View Full Version : Ender's Game
MountainRaven
05-12-13, 18:29
Since we have a thread for World War Z and a thread for the F-35....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP0cUBi4hwE
The filmified version of Ender's Game now has a trailer.
I'm looking forward to it. In the same sort of 'please don't suck' way I'm looking forward to Man of Steel.
The most curious thing to me, however, about this movie is that among sci-fi nerds in general, how much negativity there is because the book's author, Orson Scott Card, is openly against gay marriage. It seems to me that ten years ago, no one would have cared. And today you can do worse things and these same people will still watch your movies (in particular people who are devoted to fighting Scientology but will watch movies with Tom Cruise and pretty much everyone who is disgusted by Mel Gibson's anti-semitic outbursts who will still watch Lethal Weapon, Braveheart, and Mad Max... and many of whom are looking forward to the new Mad Max film, whenever that comes out).
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for getting government the hell out of religion and the bedroom. Getting upset over Card's active opposition, especially considering that he is Mormon, to gay marriage seems stupid to me.
citizensoldier16
05-12-13, 18:42
Looks....hokey. Kind of a sci-fi cross between Star Trek, Star Wars, and Battlestar Galactica...with a little Spy Kids mixed in for flavor.
MountainRaven
05-12-13, 18:51
Looks....hokey. Kind of a sci-fi cross between Star Trek, Star Wars, and Battlestar Galactica...with a little Spy Kids mixed in for flavor.
Basically the story goes that the human race is attacked by a group of insect-like aliens (in the book the final battle occurs in space, not in the earth's atmosphere, a change probably made for Gritty Realism). Through pure chance, the aliens are defeated and driven back. At that point the most important thing to the human race is survival and defeating the alien race that attacked us, ensuring they cannot threaten our survival ever again.
This desire, in turn, leads to a fairly fascist world government coming to power. Imagine all the things you like least about communist China, the Soviet Union, and Nazi Germany but with the racial subtext removed and wrapped in the American flag. You have to apply to have kids. Those kids have to be tested. And the brightest kids are taken by the government and sent to military academies at very young ages. Once there, the children are taught strategy, tactics, and command. They are also taught to be completely ruthless, to the point where they sometimes kill each other.
In any case, not all things are as they seem to be.
Film should be on the short story version of it - it'll lack some of the depth, but I'm okay with that, since the time is finally correct in that we have good enough special effects to do an adequate rendering of what the battle room would be.
It's absolutely worthy of note that the Wiggin family, who are clearly integral to the fate of mankind across the series, is one of those families who were simply going to quietly slip off the grid and have more than their allotted two children, and only because the IF came to them asking them to have Andrew did they even bother staying around.
The entire Ender's Shadow series is based around the fallout of what happens when brilliant little generals are allowed to return back to earth, and the world war that ensues. Also definitely worth reading.
As long as they capture the duality and cruelty of asking Ender to fulfill his mission, and how ridiculously necessary it had to be in order for Graff to be almost completely emotionally distant from the fact that the Battle Schoolers were just kids.
montanadave
05-13-13, 18:49
I loved the book when it came out. Didn't know beans about the author or his background. Just a good sci-fi story with a great twist.
Not sure how well it will translate to the screen. Lord of the Flies was a good book. Never saw a screen adaptation that did it justice.
I love the book. Hopefully the movie will represent the book well.
I loved the book when it came out. Didn't know beans about the author or his background. Just a good sci-fi story with a great twist.
.
The trailer gives the twist away. Sad. One of the best sci-fi books and stories ever and they give the whole thing away in the trailer. Why? They have the fan boy's money, so why show the twist and end in the trailer?
MountainRaven
05-13-13, 23:09
The trailer gives the twist away. Sad. One of the best sci-fi books and stories ever and they give the whole thing away in the trailer. Why? They have the fan boy's money, so why show the twist and end in the trailer?
I don't think they're showing the twist.
I mean, I know what it is. I know they're showing it. But I don't think your average joe who has never read the book will know what is going on.
montanadave
05-13-13, 23:58
I don't think they're showing the twist.
I mean, I know what it is. I know they're showing it. But I don't think your average joe who has never read the book will know what is going on.
Agreed. I hadn't watched the trailer prior to my earlier post. Actually looks decent. It will all hinge on how well they can flesh out Ender's character and his lonliness, internal conflicts, and the isolation of his command.
MountainRaven
05-14-13, 00:15
Also: Only reason I know OSC is Mormon is that the book was recommended to me by a friend in high school who was Mormon (and was constantly trying to convert me).
And even if some bright bulbs figure out the twist that they show in the trailer, there are other, lesser twists that they will probably show in the movie and a larger twist that they may not show in the movie (but covered in the later books).
Oddly enough, most of my hope for this movie stem from two things:
1-Being that Harrison Ford doesn't do sh__ unless he wants to (I think he likes doing Indiana Jones movies although that doesn't explain why he's signed on for the Star Wars sequels, since he has stated that he hates Han Solo); and,
2-Being that OSC said that he wasn't going to make Ender's Game into a movie unless he was confident that it could or would be a better movie than Serenity. And that's not nothing.
Which Serenity? The pilot for Firefly or the movie Joss Wheden used to so poorly wrap up the story line after the series was cancelled? I'm willing to bet the former as OSC sets his sights high.
Ender's Game isn't the story. OSC wrote to set the stage for the real story which is Speaker for the Dead.
I'm looking forward to this movie. I'm a fan and aspire to someday being able to create characters as alive, as believable as he does.
(On the other hand, some of his stories have been disappointing, more so because he is such a talented writer)
MountainRaven
05-14-13, 00:53
Which Serenity? The pilot for Firefly or the movie Joss Wheden used to so poorly wrap up the story line after the series was cancelled? I'm willing to bet the former as OSC sets his sights high.
Ender's Game isn't the story. OSC wrote to set the stage for the real story which is Speaker for the Dead.
I'm looking forward to this movie. I'm a fan and aspire to someday being able to create characters as alive, as believable as he does.
(On the other hand, some of his stories have been disappointing, more so because he is such a talented writer)
The latter, actually. In fact, he has said that he thinks the movie was/is the best sci-fi movie ever made.
ETA: I don't think Joss Whedon was using Serenity to wrap it up... I think he (and every other browncoat and flan) was hoping it would do well enough to get a sequel green lit or a second season of the show.
Moose-Knuckle
05-14-13, 02:12
The most curious thing to me, however, about this movie is that among sci-fi nerds in general, how much negativity there is because the book's author, Orson Scott Card, is openly against gay marriage. It seems to me that ten years ago, no one would have cared. And today you can do worse things and these same people will still watch your movies (in particular people who are devoted to fighting Scientology but will watch movies with Tom Cruise and pretty much everyone who is disgusted by Mel Gibson's anti-semitic outbursts who will still watch Lethal Weapon, Braveheart, and Mad Max... and many of whom are looking forward to the new Mad Max film, whenever that comes out).
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for getting government the hell out of religion and the bedroom. Getting upset over Card's active opposition, especially considering that he is Mormon, to gay marriage seems stupid to me.
I for one watch movies (science fiction especially) to be entertained I don't care what an actor, director, or author thinks about this or that. Is there some rabble being raised by the homos on this? I saw the trailer the day it was released and will add this to the list of films I will watch this year.
BTW Mad Max: Fury Road is set to be released next year and stars Tam Hardy not Mel Gibson as Max . Sam Worthington was originally casted in the role.
MountainRaven
05-14-13, 12:18
I for one watch movies (science fiction especially) to be entertained I don't care what an actor, director, or author thinks about this or that. Is there some rabble being raised by the homos on this? I saw the trailer the day it was released and will add this to the list of films I will watch this year.
BTW Mad Max: Fury Road is set to be released next year and stars Tam Hardy not Mel Gibson as Max . Sam Worthington was originally casted in the role.
Haven't seen much from people who are actually gay. Most of it is coming from people who are offended on behalf of gay folk.
And I'd bet that Mel is going to get a check from the new Mad Max movie (he's supposed to have a cameo).
Moose-Knuckle
05-14-13, 14:58
Haven't seen much from people who are actually gay. Most of it is coming from people who are offended on behalf of gay folk.
Hah! Figures . . . :suicide:
And I'd bet that Mel is going to get a check from the new Mad Max movie (he's supposed to have a cameo).
That would be cool, I love cameos and am really fond of this franchise! :cool:
I don't think they're showing the twist.
I mean, I know what it is. I know they're showing it. But I don't think your average joe who has never read the book will know what is going on.
Maybe or he may remember as the movie unfolds.
MountainRaven
05-15-13, 00:22
Maybe or he may remember as the movie unfolds.
I would respond if I could do so while hiding spoilers. Suffice it to say that I think that depends on how they present certain things in the movie.
I would respond if I could do so while hiding spoilers. Suffice it to say that I think that depends on how they present certain things in the movie.
Regardless the first "critic" I read gave the whole thing away.
Can't wait. Really enjoyed the book, and I hope they do it justice.
Fantastic series. Looking forward to the flick!
montanadave
11-01-13, 18:42
Anyone seen it yet?
Saw it today. Don't want to post any spoilers, but the twist ending was decent. Haven't read the book, so I don't know how closely the two paralleled.
morbidbattlecry
11-01-13, 19:50
It's one of my favorite books and i'm going to go see it tomorrow. I'll let you guys know how it compares.
About to see will check back in with thumbs up or down. For record was big fan of book.
I don't think they're showing the twist.
I mean, I know what it is. I know they're showing it. But I don't think your average joe who has never read the book will know what is going on.
I agree. I've never read the book, am interested in seeing the movie (and reading the book for that matter), and didn't catch a "twist" in the trailer (simply out of my own ignorance).
I'd really like to put up my critique of the movie, but I don't want to ruin it for anybody that hasn't.
I'd just like to say that there are a good few things they could have done a lot better with a bit more time that would have improved the movie for those who haven't seen the book as well as those who have read it.
The special effects were still better than I had expected throughout.
Saw it and was not disappointed. I have read the books and yeah they hat to cut out a lot of stuff, rearrange elements, and compress other things. Having done so, they did a good job of capturing the main thrust of the book.
Movie was good. They glossed over parts as mentioned, but still worth seeing. The only thing that got passed over was the Hegemony style government http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegemony Did take a lot of political (dominance) sting out. There were parts, but not like book. Still would recommend seeing.
morbidbattlecry
11-02-13, 17:15
Saw it and was not disappointed. I have read the books and yeah they hat to cut out a lot of stuff, rearrange elements, and compress other things. Having done so, they did a good job of capturing the main thrust of the book.
I agree. They did the best they could with hard source material. Although i would like to hear from someone who hasn't read the book. I feel like if you read the book the movie was awesome. If you haven't you may not like the movie as much.
caelumatra
11-02-13, 19:26
I enjoyed the movie and have read the book a dozen times or so. They cut so much out of the movie that...they should have made 3 movies. This is the age of trilogies and this was a perfect opportunity. The hobbit which was the same length book is getting 3 movies made about it.
Should have been laid out like this, no spoilers here
Movie 1: Pre Dragon Army time
Movie 2: Dragon Army time
Movie 3: Post Dragon army time
As many times as I've read the book I was still on the edge of my seat for the last battle scene and did enjoy the movie.
My advice, go see it. And even if you didn't enjoy the movie, read the book. The audio book is pretty good too. They have different actors for character based chapters which is pretty rare for audio books. Usually its just a voice actor who changes their voice for each character.
Movie was good. They glossed over parts as mentioned, but still worth seeing. The only thing that got passed over was the Hegemony style government http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegemony Did take a lot of political (dominance) sting out. There were parts, but not like book. Still would recommend seeing.
I'm alright with how certain parts were omitted, that makes sense. The plot doesn't really revolve around how the hegemony really worked, and only three books into the Shadow series does the more republican iteration of the Hegemony start to really emerge.
My biggest disappointment was the scene after the last battle - it felt mishandled, with the wrong scriptwriting, cues, and setting. It didn't feel like the intended revelation about the true nature of what the game was, instead it just felt like the viewer should have known all along. Same with the disclosure of ansibles so early on - honestly the most powerful quote (having read both Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow) was when Graff said "They're called ansibles", because of the context in which it's delivered, that with a modicum of thought from the audience wraps everything up so completely that the audience FEELS that difference instead of having to be shown that explicitly.
ramairthree
11-04-13, 20:50
Took one of my daughters to see it. She is big into the books.
Her main issue- she only knows it as a big, revised book and series of books, so she loved it but like many thought left out too much, time too compressed, etc.
I only knew it as a short story, so not an issue for me.
It was pretty good. Some typical minor deviations or eliminations but nothing major that I can remember. (it has been a good 15 years since I read it though fwiw)
Certainly nothing like that abomination they made out of postman compared to the book.
SWATcop556
11-09-13, 14:53
Saw it this afternoon but have not read the book. I really enjoyed it and will be starting on the books when I finish my latest series. Overall I give it a very positive review for someone who has not read the books.
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