Ender's Game

Year: 2013
Genre: Action sci-fi
Director: Gavin Hood


Plot: Young Ender Wiggin is recruited alongside many other children by the military to lead an attack against an alien race that nearly destroyed them in an invasion.


The gist: Ender's Game seems very familiar as it's similar to many other sci-fi films before it, such as Independence Day, Starship Troopers and even The Hunger Games.

In this film, Ender Wiggin, a young genius, is recruited by the military to lead their forces against the Formics, an alien race of bugs. Young Ender goes through many trials, both physical and emotional, to rise through the ranks and become the man they want him to be.

The majority of the film sees Ender training and learning, so much so that the final battle is rather brief at the end, which is kinda the purpose of the filmmakers. While Ender's emotional journey is well documented, the overall result lacks suspense and thrills.


The good: Asa Butterfield is quite good as Ender, with Harrison Ford, Viola Davis and Abigail Breslin providing solid support. The special effects are quite cool too, but one feels they ought to spend less time making it like a video game. I also liked the argument presented about sending kids to war here.

The bad: The ending is quite abrupt, possibly because a sequel was planned. The film also lacks humour, which would have lightened the mood considerably.


Verdict: It's an okay film, but plenty of room for improvement. (6/10)