'Ender's Game', Released In US Today, Receives Mixed Reviews

Ender's Game, due to be released in the US today (1st November), has received a series of mediocre reviews from critics.

Ender's Game is released in US cinemas today.

The film, based on Scott Orson's book of the same name, is set in the future after an alien-human war. Ender Wiggin is a talented young boy studying at a military space academy where the students prepare for the next alien invasion of Earth.

Harrison Ford stars as Colonel Graff, the leader of the military academy. Other established actors involved in the production include Ben Kingsley (Iron Man 3) and Viola Davis (The Help). The cast is dominated by young actors including Asa Butterfield as Ender. Other actors include Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) as Ender's sister; Moises Arias (The Middle); and Hailee Steinfield (True Grit).

The film has been under scrutiny by the press owing to the author, Scott Orson's, homophobic attitudes. A petition was created earlier this year in the hopes of removing Orson's active involvement in the production. Some critics have alluded to this, but the majority have chosen to focus on the film itself.

Watch the movie trailer for Ender's Game:

The critical response primarily focusses on the representation of childhood and the young actors involved in the film. Peter Howell, of the Toronto Star, stated "It doesn't take much to buy into the premise, especially once the not-bad CGI revs up and Ender and his pint-sized pals start their tiny engines." On the other hand, The New York Time's critic Manohla Dargis, was unimpressed with the undertones of self-righteousness evident in much of Orson's work which filtered through to the film. She wrote "Childhood can be tough in movies, but rarely do screen children suffer for our sins as they do here."

Other critics have praised the special effects and action scenes. The film received a middling review from The Guardian in which Peter Bradshaw wrote "The movie's apocalyptic finale indicates that it's bitten off considerably more than it can chew in terms of ideas, but it looks good, and the story rattles along." Whereas Joe Morgenstern, of The Wall Street Journal, felt "Not only does Ender's Game have many scenes in zero gravity, but this zero-sum fiasco has zero drama, zero suspense, zero humour, zero charm and zero appeal."

Ender's Game is released in US cinemas today (1st November 2013). For audiences in the UK, the film has been out in cinemas since 25th October 2013.

Ben Kingsley stars in Ender's Game.