Review Roundup: Harrison Ford's ENDER'S GAME - Box Office Boom or Bust?

In the near future, a hostile alien race (called the Formics) have attacked Earth. If not for the legendary heroics of International Fleet Commander Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), all would have been lost. In preparation for the next attack, the highly esteemed Colonel Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford) and the International Military are training only the best young children to find the future Mazer. Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a shy, but strategically brilliant boy is pulled out of his school to join the elite.

Arriving at Battle School, Ender quickly and easily masters increasingly difficult war games, distinguishing himself and winning respect amongst his peers. Ender is soon ordained by Graff as the military's next great hope, resulting in his promotion to Command School. Once there, he's trained by Mazer Rackham, himself, to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race. Based on the best-selling, award winning novel, Ender's Game is an epic adventure which stars Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, with Abigail Breslin and Harrison Ford. -- (C) Summit

Let's see what the critics have to say...

Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal: "The cream of the movie's crop, Ender Wiggin, is played by Asa Butterfield, who was the blank-faced boy of the title in Martin Scorsese's "Hugo." His face isn't as inexpressive as it was, but his character is insufferably manipulative and generally dislikable, and that's only the beginning of the movie's woes."

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: "Hood's adaptation streamlines the novel and its concerns, only occasionally lapsing into trailer-speak, as when Ford's commander speaks to his recruits in the language of movie-trailer-ese ("and in the middle of the battle, a legendary hero emerged"). At heart, Ender's Game relays a simple story of a little guy caught in a web not of his own making, learning to stand up for his beliefs. The target audience could do worse."

Peter Debruge, Variety: "Despite the obvious "be all you can be" subtext, Ender's Game manages to make these training sequences compelling without veering into pro-military propaganda, doing so by focusing on the interpersonal dynamics between the various squad members. Though Card may have publicly revealed his own prejudices, the casting department has assembled a wonderfully diverse group of actors - male and female, they come in all colors, shapes and sizes - to serve alongside Ender, including not only Latino best friend Bean (Aramis Knight) but also a fresh set of rivals and bullies, led by the odd-looking Bonzo ("Hannah Montana's" Moises Arias). Generally speaking, these aren't your typical Teen Nick selects; instead, the pic counts two teen Oscar nominees (Hailee Steinfeld as squad-mate Petra and Abigail Breslin as his sister Valentine) among its solid young ensemble."

Eric D. Snider, Film.com: "Just what it is about Ender that makes the higher-ups so sure he'll be their savior remains a mystery, both to him and to us. Yes, he's smart - but surely the army has had smart leaders before. (One of them, played by Ben Kingsley, appears later.) Why are we putting all our eggs in the Ender Wiggin basket? That's the sort of thing that might be addressed if the movie weren't constantly chugging from one plot point to the next, rarely stopping to explore or ponder."

Tom Huddleston, TimeOut.com: "Hollywood producers should stop listening to nerds. The cheerleaders of the geek-net already managed to talk gullible studio bosses into bankrolling flops like 'Watchmen' and 'John Carter', but their work is not yet done. Based on a moderately popular 1985 sci-fi novel, Ender's Game is yet another intriguing, complex, strangely unlikeable big-budget experiment destined to thrill the fans and befuddle the rest of us."

Marc Bernardin, Hollywood Reporter: "The final act of Ender's Game is where the meaning of the title becomes evident: Ender is promoted to Command School, where he's directed to plan and carry out a series of virtual attacks on the Formic fleet, training simulations aided by the friends he made in Battle School -- including Hailee Steinfeld's Petra -- instructed by the legendary Rackham himself. Only here does the film achieve some emotional resonance, as we finally get a real sense of the impossible pressures put upon Ender by the coterie of adults who've placed the fate of a civilization in his hands; by his brothers in arms, who've hitched their wagons to his; and by himself, to live up to his own destiny."

Sara Stewart, New York Post: "I bore in mind the controversy over author Card's anti-gay stance, which stirred up boycott calls - but there's nothing of it here. There's a reason the novel has been such a universal favorite since its release in 1985: Its examination of our bellicose culture, and the wisdom of youth, makes it a timeless story regardless of your political views. Plus, it's kinda nice to see a boy at the heart of one of these dystopian sagas, for a change."

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: "A film for young people to which adults can eavesdrop if they are so inclined, it's not any more sophisticated than it needs to be. But its strong special effects make its simulated battles effective and, echoing the book, its story line touches on a number of intriguing issues."

For more information on Ender's Game click here.

To post a comment, you must register and login.