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| The battle to end all battles? ENDER'S GAME awaits. Images: ENTERTAINMENT ONE. |
ENDER’S GAME (DVD)
Starring Harrison Ford, Asa
Butterfield and Ben Kingsley
Based on the book series by Orson Scott
Card
Adapted for the screen and directed
by Gavin Hood
Out now on Blu-ray and DVD from
ENTERTAINMENT ONE
Reviewed
by Scott Weller
The
future must be won…
The fate of all mankind rests in a new kind of
a soldier for a new kind of war, as the psychological and technological
firepower of Earth battles against a deadly alien foe, under the courageous but
relatively inexperienced tactical command of youngster Ender Wiggin, seemingly
born for this unique destiny, in the one-off film adaptation of Orson Scott
Card’s eighties classic, the fondly regarded sci-fi war novel series: ENDER’S
GAME. Years in the making, the lavish-budgeted film, a genuine interstellar
epic, finally arrives on DVD and pristine Blu-ray this week after a critically
well-received theatrical release…
And Ender, though the story’s primary hero, is
not alone in his endeavours- alongside him being a specially picked cadre of mentally
and physically adept youngsters as their homeworld’s ultimate defenders, whose
thought processes and ideals would not be expected or anticipated by their
opponents...
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| Earth's greatest protector: Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield). |
A glossy and attractive film package channelling
the kind of viewing audiences that have previously enjoyed the sci-fi/fantasy
arenas explored by the likes of THE HUNGER GAMES, HARRY POTTER, PERCY JACKSON,
the film has a shining and confident performance by rising star Asa Butterfield
giving Ender an intense but vulnerable quality, showing us the burdens that lay
in the 14 year-old’s psyche, his uneasy family life, corresponding with his
young sister (Abigail Breslin), and the deep breaths he has to take when soon
becoming the last best hope in the fight against the deformed Formics aliens- a
race of insect creatures whom humanity believes is swarming anew to destroy
them, and whom they only just beat back first time out…
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| Ender gets support on his new destiny from Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) |
Part of a worthy cast rather than stealing
anybody’s thunder, Harrison Ford, playing Colonel Hyrum Graff, further
solidifies himself as a supporting character actor of note in one of his better
post Indiana Jones/CRYSTAL SKULL roles, and has some intriguing scenes with
Butterfield’s “Chosen One”, whom he makes the leader of the newly
resurrected Dragon Squad of young warriors.
Gruff and determined not to let the human face fall, Graff totally believes in
Ender’s abilities, and will seemingly do all that he can, short of murder, to
see the boy reach his prime as the ultimate defender of humanity...
Academy Award nominee Viola Davis adds subtle
weight as the child psychiatrist sparring with Ford for the boys emotional well
being in the trials and tribulations ahead, though Hailee Steinfeld, who so
impressed with her fiery performance in TRUE GRIT, is strangely underused as
Ender’s loyal friend, Petra. No longer the pacifist he portrayed in Gandhi, actor Ben Kingsley’s heavily
facial tattooed character of Mazer Rackham adds some mystery before delivering
important plot material needed to launch the film in to what will be it's
eventual CGI layered climax.
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| Into the Battlesphere training area. |
But its the first half of the film, with
Ender’s selected to enter the military, finding his way up the ranks, gaining
friendship and life experiences, that proves the best and most satisfying
elements to watch, well acted and staged by director Gavin Hood, last seen
helping Hugh Jackman flex his adamantium claws for his first solo WOLVERINE
movie (and clearly a huge fan of Ford’s previous
dramatic sci-fi output, too - check out the quite obvious BLADE
RUNNER tribute scene at the film’s mid-point!).
Frustratingly spurned by its creator before its
release, who was unhappy with some adaptive changes made by the production team
and studio, ENDER’S GAME has the blockbuster trappings people want, but it
isn’t forgettable, popcorn drowning fluff. Instead, keeping to the spirit of
the author’s work, its serious sci-fi theme is layered within a coming of age
anti-war story of sorts. However, it’s a sometimes uneasy fusion between the
two elements that becomes a poison chalice in some areas of the films pacing
structure, especially felt as it moves into its “War is Hell” second half- the
stakes raised ever higher for our young hero. Don’t expect any STAR WARS: A NEW
HOPE style uplifting finale with medals and applause here, either. These days,
that kind of spirited warmth is out of fashion...
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| The first half of the film takes place above Earth on the Battle School space station |
With the exception of the Battlesphere module
used to train the new recruits into soldiers - an important part of the book
series satisfyingly realized, some aspects of the concept visuals don’t
feel quite so innovative and fresh as they surely were when conceived for the
printed page back in the eighties. On screen, its visual translation/design has earlier shades of 2001 mixed with the military feel of STARSHIP TROOPERS, plus a hint
of the Geonosis insect action finale of STAR WARS EPISODE II.
Fortunately, with his classy cast, Gavin Hood,
challenged by adapting the book into a digestible screenplay (paring down some
parts of the storytelling in order to convert it to moving pictures), makes the
film an intelligent and worthwhile enterprise, clearly showing his enthusiasm for
the project from the get-go whilst also trying to ground it with some serious
moral depth and debate on the ethics of war.
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| Ender meets Earth's first alien battle hero: Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley) |
Ultimately, the finale is generally
satisfying but rather low-key, as Ender’s first fiery participation in the Formics war leads to future consequences and a continued destiny of an altogether
different kind, giving the film its true coda and ultimately
humanitarian message- something that’s not a bad thing to have amidst a sea of
aimless blockbusters these days.
The likely stunning Blu-ray has the important behind
the scenes extras, whilst the DVD Special Features prove disappointing: namely several audio commentaries and a few
very brief deleted scenes (showing Ford’s character as a much more subtly
manipulative figure in the grand scheme of things), with optional audio
commentary from Hood. ENTERTAINMENT ONE could have tried a lot harder in this
area for non Blu purchasers and fans…
AFICIONADO RATING: Uneven
storytelling in places, but there's enough good material located within it to
make it a solid entry into the pantheon of sci-fi/fantasy. 3.5 out of 5
