The life of Earth depends on gaming skills

Rating: 6/10 (5 November 2013)

After all the controversy surrounding the author of Ender's Game and his iconoclastic views on so many subjects, I quite frankly didn't know what to expect from this film. It's far from the greatest science fiction endeavor I've ever seen. It really ought to be seen back to back with Starship Troopers on a number of levels.
In both cases the earth has been subject to an alien invasion of an insect civilization of sorts. Starship Troopers never has any doubts or qualms about the citizen's exercising their right to defend planet earth from the bug invasion. The insects aren't even given a generic name, they're simply referred to as 'bugs'. And the bugs only see earth as some kind of feeding ground.
These insects in Ender's Game are called Formi and they invaded and several million people were killed before the invasion was repelled. But they've been quiet over the last several decades, no one can say for certainty what they're intentions are. But earth isn't waiting, Harrison Ford is in charge of developing young and I do mean young new commanders with computer precision skills, honed to perfection on computer games.
The one he favors is young Asa Butterfield who seems to have more of the right stuff than anyone else. In the end as you would imagine he does, but what he does raises certain issues that Starship Troopers would never imagine.
It's ironic that the biggest strength of Ender's Game is the way that computer gaming skills have been refined and are so desirable. The Armed Forces in its recruiting for several years has made a selling point of gaming skills. All the weapons from the most sophisticated missiles down to tanks and even some hand held weapons have a computer guidance system of sorts. No more just point, aim, and shoot. Ender's Game has multiplied that exponentially. In fact in this futuristic society, one with the requisite skills can be drafted.
In the end a mixed message is sent to the audience robbing some of the effectiveness of Ender's Game. It still has a lot to recommend it and the contrast to Starship Troopers is quite intense.