Thursday, October 31, 2013
Ender’s Game (2013)
Cast: Harrison Ford,
Asa Butterfield, and Hailee Steinfeld
Director: Gavin Hood
Synopsis: Based on a
military science fiction novel by Orson Scott Card, Asa Butterfield stars as
the perfect young recruit whom the International Military has been searching
for. Between a brother who shows too much brutality, and a sister who shows too
much emotion, Ender Wiggin is the perfect balance, and in having one of the
smartest minds, may be the last hope for the human race against an impending
alien attack.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4 /5
reels.
Review:
“In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him” –Ender’s Game.
“In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him” –Ender’s Game.
Gavin Hood is not new
to bringing the world of science fiction to the big screen. Having directed X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and working on
Stargate SG-1, Hood takes the genre
to a whole new level in his adaptation of Ender’s
Game, with crazy stunts and amazing computer-generated imagery (CGI).
A bug-like alien race
has attacked future Earth, devastating the human race. For fifty years Earth
has been searching for the perfect soldier to lead a counter attack against the
alien race. War strategies and battle school are the way of life, and only the
brightest and fiercest are accepted. Ender Wiggin, played by Asa Butterfield,
comes in fifty years after the first attack on Earth. He is one of the
youngest, smallest, and smartest to quickly climb the ranks in battle school.
Asa Butterfield is
brilliant in the role, revealing the very depth of Ender’s soul with his
piercing blue eyes and subtle facial expressions through triumph, victory,
defeat, and heartbreak. Petra Arkanian, the strong female lead played by Hailee
Steinfeld, is the toughest girl in battle school. She befriends Ender and gives
him pointers that help him to quickly excel in the training room. Although this
is not a love story, the two romantic leads have incredible chemistry.
The only downside to Ender’s Game is the predictable underdog
storyline. It is no spoiler that this young boy set out to save humanity will
do just that, it is his journey along the way that makes this mundane plot so
captivating and original—that and the story taking place in a futuristic Earth
and space travel. The special effects in this film are magnificent and only add
to the ambience of the film as a whole.
Ender’s Game,
just shy of two hours in length is a must see. This PG-13 film is jam packed
with action. It's both a physical and psychological drama that explores the age-old
battle between good and evil. Ender's Game is a GO!
By: Megan Kaniasty
