<p>I haven’t seen the movie Ender’s Game yet - I guess it opens tonight or tomorrow - but I’m starting to see reviews in the paper and online. I find it really frustrating that so far, none of the movie reviewers have read the book, at least based on their reviews.<br>
I guess it makes me wary of the movie, because none of the movie reviews so far get what it is I love about the book, so perhaps it isn’t something that was translated from the book to the screen.
I do wonder if my perceptions of Ender’s Game have been altered by having read both Speaker for the Dead, which shows a more mature Ender and his growth from the events of the first book, and Ender’s Shadow, which gives another perspective of Ender and those same events.</p>
<p>re: Mary13 Alas Babylon This was one of the first apocalyptic fiction books I read, though about the same time that I read On the Beach and Farnham’s Freehold. I was in high school, and my conclusion was that if it came to that, I would never survive in that kind of world. I still remember the waxing the floor scene, though. Have always wanted to try it, but always had no-wax floors…</p>
<p>MZBkiya, I’m about half way through Alas, Babylon, and so far, I prefer it to *On the Beach<a href=“although%20I%20do%20like%20Nevil%20Shute,%20my%20favorite%20being%20%5Bi%5DA%20Town%20Like%20Alice%5B/i%5D–loved%20that%20book%20when%20I%20was%20young”>/i</a>. </p>
<p>I know what you mean about Ender’s Game. The previews look like one long special effects battle, designed to please the masses. I hope they managed to retain some of the nuances of the story.</p>
<p>I plan on seeing Ender’s Game but didn’t care for the trailers so that doesn’t bode well.</p>
<p>Here is a review of Ender’s Game from The Washington Post: [?Ender?s</a> Game? movie review: Orson Scott Card?s sci-fi adventure stimulates the brain - The Washington Post](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/enders-game-movie-review-orson-scott-cards-sci-fi-adventure-stimulates-the-brain/2013/10/30/d4c930b2-418a-11e3-8b74-d89d714ca4dd_story.html]?Ender?s”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/enders-game-movie-review-orson-scott-cards-sci-fi-adventure-stimulates-the-brain/2013/10/30/d4c930b2-418a-11e3-8b74-d89d714ca4dd_story.html)</p>
<p>I liked the reviewer’s observation re Ender’s name:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Here’s another review from today’s New York Times: <a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/01/movies/enders-game-with-harrison-ford-and-asa-butterfield.html?_r=0[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/01/movies/enders-game-with-harrison-ford-and-asa-butterfield.html?_r=0</a></p>
<p>I saw Ender’s Game last night. I liked the book a lot more than the movie. I’ll leave it at that until more people have had a chance to see the movie.</p>
<p>We just returned from seeing Ender’s Game. Having just finished Ender’s Shadow, I wanted more Bean in the movie. I did like Asa Butterfield as Ender: I worried that I wouldn’t and the whole movie would be ruined.</p>
<p>I was pleasantly surprised by the movie, but did go in with fairly low expectations. I thought Asa Butterfield was well cast and was fine with the adults. Didn’t love Petra or inflating her importance, but did understand why they did it. Was a bit sorry they left out Ender practicing with his launchie group during his free time which makes the dynamics of Dragon army make more sense, but given the constraints of filming I thought their version worked. The Battle Room was great, better than I imagined. I’m sorry they had Bean arrive with Ender, making a canon correct, Ender’s Shadow impossible. My only real quibble was having the Queen be on the same planet as the Command School that just made no sense at all.</p>
<p>^^The Queen was on the same planet as the Command School? That’s just weird. Why even change something that obvious?</p>
<p>I assume to save a few minutes of movie time. They also don’t have Valentine emigrating with Ender. Well it’s a little vague what Ender’s next steps are. They imply that the Command School is quite close to the Bugger’s home planet “so the ansible will work without time lag”. (Though they say this to Ender when he thinks it’s a game, so who knows if there is any truth to that.) Anyone who has read any sci fi knows the whole point of the ansible is that distance doesn’t matter.</p>
<p>The ending bothered me also. </p>
<p>Overall, I wanted less Petra and more Bean. I understand but disagree with the decision to hint at a possible boyfriend/girlfriend dynamic. I had just finished Ender’s Shadow and really missed the integral part Bean plays once he arrives at Battle School. </p>
<p>I liked the casting - something that had concerned me.</p>