Better than I thought it would be, but not as good as I'd hoped.

Rating: 7/10 (25 October 2013)

Having divided opinion so much before its release due to many people being offended by the authors outspoken beliefs, and due to the die hard fans of the novel's excited anticipation of the long awaited movie adaptation; Enders Game will continue to do so after its release for a far more fundamental reason: Viewers who have not read the book may find the plot difficult to follow due to it's fast pacing, while viewers who have read the book will probably find themselves wishing that more of it had been included. This is definitely a movie that needs an extended "directors cut".
That said, despite the various omissions and short-cuts made by the film makers, there are many positive things to report.
Firstly the casting is superb, with very few exceptions; most noticeably Dap and Anderson, who I feel were so different from their counterparts in the novel as to feel out of place.
Secondly the film is visually stunning to look at with some truly great sets, costumes and special effects. The score and sound is also very good and sets the mood nicely.
Thirdly the story itself is very good, not at all the "Star Wars meets Harry Potter" or "Hunger Games in Space" that is being touted, but a far more serious allegory about the effects of unreasonably high expectations of someone so young and the impact it can have on them.
It is just a shame that the film seems to be in such a hurry to get to the finale that it rushes through so much of the early story:
Not enough time is spent developing secondary characters such as Enders older brother Peter, who gets very little screen time, certainly not enough to demonstrate to the novice viewer why Ender is so afraid of becoming like him. Very little mention is made of Enders outcast status as a third child or why this is important. It's not explained why Ender must feel that no-one will ever come to his aid, just that they won't.
All these aspects are present in the film, it's just that they are glossed over so briefly that someone with no prior knowledge of the story will either be forced to take them at face value or spend a lot of time thinking "why?".
Far more serious are the more obvious omissions:
The entire Locke/Demosthenes sub-plot is absent and Enders progression through battle school is alarmingly expedited, going directly from his promotion to Dragon army commander to their final battle together with no explanation as to how Ender takes a group of unseasoned "launchies" and defeats TWO armies (one of which has never lost) with them.
Whilst I understand, and to a certain extent, agree with the first omission; I can't see why a simple 2-3 minute montage of Dragon army training together, winning battles and moving up the rankings couldn't have been included to exposit the latter.
In short the whole of the film leading up to the finale feels hurried and confusing.
That said the finale is excellently realised and genuinely moving, if you know the story or have managed to make sense of the film so far! I think more emphasis could have been placed on the twist at the end of tale before moving on to the epilogue, but it still plays out well.
In conclusion this is a well acted and visualised film that is worth seeing. Just don't expect to understand it all if you haven't read the book, and expect to feel a little short changed if you have.