "real" and the previous ones were "simulations".
It was not confirmed in the movie that he killed the bully, which in the book he did, and was an important part of the story. Killing the bully was one of his "tests" in the book, and he passed. Ender was created, through manipulation, lies and deceit, to do what he did. I guess the same could be said for a lot of us humans here on the planet now.
H
Hildegarda
Guest
I've only read the book, and gave it to my kids to read, right before the movie came out. I was amazed at the story's prescience of modern technology, virtual reality, and communication. There are so many angles in the story that the movie doesn't cover, so watching the movie is no substitute for the book. They also moved around some characters and reshaped the ending, in the interest of streamlining the plot. Nevertheless, they did a very good job.
H-KQGE
Dagobah Resident
I haven't read the book & I knew nothing beforehand. It was allright, but the battle school scenes seemed to drag. I didn't really mind the interactions with others who he was supposed to win over. The floating about scenes carried little interest. I liked his close relationship with his sister & I would have liked to see more of his prone-to-violence brother, (because he got kicked off of the program & would he have really harmed Ender?) & that psycho-emotive game thing he was on was good. Considering the way the movie ended, that should've been explored far more than the fairly boring battle school.
All the simulations were just that, all but the last (which movie critics spoiled for me by appearing on the evening news & telling us, why?) & the long-range telepathy thing was good, as well as the visible distress he exhibited when he saved the world. Quite reminiscent of one storyline in a videogame from a few years back called "Mass Effect". A misunderstood species (dunno if those in Ender's Game were, they might've been) called "the Rachni" which were arachnids (spiders) that were supposedly terrorizing half the galaxy, even though they were manipulated into holding back a previously terrorizing species by so-called peace loving "guardian" elder races.
Why no one explains how multi-limbed invertebrates with no opposable thumbs manage to master interstellar spaceflight, is a mystery to me. Giant ants, crabs, lizards, they're all at it & humans are always playing catch-up! ;)
All the simulations were just that, all but the last (which movie critics spoiled for me by appearing on the evening news & telling us, why?) & the long-range telepathy thing was good, as well as the visible distress he exhibited when he saved the world. Quite reminiscent of one storyline in a videogame from a few years back called "Mass Effect". A misunderstood species (dunno if those in Ender's Game were, they might've been) called "the Rachni" which were arachnids (spiders) that were supposedly terrorizing half the galaxy, even though they were manipulated into holding back a previously terrorizing species by so-called peace loving "guardian" elder races.
Why no one explains how multi-limbed invertebrates with no opposable thumbs manage to master interstellar spaceflight, is a mystery to me. Giant ants, crabs, lizards, they're all at it & humans are always playing catch-up! ;)
H-kqge said:
The battle school parts were one of the best parts of the book, IMO. You really get an idea of what Ender was up against, and how was able to establish himself, take a leadership role, gain allies, etc. I would've liked MORE battle school, just to see the dynamics build and develop. But I can see, as it is, how it probably comes across to those unfamiliar with the book. In short, check out the book. ;)
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