292, Ender's Game

This is another of the movies that crept up silently, without a single trailer or clue what it was about before I came to watch it.  I literally knew that Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley headed up a pretty slick cast list about a space age generation, locked in battle with an alien race.

After coming close to extension - the bravely on one warrior, Mazer Rackham (Kingsley) gave his life to save the human race.  50 years on - and expecting a retaliation attack, Colonel Graff (Ford) is heading up an elite force of teenage warriors - leading the way with game strategy and computer based warfare intelligence to create a 'remote controlled' army - set to destroy the enemy race - The Formecs.

Don't get me wrong - its not all kids in-front of TV screens - there is some actual training and one-on- one combat between the trainee troops but its the skills of youngster Ender Wiggin, played by Asa Butterfield that catches the Colonel's eye and Ender is quickly promoted through the ranks to officer training and with his own battalion of like minded youths.

 The final training scenario sees a now hardened and strategically advanced Ender take on Bonzo - leader of the Salamanders and as such - promoted to lead (albeit remotely) the potential attack on the Formecs.

I wont go into to many details about the end of the movie as there's a cheeky twist that see's Ender and his troops come to realise exactly the situation he's advanced himself to with devastating effects however on the whole, this was a new twist on an old story and one that was well acted and well received.


Ford & Kingsley head up the cast in roles that I wouldn't have guessed either would be interested in.  Maybe Ford is getting used to begin back in space ahead of his (rumoured) Star Wars return in Episode VII, due 2015. 

The special effects were standard to any other space / alien movie but you have to award this one to the kids, with the exception of Bonzo, who just sadly came across as annoying.  Ender, Petra, Bean & Alai all seemed to revel in their roles and under the leadership of Ford and Kingsley made this movie a nice little surprise that was a definite one to watch on the run into the Christmas blockbuster season.