Ender's Game
Based on the classic novel by Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game is the story of the Earth's most gifted children training to defend their homeplanet in the space wars of the future.
What critics thought
Critics landed across the full spectrum on this adaptation of Orson Scott Card's novel, with the central dispute being whether the film captures the book's moral and psychological depth or sacrifices it entirely for spectacle. Supporters found the visuals impressive and the pacing effective; detractors argued that the characters feel hollow, the tone is too gentle for a story that demands brutality, and the emotional stakes never land.
“An impressive, thought-provoking astro-adventure that benefits from the biggest screen available.”
Peter Debruge·Variety
“If only adapter-director Gavin Hood's movie had been tempered with craft and care and wasn't such a blunt instrument, one that seems designed as a delivery system for CGI derring-do instead of the heartbreaker it should be.”
Marc Bernardin·The Hollywood Reporter
“The movie... is way too kind, and the drama suffers greatly for it...The film's biggest problem is a matter of tone and characterization: the characters constantly talk about how mean they can be, but their actions suggest otherwise.”
Simon Abrams·RogerEbert.com
“Not only does 'Ender's Game' have many scenes in zero gravity, but this zero-sum fiasco has zero drama, zero suspense, zero humor, zero charm and zero appeal.”
Joe Morgenstern·The Wall Street Journal
“The movie's apocalyptic finale indicates that it's bitten off considerably more than it can chew in terms of ideas, but it looks good, and the story rattles along.”
Peter Bradshaw·The Guardian
Genres
Science Fiction, Action, Adventure
Cast & Crew
Gavin HoodDirector
Asa ButterfieldEnder Wiggin
Hailee SteinfeldPetra Arkanian
Harrison FordColonel Hyrum Graff
Viola DavisMajor Gwen Anderson
Ben KingsleyMazer Rackham
Abigail BreslinValentine Wiggin
Aramis KnightBean
Moisés AriasBonzo Madrid
Nonso AnozieSergeant Dap
Suraj ParthaAlai
Khylin RhamboDink Meeker
Jimmy 'Jax' PinchakPeter Wiggin
Steve JablonskyComposer
Orson Scott CardWriter
Donald McAlpineCinematographyEnder's Game
Based on the classic novel by Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game is the story of the Earth's most gifted children training to defend their homeplanet in the space wars of the future.
What critics thought
Critics landed across the full spectrum on this adaptation of Orson Scott Card's novel, with the central dispute being whether the film captures the book's moral and psychological depth or sacrifices it entirely for spectacle. Supporters found the visuals impressive and the pacing effective; detractors argued that the characters feel hollow, the tone is too gentle for a story that demands brutality, and the emotional stakes never land.
“An impressive, thought-provoking astro-adventure that benefits from the biggest screen available.”
Peter Debruge·Variety
“If only adapter-director Gavin Hood's movie had been tempered with craft and care and wasn't such a blunt instrument, one that seems designed as a delivery system for CGI derring-do instead of the heartbreaker it should be.”
Marc Bernardin·The Hollywood Reporter
“The movie... is way too kind, and the drama suffers greatly for it...The film's biggest problem is a matter of tone and characterization: the characters constantly talk about how mean they can be, but their actions suggest otherwise.”
Simon Abrams·RogerEbert.com
“Not only does 'Ender's Game' have many scenes in zero gravity, but this zero-sum fiasco has zero drama, zero suspense, zero humor, zero charm and zero appeal.”
Joe Morgenstern·The Wall Street Journal
“The movie's apocalyptic finale indicates that it's bitten off considerably more than it can chew in terms of ideas, but it looks good, and the story rattles along.”
Peter Bradshaw·The Guardian
Genres
Science Fiction, Action, Adventure
Cast & Crew
Gavin HoodDirectorAsa ButterfieldEnder WigginHailee SteinfeldPetra ArkanianHarrison FordColonel Hyrum GraffViola DavisMajor Gwen AndersonBen KingsleyMazer RackhamAbigail BreslinValentine WigginAramis KnightBeanMoisés AriasBonzo MadridNonso AnozieSergeant DapSuraj ParthaAlaiKhylin RhamboDink MeekerJimmy 'Jax' PinchakPeter WigginSteve JablonskyComposerOrson Scott CardWriterDonald McAlpineCinematography