In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. I think it’s impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves. And then, in that very moment when I love them. I destroy them.
Adapting a book for the big screen is a huge undertaking for any director, and it’s especially challenging when the novel is beloved by thousands of fans. Landing projects like Twilight, The Hunger Games, and the Harry Potter series can feel like winning the lotto for many actors and filmmakers, but it also comes with some major responsibilities.
Will fans be receptive to their creation or will they dismiss it completely? When people have already created the characters’ appearances and worlds in their own heads, it is important that every detail – even down to hair color – is perfect. If it’s not, purists have been known to take to the Internet to loudly voice their opinions on the flick.
It’s particularly challenging to bring an author’s vision to life when the world he’s created is so amazingly complex and imaginative. Take for example, Ender’s Game. The cult classic by Orson Scott Card came out in 1985 and instantly found a following. The book follows Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, a young boy, recruited by the military to bring down an alien species threatening Earth. The book won the Nebula and Hugo awards for best novel and is required reading for students and military recruits, alike. (I first entered Ender’s world the summer before eighth grade and, while put off by the cover at first, I quickly found myself deeply immersed in the story).
With all that being said, I was a little apprehensive about watching the movie version. People have been waiting for this flick for more than 28 years so its only natural to be a little curious to see how it translates in this digital age. Card was definitely ahead of the curve when he wrote the story almost three decades ago. Back then a world where children could command entire wars through video games seemed like some impossible fantasy and now this idea is becoming more and more of a reality. The special effects perfectly capture this not-so-futuristic world while not feeling too CGI heavy. The battle simulation scenes in zero gravity are particularly well crafted and it feels like you are floating around with the squadron right in the theater.
The casting is also spot-on. Asa Butterfield, who played Hugo in Martin Scorsese’s flick of the same name, is perfectly cast as Ender. Like Harry Potter before him, Ender is a very distinct character – scrawny yet resilient, and Butterfield captures his changing attitudes perfectly. From self-conscious new kid to a brilliant mastermind to compassionate war vet – Butterfield’s Ender is perfect. Harrison Ford was also well cast as the compassionately challenged Colonel Graff whose unorthodox training tactics don’t sit well with the other commanders including Major Gwen Anderson, played by Viola Davis.
Other standout performances are from former Hannah Montana star Moises Arias, who plays overly competitive bully Bonzo with aplomb. Ben Kingsley, as usual, nails his role as the warrior Mazer Rackham while Hailee Steinfeld brings girl power to the role of Petra – Ender’s crush and one of elite soldiers picked to go to battle.
Whether you grew up with the series or are just discovering it for the first time, Ender’s Game will suck you in and keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.
