Good, but way too short

Rating: 7/10 (1 November 2013)

As you may have already guessed by my user name, I'm a fan of Ender's Game. When I first read the book at the age of 12, I immediately fell in love with it and it has remained my favorite novel of all time—nothing has come close to usurping its position in my mind as the greatest work of man ever conceived. Now that my obvious bias is out of the way, let's get on to the review.
I had fairly high expectations for the movie, considering how I felt about the source material. I felt it would be a triumph, one of the sleeper hits of the year; my enthusiasm for the film stemmed mostly from the trailers and advertisements I had seen, as well as several of the positive reviews I had read. However, while I feel the movie deserves a mostly positive review, I must admit I am at least slightly disappointed.
First, the good: The movie looks gorgeous; the CGI is flawless and the costumes, sets, and overall atmosphere are well realized. This is a polished production worthy of the Enderverse tag. I felt the acting was also quite good. I was worried Harrison Ford might come across as too gruff and wooden, but he actually delivers in one his best roles since well, forever. Asa Butterfield does a commendable job as Ender. And despite her limited screen time, Viola Davis is excellent as Major Anderson, providing a much needed counterbalance to Ford's Colonel Graff.
The movie chugs along at an incredible pace; I did not feel bored once. I've read some reviews that described those having read the book being able to "fill in the gaps" about the back story when watching the movie. While I was certainly able to do this, I would have appreciated it more had I been able to see it on the screen.
Now, the bad: The movie is much too short. An additional 30 to 45 minutes running time is sorely needed for character development and plot. The movie falls flat in delivering the psychological and emotional goods that made the book so amazing. For instance, the brilliance of Ender during the battle scenes is seriously understated in the movie, and during Ender's final test, the gathered crowd politely claps when they should be on their knees and bawling their eyes out.
I don't agree with Orson Scott Card's political views, but that was a moot point when it came time for me to decide whether to see the movie or not. Here was my favorite book of all time being converted to the big screen and I absolutely had to see it. Besides, I've recently read OSC won't make any money from the movie, so all of you kids boycotting this film should see it for the cinematic piece of art it is.
Those of you who have already read the book and enjoyed it will undoubtedly see it. Those of you who enjoy sci-fi should also go see it. To everyone else, it might be best to spend your money elsewhere.