Not a good film. I loved it.

Rating: 7/10 (24 November 2013)

Ender's Game is a very, very flawed film. I would go as far as to say that it is almost definitely a bad film. Most of the actors seem lifeless, the events fly by at a pace that a cheetah would have trouble catching up to, and some of the dialogue is painful. Asa Butterfield's American accent noticeably slips several times. Harrison Ford feels wooden.
And I loved every second of it.
First of all, the visuals are amazing. This is definitely an effects film. Secondly, although the events of the novel were compressed and (especially towards the beginning) there are a few changes that make me angry, generally it's done well. Small bits like the change in location of a significant object at the end near genius (for an adaptation). Mostly, I think my affection for it comes from my love for the book. This was not a terribly faithful adaptation, and I'll be whining about annoying differences the rest of my life (why are the armies so small? They were more than 40 people in the book) and not everything looks perfect (the battle room is completely and totally inaccurate in every possible way), but as a visualization of the book's contents, it succeeds in most every way.
If you're not a fan of the book (which my viewing companion wasn't), you will likely not care for this film. You may hate it. So if you haven't read it, don't see it. It's not for you. If you have read it, by all means, go see this film. You will be disappointed, but you'll also experience a wonderful visual feast that only you can appreciate.
Also: The song at the end - performed by one of my favorite bands, so I may have a bit of bias - is fantastic. It's heartwarming and captures the spirit of the book perfectly. At the end, when the score fades down and the song fades in, that's a musical moment no one should miss. There's a whole EP put out by the band of songs based on the book, and all fans of the book should seek it out.