Ender's Game

Set in the future, Ender's Game finds Earth still in recovery from an alien invasion 50 years earlier—when giant, ant-like creatures called Formics attacked. After a daring aerial maneuver by heroic Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), the Formics retreated to their home colony, but Earthlings still fear their return. To combat that eventuality, the International Fleet has developed Battle School—situated in an orbiting space station—where Earth's brightest and most gifted children are trained to fight the Formics. Col. Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford) insists to Maj. Gwen Anderson (Viola Davis) that a coldly calculating lad named Andrew “Ender” Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) shows the most promise as a future Commander—but first he must prove himself. Based on Orson Scott Card's 1985 coming-of-age novel, the movie is dutifully adapted and humorlessly directed by Gavin Hood, who traces Ender's long and rigorous training, followed by a climactic battle. The CGI zero-gravity exercises, pitting one student squad against another, demonstrate Ender's strategic cleverness, but the teen is emotionally torn between ruthlessness and compassion, as he's befriended by fellow Cadet Petra Arkanian (Hailee Steinfeld) and brutally bullied by Cadet Officer Bonzo Madrid (Moises Arias). In the novel, Ender ages from 6-to-12, but Hood has compressed the timeline into a single year here. Ender's Game made more headlines for author Card's widely reported homophobic remarks than for its cinematic qualities, although it does actually succeed in raising the provocative question of defensive genocide. Viewers can debate this relevant geopolitical issue—along with the topics of preemptive strikes, child soldiers, and drone warfare—long after the credits roll. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include two audio commentaries (one by director Gavin Hood, the other by producers Gigi Pritzker and Bob Orci), deleted and extended scenes (11 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a “making-of” featurette (49 min.), an “Inside the Mind Game” behind-the-scenes featurette (4 min.), and bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an uneven film.] (S. Granger)