Science fiction has long been a movie and film genre many people love. “Star Wars”, “Back to the Future”, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Avatar” are only a glimpse of the many well-known films. Recently added to this list was the film adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s “Ender’s Game,”

Asa Butterfield starred as Andrew Ender Wiggin, a child growing up in a world scarred from a previous war with an alien race called the Formics. Precautionary methods against losing to the Buggers should they invade again include the training of children in battle strategies and military tactics.  As the third child in his family, in a time when it is custom to have only two, Ender has difficulty fitting in, even within his own home. His brother Peter (Jimmy Pinchak) often uses Ender as a punching bag, playing games in which Ender often gets hurt. Valentine (Abigail Breslin,) his sister, is his one true friend.

All changes when he is selected for battle school, a school above the earth in zero-gravity, to begin his training as not only an excellent fighter, but an outstanding commander. His authorities, especially Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford,) show favoritism to Ender and while at first he has difficulty with his peers, eventually he forms close friendships. He goes on to save not only the Earth but another life form.

As someone who read the book, I had high expectations and I must say they were met. I knew with the amount of time allotted the film would not be what I felt it could be in my mind. However, the time given and the budget cuts movie-makers have, the film was extraordinary.

I thought they did an excellent job relaying the emotional aspect of Ender. In the beginning of the film it says Ender needed to be a mix of his compassionate sister and his violent brother. Both sides were definitely shown, as was his maturing into being the perfect mix of the two.

However, while Ender was wonderfully portrayed and characterized, I do wish they had done more with Valentine and Peter. In the book, Valentine and Peter end up faking online identities and basically influencing the entire world. I thought it was a wonderful, and many times comical, twist to the book. Alas, that aspect was not shown in the film.

Another thing they could have developed more was the end. The book had more to the end that the film let on, an emotional side that I wish we could have seen. To someone who read the book, it seems to have just cut off.

All in all I found it to be a wonderful adaptation. The graphics and images were amazing, as was the acting. I was 100 percent engaged the entirety of the movie.

14awalters@usd489.com