A great couple of hours' entertainment

Rating: 7/10 (17 January 2014)

There's quite a bit of noise on associated threads about the lack of depth in this movie; the passing over of what Scott-Card fans deem to be material that should have been included, not enough focus on this, too much on that.. yadda yadda.
Yes, this film is based on a novel. Adaptations usually get a kicking from some minorities. I don't how how good an adaptation, because I haven't read the book. What I can say is, from my unread point of view this film is really very slick and well acted. And the CGI is superb.
Asa Butterfield apparently grew two inches while filming; I'm not surprised. He's hardly recognisable from the charmingly gawky 14-year-old in the excellent Hugo. In fact it wasn't until some way through this movie I realised they were one and the same; Butterfield is at that age where his height has outraced his filling out, and it shows on occasion. But his acting range certainly has filled out.
Harrison Ford plays the perfect foil to Ender's fragile genius. As the old school military veteran, ready to sacrifice everything to "prevent all future wars", Ford still brings humanity and depth to a part that could easily have been much less.
The twist, I have to say, I didn't see coming. Perhaps that's because I watched this movie with no particular expectation, and so was pleasantly surprised. I suggest you do the same.
I for one will watch it again in a few months.
Perhaps I might even read the book..
Worth a couple of hours of your time, definitely.