The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Ender’s Game

Posted on | November 2, 2013 | 33 Comments

— Wombat-socho


The long-awaited movie version of Orson Scott Card’s classic science fiction tale Ender’s Game hit the theaters today, and since I’ve been waiting to see it since the short story was first published, I went to see it this afternoon.


tl;dr: Beautiful and sad and horrifying and wonderful.


For those of you who have not read the book, well, shame on you. On the other hand, you’ll be surprised by the endings, so you have that going for you…to boil it down to its essence, the plot revolves around young Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, third child and (so far) most successful trainee in a program that seeks out pilots, commanders and other crew for the International Fleet, a global effort to strike back against the Formics (commonly referred to as “Buggers” in the book, but not in the movie) who attacked Earth some fifty years ago, destroying most of China and killing millions before being driven off. Ender is selected for Battle School by Colonel Graff, where he learns to fight and lead in zero gravity as training for his future role: commander of the IF’s attack fleets. Graff drives him mercilessly, manipulating Ender and his classmates so that Ender becomes a lonely but razor-sharp player of the Battle School games…at which point Graff orders him to Command School and introduces him to his enemy: the legendary Mazer Rackham.


Anyone who’s read the story (or its expansion to novel length) will not be surprised by anything in the movie, although extensive cuts were clearly made to keep the length down to two hours while still preserving the essential elements of the plot – and I suspect changes were also made to avoid blowing the whole budget on special effects. So we miss amusing moments like Ender’s transfer to Rat Army and his introduction to his new commander “Rose The Nose”; we miss the whole political subtext largely carried by his brother Peter and sister Valentine; we miss a lot of the battles that make Ender the hard, manipulative, lonely commander that he becomes. Changes are also made to the Command School portion of the story, but I’ve probably ruined enough of the movie for the purists as it is. The cast does an excellent job, from Harrison Ford as Colonel Graff and Ben Kingsley as Mazer Rackham down to Asa Butterfield as Ender, and whoever cast Viola Davis as Major Anderson deserves a medal. Nonso Anozie as Sergeant Dap is another excellent casting choice, and the kids all turn in good performances.


Unlike the regrettable Starship Troopers Ender’s Game is mostly true to its source, and if you go in with the expectation that it will largely reflect that source, then I think you’ll probably be happy. Me, I think I’m going to try and see it again while it’s still in theaters, though if the 4 PM show I attended was any indication, it’s going to be around for a while.


Category: Books, Movies

Comments

33 Responses to “Ender’s Game”

  1. MrEvilMatt
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 12:11 am

    Ender’s Game: – Wombat-socho The long-awaited movie version of Orson Scott Card’s classic science fiction tale… http://t.co/a72B4VRRbY

  2. CHideout
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 12:11 am

    Ender’s Game: – Wombat-socho The long-awaited movie version of Orson Scott Card’s classic science fiction tale… http://t.co/eiSCCRwg3m

  3. Resista38176897
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 12:11 am

    Ender’s Game: – Wombat-socho The long-awaited movie version of Orson Scott Card’s classic science fiction tale… http://t.co/cnZKDK1Plf

  4. Lockestep1776
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 12:11 am

    Ender’s Game: – Wombat-socho The long-awaited movie version of Orson Scott Card’s classic science fiction tale… http://t.co/HxdESwffe4

  5. Citzcom
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 12:11 am

    Ender’s Game: – Wombat-socho The long-awaited movie version of Orson Scott Card’s classic science fiction tale… http://t.co/VeKnZNP5Y8

  6. jwbrown1969
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 12:11 am

    Ender’s Game: – Wombat-socho The long-awaited movie version of Orson Scott Card’s classic science fiction tale… http://t.co/FcygMhZIzk

  7. RosalindJ
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 12:46 am

    I’m very happy to read your positive review. It’s been at least two decades since I read the book, and like that the movie hasn’t completely butchered it. Thanks.

  8. The Bearded Bastard of Babylon
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 1:24 am

    If they didn’t change aliens’ name to the “Formics”, there might be some outrage from the homosexual mob over the film…

  9. PCachu
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 1:30 am

    Oh, don’t you worry your impressive beard about that. Our Moral Betters are already preening about avoiding this feature, because, in case you missed the memo, Orson Scott Card Is An Evil Homophobe And Must Be Shunned.

    Which, hey – no f***ing hipster d-nozzles who won’t stop texting and shut their pieholes in the theater. Bonus!

  10. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 1:32 am

    I also saw it and I thought it was well done. I recommend it.

  11. Finrod Felagund
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 1:45 am

    The thing is, I read that OSC made the deal for the movie over a decade ago and thus he’s not going to see a single dollar from the movie gross, so any boycott of the movie is completely pointless anyways.

  12. JeffWeimer
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 7:06 am

    That was the stuff I figured they’d take out of the book; this sounds very promising. We’re going to see it this afternoon.

  13. Ender’s Game : The Other McCain | Dead Citizen's Rights Society
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 7:42 am

    […] Ender’s Game […]

  14. joethefatman1
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 7:57 am

    Ender’s Game http://t.co/qTxcd5dbZp

  15. The Bearded Bastard of Babylon
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 8:52 am

    I’d go see it if Adèle Exarchopoulos were in it…

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eenZk7CqvXE

  16. McGehee
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 9:26 am

    The advent of the movie has persuaded me that I ought to read the book — but as is my typical practice I’ll do so after seeing the movie so that the subsequent experience will be an improvement (generically speaking).

    Also in keeping with my usual practice, it will be some months before I see the movie because it takes that long to hit Netflix.

  17. PCachu
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 10:09 am

    Which makes this bit of grievance genuflection the perfect meaningless gesture from a social clique that’s all about meaningless gestures.

  18. richard mcenroe
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 10:38 am

    When you’ve lost two percent of the coastal market, you’ve lost America…

  19. Gasp! ‘Nerdgasm’ Spoiled by Discovery of Homophobia Behind ‘Ender’s Game’? : The Other McCain
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 10:53 am

    […] the new movie Ender’s Game, which co-blogger Wombat briefly reviewed earlier. My general antipathy for science fiction aside, I only rarely go out to see movies, and therefore […]

  20. thatMrGguy
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 11:08 am

    Ender’s Game http://t.co/5hQ94UaWka

  21. La Pucelle
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 12:01 pm

    grievance genuflection

    I am going to use this from now on. It sums up the action perfectly.

    Actually, I wish I could upvote this comment more. The art phenomenon of “elevation to uselessness” in politics!

  22. The Osprey
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 2:25 pm

    This is the sort of movie you want to see on a big screen.

  23. The Osprey
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 2:30 pm

    “Formics” was used in the book as well, from Formicidae, the genus of insects to which ants belong. “Buggers” was the slang term for them.

  24. Quartermaster
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 4:14 pm

    “…regrettable Starship Troopers….” You are most charitable sir. I would say it’s more of a lump of brown coal. I took my son to see it, who, at the time, was an Army Reservist, and we both thought the thing stank to pit of hell. To call it a turkey would be a gratuitous insult against the Attack of The Killer Tomatoes.

    I am going to have to see Ender’s Game, however. I liked both the short story and the extended novel, and there are flicks you must see on the big screen.

  25. Wombat_socho
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 4:24 pm

    Yes. Yes, you do. Certain scenes aren’t going to look nearly as good on the small screen.

  26. Wombat_socho
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 4:26 pm

    There were some unintentionally funny scenes in Showgirls Troopers. It was probably a lot more fun for people who hadn’t read the book.

  27. Wombat_socho
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 4:27 pm

    Happy to be of service.

  28. Quartermaster
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 5:43 pm

    Prolly so. I had read the book then required my son to read it while he was in Hi Skool to counter act some of the indoc he was getting from the libtards running the place. The fact we had both served in the military didn’t help either.

  29. BeccaJLower
    November 2nd, 2013 @ 9:50 pm

    ICYMI: @wombat_socho’s review of ‘Ender’s Game’ http://t.co/v74ZEJEuka

  30. McGehee
    November 3rd, 2013 @ 1:18 am

    Is 60 inches big enough?

    (TWSS?)

  31. Sunday Morning Random Facebook Pics | Aewl's Abode
    November 3rd, 2013 @ 10:01 am

    […] My feelings exactly about the new movie Ender’s Game. I really loved the book, but I figure Hollywood will botch it up just like they did The Hunger Games. Wombat over at The Other McCain has a different take on it. […]

  32. The Osprey
    November 3rd, 2013 @ 11:26 am

    When I say big screen, I mean a BIG screen. A movie theater screen not a television.

  33. McGehee
    November 3rd, 2013 @ 4:10 pm

    Which movie theater chain do you own stock in?