enders game review

Okay, so I finally got around to watching “Ender’s Game,” the movie based on the book by Orson Scott Card. I’d heard a lot about it, both good and bad, so I was pretty curious to see what all the fuss was about.

First off, I grabbed some snacks – popcorn, of course – and settled in on the couch. The movie started, and right away, I was drawn into this futuristic world where kids are trained to be soldiers to fight against an alien race called the Formics.

The main character, Ender Wiggin, is this super smart kid who’s a whiz at strategy and tactics. The whole story is basically about him going through this intense military training program in space. They put him and the other kids through all these crazy simulations and war games to prepare them for a possible invasion.

• The visuals were pretty cool. Space battles, zero-gravity training, all that stuff looked awesome.
• Asa Butterfield, who played Ender, did a great job. He really captured the character’s intensity and intelligence.
• Harrison Ford was in it too, playing Colonel Graff, the guy in charge of the training program. He’s always a solid actor.

As the movie went on, I started to see why people were so divided about it. On one hand, it’s this exciting sci-fi adventure with some really cool action scenes. But on the other hand, it raises some pretty heavy questions about war, morality, and the use of child soldiers.

There are also some issues around Ender’s family. He was the product of genetic engineering. His siblings were both geniuses, but his brother was deemed too violent, and his sister was deemed too empathetic. Ender was the perfect balance. As the training progresses, Ender becomes more and more isolated. He struggles with the weight of his responsibilities and the moral implications of what he’s being trained to do.

I won’t spoil the ending, but let’s just say it’s a bit of a mind-bender. It definitely left me thinking about the whole story and the themes it explored. It was not what I expected, to say the least. But I enjoyed the surprise.

My Thoughts

Overall, I thought “Ender’s Game” was a pretty good movie. It’s not perfect, and I can see why some people might not like it, but I found it to be a thought-provoking and entertaining watch. It’s one of those movies that sticks with you after it’s over, and you keep thinking about it and discussing it with others.

If you’re into sci-fi and don’t mind a bit of a darker, more complex story, I’d say give it a shot. Just be prepared for some heavy themes and a twist ending that might leave you with more questions than answers. Oh and I also realized that I need to read the book sometime in the future, see what is the difference.