Ender's Game

[Melvang]

Ok, my wife and I just got back from seeing the special release of Ender's Game in the theater. 

I must say I am not sure what impresses me more.  The fact that Razer got product placement into the movie with the Nostromo, or the fact that my wife (not a keyboard geek) recognized it.

I love my wife.

[Melvang]

The movie by the way is AMAZING.  And yes I have read the book

[nubbinator]

Wait, are we in the right sub-forum for this topic?

I wanted to see Ender's Game tonight, but instead saw Gravity.  It was...interesting.  Not a bad movie, but not my favorite either.  I wish I had seen Ender's Game instead.  There's always the future though.

[Melvang]

I figured it would go in media since we are talking about a movie.

If it helps this is a shot from the movie.

http://redditlurker.com/gaming/Post/t3_1ijwko

[tp4tissue]

Awesome review.. Can't wait... Sad for me as I only watch Aarrrg-Ray when it comes online.. cuz I don't have any friends to go see movies with..

[Flamingchook]

I'm really not expecting anything great from the movie since I love the book to bits and I really don't want to get my hopes up. I haven't seen it yet, but if it's actually good I will be so happy!

[Melvang]

I'm really not expecting anything great from the movie since I love the book to bits and I really don't want to get my hopes up. I haven't seen it yet, but if it's actually good I will be so happy!

Fair warning they did edit a bunch out from when he was in the Battle School but overall it was done very well.

[tp4tissue]

I'm really not expecting anything great from the movie since I love the book to bits and I really don't want to get my hopes up. I haven't seen it yet, but if it's actually good I will be so happy!

Ender's game was good

I've only read the next 2.. they didn't seem as captivating as the first..

How are the last 2...

[Flamingchook]

Speaker for the Dead through to Xenocide are a very different kind of story. I still really love them though, the story's still great.

If you want something that's a little bit more in line with Ender's Game I highly recommend the Shadow Saga (also by Orson Scott Card). Ender's Shadow runs parallel to Ender's Game except from the perspective of the character Bean (and it's amazing! Even more so than Ender's Game in my opinion), and then the next 3 books follow the Battle School students after they return to Earth. Definitely worth the read.

[Findecanor]

I hope it is available in 2D when it comes here, otherwise I will not see it.

[BucklingSpring]

I hope it is available in 2D when it comes here, otherwise I will not see it.

Why's that, are you 3D-slexic?

[terran5992]

Gonna watch it soon XD

[nubbinator]

I hope it is available in 2D when it comes here, otherwise I will not see it.

Why's that, are you 3D-slexic?

I can't stand 3D because it's always choppy and stutters, is usually poorly implemented, and typically only serves to give people motion sickness.  If movies were filmed at higher framerates and they used nicer projectors in the theater, it wouldn't be so bad, but most of them only serve to make the movie look horrible.  I'll take 2D over 3D at the theater any day.  Home 3D isn't as bad, but theater 3D usually ends up looking terrible.

[noisyturtle]

Hmmm, I'm conflicted about this one hope they didn't bunk it up. Not such high hopes for upcoming Snow Crash film though.

And yeah, 3D currently only looks good in animated features because it looks so unnatural.

[jwaz]

Snow Crash film

wut.

[baldgye]

I watched the movie the other week and thought it was bearly beyond average and just sad to see how old Harrison Ford is

[nubbinator]

Beyond average?  So you're saying it was great?

[baldgye]

Better than average, but bearly.... I was going to say beyond garbage... But that seemed a bit harsh... But only a bit

[nubbinator]

I'm sure it's better than Gravity was.  I think one review I read summed it up greatly.  It's all effect and no affect.  I don't expect Ender's Game to be awesome, but I know the characters will at least have some depth to them.

[tp4tissue]

People who do not like a certain movie because of its "STORY", DO NOT watch enough movies..

They are indeed ALL THE SAME.

Every possible story arc has been done.

Every possible story arc relies on "inconvenient-miscommunication" or "irrational human decisions" generate the distress.


The whole point of continuing to watch movies, is to escape, however briefly, into imagination...

There's no reason to quantify the "originality" of human affairs.. since it's a relative figure towards any individual, and is technically already depleted..


Humans are simple.. as are our stories...

[fohat.digs]

People who do not like a certain movie because of its "STORY", DO NOT watch enough movies..

They are indeed ALL THE SAME.

Every possible story arc has been done.

Every possible story arc relies on "inconvenient-miscommunication" or "irrational human decisions" generate the distress.


The whole point of continuing to watch movies, is to escape, however briefly, into imagination...

There's no reason to quantify the "originality" of human affairs.. since it's a relative figure towards any individual, and is technically already depleted..


Humans are simple.. as are our stories...

Show Image

I much prefer plot-driven shows to character-driven shows. In recent years there has been an unfortunate drift in the wrong direction, in my opinion.

[tp4tissue]

People who do not like a certain movie because of its "STORY", DO NOT watch enough movies..

They are indeed ALL THE SAME.

Every possible story arc has been done.

Every possible story arc relies on "inconvenient-miscommunication" or "irrational human decisions" generate the distress.


The whole point of continuing to watch movies, is to escape, however briefly, into imagination...

There's no reason to quantify the "originality" of human affairs.. since it's a relative figure towards any individual, and is technically already depleted..


Humans are simple.. as are our stories...

Show Image

I much prefer plot-driven shows to character-driven shows. In recent years there has been an unfortunate drift in the wrong direction, in my opinion.

That's fine.... but the single sitting movie attention span caps off at ~2 hours...

How much plot can you really fit in there... 

[0100010]

Tough book to turn into a movie, I thought they did a good job.

[tp4tissue]

Tough book to turn into a movie, I thought they did a good job.

seee.. 0100010 gets it...

[baldgye]

Tough book to turn into a movie, I thought they did a good job.

See, I didn't for that exact reason. You can't fit a whole book into a 1hr 30-2hr movie so why bother? Instead of them crafting there own take on the book they just seemed to follow the book (I've never read it) and so the movie was full of random throw away lines that are never mentioned again... like why, whats the point? May sound like nothing but all the dumb meaningless unexplained throw away lines add up to just a story where all the context and explanation is done with dumb one liners that are never mentioned again.

Another thing I'd like to add.... the opening sequence where we see the hero being all heroic in a fighter jet... WHO THE **** WAS FILMING HIM!? Even at the end when they show you the whole sequence they show even more footage of him leaving the plane... the plane that then flies into the alien space ship.... HOW DID THEY EVEN GET THAT FOOTAGE BACK?!

So many random dumb elements to the movie that never needed to be there that just scream THIS WAS A BOOK, SO DON'T WORRY IT ALL MAKES SENSE... SEE???!!

[tp4tissue]

Tough book to turn into a movie, I thought they did a good job.

See, I didn't for that exact reason. You can't fit a whole book into a 1hr 30-2hr movie so why bother? Instead of them crafting there own take on the book they just seemed to follow the book (I've never read it) and so the movie was full of random throw away lines that are never mentioned again... like why, whats the point? May sound like nothing but all the dumb meaningless unexplained throw away lines add up to just a story where all the context and explanation is done with dumb one liners that are never mentioned again.

Another thing I'd like to add.... the opening sequence where we see the hero being all heroic in a fighter jet... WHO THE **** WAS FILMING HIM!? Even at the end when they show you the whole sequence they show even more footage of him leaving the plane... the plane that then flies into the alien space ship.... HOW DID THEY EVEN GET THAT FOOTAGE BACK?!

So many random dumb elements to the movie that never needed to be there that just scream THIS WAS A BOOK, SO DON'T WORRY IT ALL MAKES SENSE... SEE???!!

Well, you have to look at it this way.. Not EVERYTHING in the book was really that great...

They took out the unnecessary details, and preserved the main arc...



The complaint about the "camera"... this is a movie bro... LOLOL, would you rather NOT SEE what happens? 

[baldgye]

They took out the unnecessary details, and preserved the main arc...

Except they didn't do a good job, instead of having any detail or any aspect of anything remotely interesting about the story beyond the main plot (which isn't all that exciting anyway), you're treated to random throw away lines that have no place being there;

like how ender is the 3rd child and how they needed special permission for him to be born, wait what?
...and another good one is why the super hero bloke has Mauri face tattoo's and some nonsense about him having NZ parents or something? Why? Why did that need to happen? What world did he originally fight in? I didn't know NZ had an airforce of any real significance, before or during the attack did the earth form some giant super army?

It's meaningless nonsense added to the film to make it seem like there is alot going on but it does the exact opposite and makes it feel superficial and pointless.


and when I first saw that opening hero sequence I thought it was a rendering done by the future people of what they though happened.... and was gutted to later find out that no, that was actually what happened and that for some ****ing dumb reason they not only fitted HD cameras looking at the pilot but they also had flying film crews recording it all....

[Flamingchook]

They took out the unnecessary details, and preserved the main arc...

Except they didn't do a good job, instead of having any detail or any aspect of anything remotely interesting about the story beyond the main plot (which isn't all that exciting anyway), you're treated to random throw away lines that have no place being there;

like how ender is the 3rd child and how they needed special permission for him to be born, wait what?
...and another good one is why the super hero bloke has Mauri face tattoo's and some nonsense about him having NZ parents or something? Why? Why did that need to happen? What world did he originally fight in? I didn't know NZ had an airforce of any real significance, before or during the attack did the earth form some giant super army?

It's meaningless nonsense added to the film to make it seem like there is alot going on but it does the exact opposite and makes it feel superficial and pointless.


and when I first saw that opening hero sequence I thought it was a rendering done by the future people of what they though happened.... and was gutted to later find out that no, that was actually what happened and that for some ****ing dumb reason they not only fitted HD cameras looking at the pilot but they also had flying film crews recording it all....

I find the biggest problem with movies being adapted from books is that if the book's great but the movie isn't then people who haven't read the book get turned off from reading it. Also I totally agree with you that movies that have their origins in books should be more of an adaption of the original story rather than trying to cram it all into feature film length.

[fohat.digs]

I find the biggest problem with movies being adapted from books is that if the book's great but the movie isn't then people who haven't read the book get turned off from reading it.

Also I totally agree with you that movies that have their origins in books should be more of an adaption of the original story rather than trying to cram it all into feature film length.

99% of the time, I have found that it is vital to read the book first and consider a movie to be little more than a symbolic representation of it.

Most books have multiple story lines, and screenwriters usually toss out all but 2-3 of them. That orphaned background can be very disruptive.

[metalliqaz]

Saw it last night, I thought it was really good.

I've read Ender's Game at least five times over the years.  I loved the story years ago and I still love it.  I identified with Ender and the story was just downright interesting.

The movie had to move fast to fit it in two hours, and still they left a lot out.  (Peter was barely in it).  That disappointed me.  It took away from the emotional part of the story.  Knowing the book so well, I already had the emotions ready when certain things happen and I think that made me like the movie much more.  I got choked up when Alai told Ender "Salaam", but I think my wife who didn't read the book didn't even notice it.

Having said that, movies are not books.  Movies cannot be exactly like books.  For a movie, I was impressed.  I especially liked the final battle scene.  They did it really, really well.

PS: How could they not call them "buggers"??  Ender never uttered the word "Formec"

[fohat.digs]

(Peter was barely in it). 

PS: How could they not call them "buggers"??  Ender never uttered the word "Formec"

WTF ?

They left out the Demosthenes/Locke sub-plot? Unbelievable! That was absolutely crucial, and especially so if they are looking to set up the sequels!

PS - "bugger" is too blatantly sexual, but they could have easily tamed it to "bugs"

[baldgye]

The ending to the movie is terrible and in no way sets up a sequel... the more I think about it, the worse I think the movie actually was... they should have taken a small aspect from the book and made that into a movie and see if it made money, if it did continue the story and flesh it out more... but the movie is so crampt and ends so suddenly...

[metalliqaz]

They left out the Demosthenes/Locke sub-plot? Unbelievable! That was absolutely crucial, and especially so if they are looking to set up the sequels!

Totally gone.  Oh and by the way, in the movie Ender is only in battle school for a month.  Then he FLYS TO THE BUGGER HOME WORLD IN A FEW DAYS.  Yeah.  They mention the Ansible for the fans but don't actually use it.  Instead of having superluminal communication, they have superluminal travel apparently.

[fohat.digs]

FLYS TO THE BUGGER HOME WORLD

Then what is the "game"?

The fundamental concept of the whole story was that the "game" was remote control via ansible of a battle fleet launched decades earlier, right?

Was the Giant's Head and the Hive Queen left out, too?

What's left?

[metalliqaz]

No those were in it.  He still thought he was playing against Mazer.

Actually, now that I think about it.  He didn't fly all the way to the bugger home world.  It was an "advanced staging area for the bugger invasion".  But instead of being in the solar system, it was an entire planet with an atmosphere.  I guess they had to do it, because they didn't have time to show Ender getting on a colony ship.  He finds the egg right there.

[Krogenar]

Wait, are we in the right sub-forum for this topic?

I wanted to see Ender's Game tonight, but instead saw Gravity.  It was...interesting.  Not a bad movie, but not my favorite either.  I wish I had seen Ender's Game instead.  There's always the future though.

Likewise, I had to see Gravity instead of Ender's Game. The former was a good movie -- it felt technically accurate, but wow is Sandra Bullock having a really bad day. It's like nothing ever possibly goes right in the movie. Apocalypto felt the same way. You know that saying about there always being someone worse off than you? In Gravity, Sandra Bullock is that person.

[Krogenar]

FLYS TO THE BUGGER HOME WORLD

Then what is the "game"?

The fundamental concept of the whole story was that the "game" was remote control via ansible of a battle fleet launched decades earlier, right?

Was the Giant's Head and the Hive Queen left out, too?

What's left?

I thought I saw the Hive Queen in one of the preview clips. So I don't see how that would be left out. As for the lack of use of the ansible -- that would suck. A crucial part of the story was that the ships used in Ender's simulations got progressively less powerful, slower, etc. -- seing as they were sent out earlier, they were less technologically advanced. To me, that was important because Ender felt like his instructors wanted him to fail, and so kept making the simulations increasingly "unfair".

[Malphas]

The ending to the movie is terrible and in no way sets up a sequel... the more I think about it, the worse I think the movie actually was... they should have taken a small aspect from the book and made that into a movie and see if it made money, if it did continue the story and flesh it out more... but the movie is so crampt and ends so suddenly...

Haven't seen the movie and not sure I'll bother to, but I'm really really sick of annoying cliffhanger endings or open-ended epilogues in every movie these days, due to greedy studios/producers trying to turn everything into an endless franchise instead of just making a decent movie.

[fohat.digs]

studios/producers trying to turn everything into an endless franchise

The franchise already exists and could have a good run.

Although I got weary after a while and did not slog my way through the whole universe, I thought that Ender in Exile and Speaker for the Dead were particularly good and that Speaker for the Dead, especially, would make a very good movie.

[baldgye]

The ending to the movie is terrible and in no way sets up a sequel... the more I think about it, the worse I think the movie actually was... they should have taken a small aspect from the book and made that into a movie and see if it made money, if it did continue the story and flesh it out more... but the movie is so crampt and ends so suddenly...

Haven't seen the movie and not sure I'll bother to, but I'm really really sick of annoying cliffhanger endings or open-ended epilogues in every movie these days, due to greedy studios/producers trying to turn everything into an endless franchise instead of just making a decent movie.

I'm fine with them so long as the movie that precedes the ending is good enough

[Malphas]

studios/producers trying to turn everything into an endless franchise

The franchise already exists and could have a good run.

Obviously. That has nothing to do with what I said though. You can make sequels without having every one of the movies end like an episode of a low-budget soap opera - a la all the Marvel moves, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Dark Knight, etc.

[fohat.digs]

You can make sequels without having every one of the movies end like an episode of a low-budget soap opera

I have not seen this movie and don't know how it ends.

One nice thing about these 3 books I mentioned was that they were complete and self-contained, with tidy endings.

Being widely separated in time and space eliminated the need for "cliffhanger" type affectations.

[Malphas]

Well if you read my comment, you'll notice I wasn't criticising the movie and haven't even seen it. I was actually defending the fact it didn't set up a sequel (which is what I'm sick of every movie doing these day).

[metalliqaz]

This movie did not end in a way that requires a sequel.

[dorkvader]

They took out the unnecessary details, and preserved the main arc...

Except they didn't do a good job, instead of having any detail or any aspect of anything remotely interesting about the story beyond the main plot (which isn't all that exciting anyway), you're treated to random throw away lines that have no place being there;

like how ender is the 3rd child and how they needed special permission for him to be born, wait what?
...and another good one is why the super hero bloke has Mauri face tattoo's and some nonsense about him having NZ parents or something? Why? Why did that need to happen? What world did he originally fight in? I didn't know NZ had an airforce of any real significance, before or during the attack did the earth form some giant super army?

It's meaningless nonsense added to the film to make it seem like there is alot going on but it does the exact opposite and makes it feel superficial and pointless.

All of that was in the books. At the time of the first war, the earth had to unite under one government to fight effectively. This would have been after china was burned and before they won. Population control is even mentioned in the movie as a problem for both species.

I saw it the other day and liked it, though there were a lot of differences, mainly to compress it. I don't like how the end "game" was done at all, and certain things like the reactions of the people at the end were not what I would have expected (or what was written). Perhaps one thing they took out that I would have kept is the last chapter: "The hive queen and the hegemon" though I suppose it depends on what version of the story you read (it was added later).

I feel that a lot of things in the book would not have translated well to film, and just had to be "said". I forgive them for this necessity, and enjoyed the film. One thing they did well was that graff knows ender is smarter than him, so the only way you can keep the upper hand on someone like that is to withold information from him. I believe that dynamic was done well.

[tbc]

they took out the locke/desmo plotline?  that's brutal....probably my favorite part of the book (it's how ender realizes how much valentine cares about him by 'exiling' him to keep him safe from peter).

[dorkvader]

they took out the locke/desmo plotline?  that's brutal....probably my favorite part of the book (it's how ender realizes how much valentine cares about him by 'exiling' him to keep him safe from peter).

That is an excellent part of the book indeed, and would have made an excellent part of the movie, yet had everything "right" been included, it would have been too long.

Actually, I think Ender's game would have made a great miniseries.

[metalliqaz]

That would have been boring as hell for a movie.  It's just them typing on their tablets.  Also it doesn't really have any essential function.  I'd argue that it is really just a way to bring Peter and Valentine to prominence, and that isn't necessary if the story is just about Ender.

[baldgye]

Is there a reason he's called 'Ender' ?

[metalliqaz]

Is there a reason he's called 'Ender' ?

His real name is Andrew, but as young children it was mispronounced as "Ender" and it stuck.

Also it sounds cool.  He did end the Formec war, after all.