Ender Wiggin has a lot riding on his shoulders - he's the third-born child in his family when Earth only allows two in this future, he's separated from his family to join an elite training school in space...oh, and he has to save all of mankind from an antagonistic race of aliens. He's a smart boy who knows what is expected of him, and taking on this daunting task proves to be more and more difficult as the story moves along. Asa Butterfield does what few young actors are able to do, and that's carry the film throughout while maintaining a balanced level of wit and emotion to make Ender just as capable of a commander as any adult could. And Ender himself is no pushover who accepts defeat. He will fight back even when he doesn't
This adaptation has a lot more of a driving force behind it than other forgettable ones like Eragon or The Golden Compass (obvious comparisons, yes, but the most fitting nonetheless). Other than Ender having to save the world, he's pressured by bullies and a group of adults who knowingly put their lives in the hands of a young boy. He's essentially alone until he has to wrangle up a group of followers to join him in battle. Problem is, most kids think Ender is a cheating show-off and the adults, despite their faith in him, cannot be trusted anymore than Ender himself. In other words, there's actually a substantial plot to this than most young adult novels, and it's actually very enticing.
There are times when Ender's Game gets a big slow and there's a void in the action spots, but a fair bit of it introduces some interesting characters like Petra, the most prominent female at the training school who befriends Ender and gives him a hand at developing his combat skills. There's also Bonzo, the pint-sized antagonistic little brat who gives Ender the hardest time. He clearly won't admit that Ender poses a threat to his rule over the other teammates at school, and so he makes a worthy foil for him. And then there is Ben Kingsley as Mazer Rackham, the daring commander who legendarily defeated the aliens the first time. His re-emergence is supposed to be a big reveal, but if you happen to read any other review or the IMDB page, the surprise is lost. However, his role plays an essential part in the true big reveal of the film, which brings everything in Ender's journey to a surprising halt.
Ender's Game isn't the most astonishing adaptation to come out as of late, but it is fun, thought-provoking, and nicely acted.
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