Astounding special effects

Rating: 9/10 (8 June 2014)

Ender's Game is a 2013 science fiction film directed by Gavin Hood and based on Orson Scott Card's novel of the same name, starring young actor Asa Butterfield as Andrew Ender Wiggin and veteran actors Harrison Ford as Col. Graff and Ben Kingsley as Mazer Rackham. The supporting cast mostly comprises of many other young faces, including Abigail Breslin, Hailee Steinfeld, and Aramis Knight, which perhaps set it apart from other science-fiction films.The plot revolves around the experiences of Andrew Ender Wiggin in the military academy that trains young and smart students like Ender in the hope that they will be ready when it comes time to battle the Formics—an alien race previously encountered that is believed to be a threat to the human race. Ender's extraordinary strategic thinking skills differentiated him from his peers and elevated him as a potential leader of the entire military force.
The movie starts out with a quote from the main character Ender: "When I understand my enemy well enough to defeat him, then in that moment, I also love him." The quote expresses Ender's dilemma in struggling between his violent tendencies and instinct to win and his compassionate side. This immediately allows the audience to understand and sympathize with Ender, and from that Ender is no longer just a character. The introductory quote will also serve as an explanation to the conclusion of the film.
Although the characters are mostly young, the film is still easily relatable for adults because of the characters' grown up motivations and experiences; in one of the film's critical moments, Ender evaluates whether the manner in which one wins matters more than the fact of winning.
If it is lacking in any way, it is probably in the fact that some characters are not given enough time to develop in order to be more understood by the audience, such as in the case of Peter Wiggin. Peter Wiggin is easily seen as evil and ruthless but further depth of character could be given through providing a reasonable cause to his actions; after all, a character with two sides is always more interesting and relatable.
Astounding special effects were used throughout the film, from the recollection of the previous Formics invasion to the climactic space battle simulations. Seeing the space battle simulation, one can't help but remember the special effects of clashing spaceships, asteroids, and planets in Star Wars, wherein Harrison Ford also starred. The film score accompanying the special effects-filled scenes only contributed in making the scenes even more suspenseful and exciting. Some features of the film such as the Battle Room, military costumes, and the mind game, serve as unique additions to set the film apart.