At what price victory?

Rating: 8/10 (8 November 2013)

The heading for this review could easily be the tagline for the new science fiction film based on a popular young adult novel by author Orson Scott Card. Though definitely a great action/adventure film, ENDER'S GAME is more concerned with ideas and values than flashy special effects.
Not that there aren't quite a few visual treats, of course. ENDER'S GAME is an alien invasion film—sort of—and a series of short but powerful flashbacks tell the story of a nearly-successful colonization of Earth by an insect-like species known as the Formics. Nearly wiped out, the people have Earth have lived in constant fear of a second invasion in the decades since. Human technology has advanced considerably in the interim, and our space fleet has set up a perimeter around the Formic homeworld, waiting for the inevitable second war.
As that war seems to draw ever closer, the veteran officer Colonel Graff eyes a young boy named Ender Wiggins. Ender displays a special military genius in the computerized wargames that are used to train potential new leaders, children being especially targeted as their younger brains adapt to new information more quickly. Graff is convinced that Ender is the key to defeating the Formic forces once and for all, and sets about meticulously orchestrating Ender's development so that the boy can ultimately fulfill his destiny.
But what about Ender? How does he feel about this destiny? Is he as gifted as Graff thinks he is? And even if he is, is the life of a soldier really what he wants? Does what he wants even matter? The question of freedom is a big part of ENDER'S GAME, as the characters constantly struggle with the reality of living under the shadow of possible extermination at the hands of a merciless and literally inhuman adversary while nonetheless retaining basic human needs for liberty, personal satisfaction, and family, all of which are often at odds with the martial demands of a culture consumed with battle readiness. Moreover, the script deftly addresses our human tendency to de-humanize the enemy by basing Ender's special talent for strategy upon an apparent contradiction. As Ender himself says, "In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him." ENDER'S GAME is well-produced, paced, acted and directed. Colonel Graff is played by the great Harrison Ford with chilling authority, while Asa Butterfield brings Ender to life with an expert performance which belies his young years. An all-round excellent science fiction that combines thrills and adventure with a rare thoughtfulness and insight, ENDER'S GAME is a must-see for any sci-fi fan.