Never Believe Book Fans..Judge Independently

Rating: 9/10 (13 January 2015)

A current average of 6.7 here on IMDb is the most unfair overall rating for anything I've watched in a very long time - so much so, that this is my first time commenting on IMDb.
I've never read the book, so went in cold. Based on some of the reviews I read here, before watching it - I almost decided it was something for kids, people with no imagination and overall a poor film.
Thankfully, I decided to ignore the majority who saw fault. I'm no film buff, and will not pretend to be. I can only be honest and say, that this was a very well acted and thought provoking film.
Whilst it receives a 12 rating, much of the content regarding humanity and the implications of conflict/war are in fact very adult in nature - and presented as such, without a sense of flippancy.
There was something else I felt throughout the film - and that was a correlation to the Battlestar Galactica genre. In a vague way admittedly, but mankind vs an alien race, where just who is the better of the two on balance, is unclear. Additionally the whole look of the film, the vessels, the training program for recruits..and a fair bit more - constantly had me thinking of the BSG universe..in a positive way.
The acting I've mentioned, was excellent. For fans of pure action, this is NOT your thing. It was more about the dichotomy of what is the right thing to do, and how does a young boy with natural raw talents take on something as overwhelming as the challenges he's faced with as the film progresses.
It's definitely one of those films where you have to look, acknowledge and appreciate the true scale of the challenges that the young hero has to contend with. Asa felt believable, tough (though compassionate), caring and disturbed throughout the film. Harrison played his part as the driven, almost tyrannical military leader who recruited him brilliantly.
The film skips along at a quick pace, whilst not seeming like a blur of constant action, and certainly not one to watch if you don't give it 100% attention throughout.
So that's my short and simple first review. If you ignore the overall rating as I did - and perhaps forget about the book if you've read it - then watch and judge this on it's own merits, because it really is a film that has a sublime brilliance to it and worth the time watching.