Movie review: Ender's Games - wasted war[rior]s
Ender’s Game raises thought-provoking questions about the wars we are fighting.
Ender’s Game raises thought-provoking questions about the wars we are fighting.
Literary critics wittily claim that that the golden age for science fiction is at the ripe age of 14. The Ender’s Game, a hardcore science-fiction flick for teens, makes an adult (especially those addicted to war games) feel like a 14-year-old, and in a good way.
Written and directed by Gavin Hood, and based on Orson Scott Card’s book by the same name, the film tells the story of the planet being rescued by a small group of children. Set in a disarmingly straightforward sci-fi setting, it shows the future of the planet being threatened by the Formics, a hostile alien species with superior technology who seem determined to destroy the human race.
The entire plot of the film is unlocked with the protagonist’s narration in the opening scenes of the film. “The world’s smartest children are the planet’s best hope. Raised on war games, their decisions are intuitive, decisive and fearless.”
After observing Ender Wiggins (Asa Butterfield), a shy but strategically brilliant boy, through hidden cameras, Colonel Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford) believes he is the next great warrior for humanity. Graff pulls Wiggins out of school to join the elite force, and trains him to be an outstanding fighter — one that kills without asking any questions. The young fighter quickly learns jarring and increasingly complicated war strategies and is promoted to the Command School.
Ender takes up the war with a group of his best team members to save the Earth from the biggest enemies of the human race. But he is also simultaneously at war with his inner self, trying to distinguish between a war hero and a killer. This forces the audience to think which side is justified in a war — the one that attacks or the one that retaliates.
The Ender’s Game revolves particularly around the subjects of leadership and the influences on one’s mind during teenage years. We see a great impact of Wiggin’s siblings (Valentine Wiggin played by Abigail Breslin and Peter Wiggin played by Jimmy Pinchak) on his mind during his time at the battle school. While his sister is the protector and confidant through the film, Ender’s brother is an angry soul who sees Ender’s selection for the battle school as his defeat.
While there have been mixed reviews for using children to play the role of adults in Hollywood, it has worked to suit the theme of the film. The fact that the movie shows children as warriors, who are at times forced to fight without an option of quitting, is a concept that will be disapproved by many. However, it also forces one to reflect on the kind of world we are leaving behind for the future generations and if the war will ever end.
Overall, the movie is captivating and thought-provoking and will make you want to buy the book immediately if you haven’t read it already. The author, Orson Scott Card, is the recipient of the Margaret A Edwards Award for outstanding lifetime contribution to writing for teens. For a complete experience, I’ve already bought my copy.
Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, November 24th, 2013.
Written and directed by Gavin Hood, and based on Orson Scott Card’s book by the same name, the film tells the story of the planet being rescued by a small group of children. Set in a disarmingly straightforward sci-fi setting, it shows the future of the planet being threatened by the Formics, a hostile alien species with superior technology who seem determined to destroy the human race.
The entire plot of the film is unlocked with the protagonist’s narration in the opening scenes of the film. “The world’s smartest children are the planet’s best hope. Raised on war games, their decisions are intuitive, decisive and fearless.”
After observing Ender Wiggins (Asa Butterfield), a shy but strategically brilliant boy, through hidden cameras, Colonel Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford) believes he is the next great warrior for humanity. Graff pulls Wiggins out of school to join the elite force, and trains him to be an outstanding fighter — one that kills without asking any questions. The young fighter quickly learns jarring and increasingly complicated war strategies and is promoted to the Command School.
Ender takes up the war with a group of his best team members to save the Earth from the biggest enemies of the human race. But he is also simultaneously at war with his inner self, trying to distinguish between a war hero and a killer. This forces the audience to think which side is justified in a war — the one that attacks or the one that retaliates.
The Ender’s Game revolves particularly around the subjects of leadership and the influences on one’s mind during teenage years. We see a great impact of Wiggin’s siblings (Valentine Wiggin played by Abigail Breslin and Peter Wiggin played by Jimmy Pinchak) on his mind during his time at the battle school. While his sister is the protector and confidant through the film, Ender’s brother is an angry soul who sees Ender’s selection for the battle school as his defeat.
While there have been mixed reviews for using children to play the role of adults in Hollywood, it has worked to suit the theme of the film. The fact that the movie shows children as warriors, who are at times forced to fight without an option of quitting, is a concept that will be disapproved by many. However, it also forces one to reflect on the kind of world we are leaving behind for the future generations and if the war will ever end.
Overall, the movie is captivating and thought-provoking and will make you want to buy the book immediately if you haven’t read it already. The author, Orson Scott Card, is the recipient of the Margaret A Edwards Award for outstanding lifetime contribution to writing for teens. For a complete experience, I’ve already bought my copy.
Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, November 24th, 2013.