Does justice to the book

Rating: 8/10 (28 February 2014)

I first read Ender's Game as a serial in Analog Science Fiction/Fact magazine many years ago. I liked it so much I purchased the book and quite a few other Card efforts. Over the years I re-read it many times, enjoying it just as much as the first. Imagine my surprise two years ago and found it rated as the favorite SF novel of all time. And then to hear a film was in the works! After seeing the previews I thought I'd be disappointed; it just seemed wrong. However, on viewing the film I must say the persons involved did a credible version of the book. I was able to set aside my expectations and just enjoy it.
My only real complaints were two-fold. First, I thought the presence of big stars was distracting. Relative unknowns should have played the adults more convincingly. Second, and this has some bearing on the first, too much was spent on the sets and effects and adult cast members. It looks like the film will be a gigantic financial flop. The book is not a visual shoot-em-up but actually pretty small and claustrophobic. Big names, big sets and big effects may be what the kiddies want but this is supposed to be both more and less than that. The battle room was the only major set necessary and even that could have been much smaller.
Overall a valiant effort that got a bit out of control.