Ender's Game (2013)

"No, The way you win matters." (Ender Wiggin)

So, I never read Ender's Game.  I went into the movie unspoiled. I feel I am in a unique position to critique what others consider a literary classic.

So, I have to ask the question. How is it possible that all of the plot of the movie takes place in a 324 page (I looked it up.) book without it becoming a hopelessly insipid novel?  Seriously, this may have been the most fast paced plot heavy almost bizarrely sporadic sci-fi film I have seen in some time.  I didn't lose my interest, but  Ender's game most certainly did go through its plot at a pace that just about bucked me.  If the book does accomplish everything the movie does, bravo.  But, I think that Ender's Game might have been way cooler as two movies.  It certainly would have made the big "reveal" at the end more gripping.

Technical:  The space combat training scenes were filmed in a n extremely cool way.  I'm honestly not sure how it was made.  My guess is that the actors were on ropes and wires, and that the cameras were positioned in ways that created the disoriented illusion of zero-g.

Oh, can anyone tell me how the training Ender had to go through was in anyway useful to space warfare.  I mean I got the symbolism to his final victory, but beyond that it seemed like his training was just cruel.

Ratings:
Hippy Dippys: Skip it
Hawks: See it
Screenplay writers:  Please skip it
Harrison Ford: Good to see you in space again.
Video game players: Do you see your future?

On a scale of Angry Birds to Marble Maddness, I give Ender's Game 3.2 out of 5 stars.