sci-fi at its best

Rating: 8/10 (26 May 2014)

It does not happen often that a movie adaptation of a novel does the novel justice. This is fortunately the case with the movie adaptation of Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. I have had the pleasure of reading the book before I saw the movie. After a few scenes into the it I realized that the depiction off the story, places and characters is very similar to what I had imagined when I read the book. No one can expect that a book of a couple of hundred pages can be squeezed into two hours of a movie. The director, fortunately, had no such intention. Still, the most important aspects of the story are present. Even though occasionally shown out of the sequence of the novel, in order to make up for the omitted sections of the book, they still tell a convincing story that flows smoothly and without any obvious gaps. I wholeheartedly recommend reading the book before seeing the movie. The intimate knowledge of the story would make it possible to follow the movie with far better understanding. It would also make the movie more entertaining. Nevertheless, even as a stand-alone this movie is a very entertaining feature. This movie is a story of humanity and the loss of it. It is also a story of socialization of the young people and personal growth. But most of all, it is a story of how far would one go to defend their family, their group, the species. The main characters are shown faithfully in comparison to the characters from the book. The young actor, Asa Butterfield, who was cast in the role of Ender is a very good choice. Barely seventeen, he took his role seriously, convincingly bringing the character of Ender to life. The supporting cast beautifully complemented the main character. Apart from a couple of seasoned actors, the rest of the team comprises of very young people. Regardless, they were up to the task and they performed their roles in coordinated concert. I saw the movie at a pre-opening screening. The CGI was impressive and I can only imagine how it may look in the iMAX version. This film is definitely a must see for the sci-fi enthusiasts. Those who are not much interested in the genre would also be entertained. I am looking forward to seeing the iMAX version. I can comfortably recommend this movie. It will not disappoint you.