Ender’s Game

Actors:  Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Hailee Steinfield, Abigail Breslin, Viola DavisRating:  8 out of 10, This is a long anticipated movie version of the classic sci fi novel that I loved from my youth.  Since it was such a good book I was leery of expecting too much.  The cinema doesn’t allow the depth a book can explore and there were a lot of (to me) important details glossed over.  That being said the movie is astounding in the realistic sets and seamless CGI backgrounds.  The viewer is truly transported into deep space with Ender.  Hugo vets, Asa Butterfield and Ben Kingsley, reunite with Butterfield dominating as Ender.  A much more serious Han Solo plays a critical role in molding Ender into the war winning strategist and they handle the big twist at the end moderately well.  They spend so much time in the training leading up to the simulated battles that it seemed kind of rushed near the series of battles at the end and through what was the meat of the message.  Like I said, when you love a book it’s hard to be fair when you see it on the big screen. Finally, someone should really teach Harrison Ford how to wear a military beret.
MVP:  Butterfield nails the complex character of Ender Wiggin