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Ender's Game (2013 Film)


Jay

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Yea I dunno why he looks like Darth Maul / Nero. Odd choice.

Guess being isolated for so long made him pretty coocoo in the film world.

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Yea I dunno why he looks like Darth Maul / Nero. Odd choice.

Guess being isolated for so long made him pretty coocoo in the film world.

Is the character from New Zealand in the book or something?

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Yea! Harrison Ford and Asa Butterfield introduce a 10 second teaser for Ender's Game!

Looks like they really nailed the look of this film

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Reminder, today at 1PM Pacific, 2PM Mountain, 3PM Central and 4PM Eastern the first trailer for Ender's Game will be released via a Google Hangout with the Director, Producer and Ender himself attending. Share/Invite anyone/Everyone you think might like Ender's Game.

https://plus.google.com/events/cuito512urg0a64r6bc2ocuakuc

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I think this is the live hangout where the trailer will premiere?

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Woohoo!

Wow, now that's a fantastic trailer!!! Seriously, this looks like THE sci-fi movie of 2013!

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And so, just as the first official trailer is released (not my plan, but the timing's appropriate enough), I'm ready to weigh in.

I've been meaning to read this book for years, but for some reason never got around to it. I missed seeing this thread when it started last year, and didn't catch it until it got bumped up last month. Jason's enthusiasm was contagious; and given that the movie's on its way, I decided it was long past time to take the plunge.

And now I owe Jason a debt of gratitude. Big time.

Ender's Game is a top-tier science fiction tale, a story that contains and combines all the best elements of the genre: deeply compelling characters, intelligent technological speculation, vivid action sequences, and gripping moral dilemmas. Jason's right about the climax, too. Simply stunning. This book—at various times—had me laughing, tearing up, and cheering. Engrossing from beginning to end.

Like any adaptation, you'll be doing yourself a huge favor if you read it before you see it. The one aspect I think they're going to have a hard time translating to film is what's going on inside Ender through the entire process of his recruitment, training, and growth. I have to believe that no matter how well they craft this movie, those who've read the book will inevitably get more out of it. (Of course, isn't that the case with any novel brought to the big screen?)

The question is, will they even film the full denouement of the original book or just end it shortly after the climax

That's been eating at me since I finished it. I thought at first the ending was dragging a bit too long (like Card might've contracted a little John Grisham syndrome), but then the ultimate closer made it worth the epilogue. Would that translate well into a movie, though? That's tough to say.

I haven't read the book but I'm reading fans cmplaining that the kids are way too old.

Looking at the photos I've seen so far, that's something that bothers me too. One of the factors that made this story so completely engaging was that it was happening to six-year-olds. I simply can't imagine achieving the same effect with young teenagers . . . especially one that sounds like James Earl Jones when he talks.

I read the first two chapters last night before I passed out. The weird writing structure borderlines Cormac McCarthy. It blends third person and first person together. Why can't writers stick to the basic principles of grammar?

There were no problems with the structure. He stuck to good principles of grammar throughout. The only issue is that, for some reason, it took far too long for authors to get into the habit of italicizing their characters' internalizations. These days everyone does it without thinking. Strictly speaking, he never blends first and third person POVs, but I can understand how the lack of italics can make it seem that way at times.

it's a children's book Jason, it can be found in the childrens section at Barnes and Noble, it's also found in the teens section and the scifi section.

It doesn't matter if they shelve it between Goodnight, Moon and Green Eggs and Ham—this is not a children's book. Teens can read it, of course, and would certainly enjoy it a great deal . . . but then, science fiction has always been the one genre that never condescends to its younger readers.

For those thinking this is going to be a "children's" movie, all you're admitting is you haven't read the book yet. The introduction to each chapter, where the adults wrestle with the moral conflicts involved in their decisions, is as much the heart of the book as Ender's own story. It's vital to the concept that we see it through Ender's eyes and feel it through his heart, but if you excised what's really happening throughout—the manipulation of events by the commanding officers—the story would lose the element that supplies its gravity.

To put it another way: stories for children are either written at a lower level, or ask younger readers to empathize with characters their age (or both). Stories for grown-ups force adults to ask themselves what they'd do if they had the misfortune of being placed in such a difficult position. There's no question which category Ender's fits into.

(My understanding of the book was that it was brutal and the characters were very young kids, I don't know if that's correct)

Actually, I was surprised to see how little brutality the story ultimately contained. I'd heard for years about the objections volleyed around by critics (who seem to have missed the point of the book entirely). I was expecting something along the lines of Fight Club. But aside from a handful of instances—which, I grant you, are pretty heavy, but necessarily so—most of the book concerns non-violent engagements. It is, after all, about a game, just like the title says.

I think Ben Kingsley's role is very well cast.

I'd already heard that he would play Rackham when I read the book, so it was easy to picture him in the role. I thought it was a brilliant casting decision. I still do, but . . . the story imagines him as a wizened old man, not the sort of presence they've given Kingsley in the shot Jason posted above. Artistic license, I suppose.

I am now seriously excited for the advent of this film. I can only hope (as has already been expressed by others) that this doesn't become another Hunger Games—a very good book turned into one very, very bad film, and from the looks of the previews to its sequel, they've gone and done it again. It's light years beyond the entire Twilight saga, so there's no reason even to compare it with those. Barring a major disappointment, this should be a great sci-fi experience.

Thanks again, Jason. ;)

- Uni

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BTW, I said that something was up with this film's post-production. Look at this!


endercredits.png


FIVE production companies!?
SEVEN Executive Producers!?
EIGHT Producers!?
NO Composer listed?

Insanity!

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Because, Koray . . .

they would understand that people who haven't read the book wouldn't assume that. (It's all a game, remember?)

(You might consider editing that comment, for the sake of those who still might want to read it before the movie comes out. . . .)

And now, having watched the trailer, I'll need to be treated for goosebump trauma right away.

- Uni

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Wow Uni, that's excellent! So glad you liked the book! I didn't even notice the things you and Koray have mentioned about internal monologue blending in when I read it, but I'll be sure to observe that when I re-read it.

Yea, Harrison Ford and Ben Kinglsey are likely NOT going to be the Graff and Rackham from the book, but what can you do. They get butts in seats, and that's what gets these movies made. I'm sure their performances will be good interpretations of the characters, even if they are different than as depicted in the book. For this story really, it's more important to get the plot right than the characters right.

And yea, keeping the kids at 6 years old would have made for quite a different movie!! Probably would have been too hard to make. I can't really fault them for making them 13 instead, even though it does go against one of the main points of the book.... but like the casting, it got the film made.



~~~

I spoiler blocked Koray's post and Uni's response. Anyone reading this thread exciting for the film who hasn't read the book yet shouldn't open their spoiler blocks....

....And definitely don't read this one!

Koray - I too was FLABBERGASTED when they showed that scene at the end of the trailer. I was like "WHAAAAAAAAT!?"

Uni yea - I guess if you have no idea what happens in the book it MIGHT not be a huge spoiler because you don't know what it really means, but of course if in the film it's known all along that Ender is really fighting the buggers and it's not just a game then you'll figure out right away in the theater that the good guys win!

I know trailers have to include action and explosions to sell tickets, maybe there wasn't really an other explosions in the film to use so that had to use that one?

Also, what was up with that shot of what looked like the Battle School getting destroyed?

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The question remains though, are they treating the alien battles as simulations or actual battles? The trailer insinuates the latter, which leaves the 'twist' that they weren't simulations at all out of the picture.

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Right, exactly my point. There were rumors a while ago that in the film, it would be known from the beginning that Ender was going to really control the attack, and it wasn't just a game. But I think that was one of the previous scripts, not this one. Now I really don't know. If they do reveal it's not a game early in the film, then it was really, REALLY dumb to end the trailer with that shot!

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Yea, Harrison Ford and Ben Kinglsey are likely NOT going to be the Graff and Rackham from the book, but what can you do. They get butts in seats, and that's what gets these movies made. I'm sure their performances will be good interpretations of the characters, even if they are different than as depicted in the book. For this story really, it's more important to get the plot right than the characters right.

Koray - I too was FLABBERGASTED when they showed that scene at the end of the trailer. I was like "WHAAAAAAAAT!?"

Uni yea - I guess if you have no idea what happens in the book it MIGHT not be a huge spoiler because you don't know what it really means, but of course if in the film it's known all along that Ender is really fighting the buggers and it's not just a game then you'll figure out right away in the theater that the good guys win!

I know trailers have to include action and explosions to sell tickets, maybe there wasn't really an other explosions in the film to use so that had to use that one?

Also, what was up with that shot of what looked like the Battle School getting destroyed?

Yeah, I see what you're saying. (It would be fun to see them use CGI to make Ford look like he's gaining weight over the years, wouldn't it? ;)) And I don't disagree. These are always the normal reactions to seeing a director's interpretation to a really good book.

Some of these look like interesting changes, though. I found it noteworthy that they seem to have turned the character of Anderson into a female (at least, I'm assuming that's who Viola Davis is playing). That wouldn't be a bad thing.

I noticed the ship-thing exploding, too. I had to wonder what exactly was being destroyed there. I didn't think it was

possible that might be the Battle School.

They can do what they want with the casting and performances. If they take the book's spectacular ending and change it to something else—including the real thing—they will have destroyed the perfect wrap-up in favor of some immediate intensity. And man, will I be pissed.

- Uni

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I thought the production design looked great!

And luckily for you, the story is far from dumb. It's just hard to get it across in a trailer

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I thought the production design looked great!

And luckily for you, the story is far from dumb. It's just hard to get it across in a trailer

What is so great about the design? I see nothing special ... quite the opposite. Great design brings me to ecstasy. This looks like the sequel to Space Camp.

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I thought the production design looked great!

And luckily for you, the story is far from dumb. It's just hard to get it across in a trailer

What is so great about the design? I see nothing special ... quite the opposite. Great design brings me to ecstasy. This looks like the sequel to Space Camp.

It looks nothing like SpaceCamp.

I like the alien ships

Ender5.PNG

The shuttle Ender takes to Battle School

Ender6.PNG

The Battle School itself

Ender1.PNG

The computers they use

Ender2.PNG

The kid's bunks

Ender8.PNG

Whatever this is

Ender9.PNG

The Battle Room

Ender3.PNG

Ender4.PNG

Ender10.PNG

And this

Ender7.PNG

Good stuff.

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Looks nothing like SpaceCamp

And I never claimed it would be looked upon as a great design film in the decades to come.

You don't need to be groundbreaking to make a good film

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What do the aliens want? Why do they engage in dogfights with humanity inside our atmosphere? I don't get it.

Who says that is our atmosphere?

Anyways, the setup of the story is that the buggers tried to invade our solar system twice and we barely held them back, and now we are training to children to lead the defense of an expected third invasion

The motivations of the buggers isn't really delved into until the later books.

It's a bit too gray for my taste.

Well, it's a space station to train children in zero-g in, it's not meant to be flashy, it's just there to get the job done.

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Based upon the trailer alone, it looks like a dumb Hollywood explosion movie with bad production design.

Gee . . . you're really bound and determined to see this thing fail completely, aren't you? Going in with that perspective, even if this is a modern-day masterpiece you're going to find things to criticize.

Whatever this is

Ender9.PNG

Gravity combat training, I assume. Ender elected to take this because of his "issues" with others.

I'd say the film looks great so far. I'm thinking the early "atmospheric" battle shots are recollections of the first two invasions. I really like, too, how they've made the battle rooms transparent, adding the grandeur of orbital space as a background. (In the books, they're contained areas.)

Incidentally . . . that last picture suggests that they are, in fact, going to go ahead with the epilogue after all.

It's a bit too gray for my taste.

Well, it's a space station to train children in zero-g in, it's not meant to be flashy, it's just there to get the job done.

Exactly. How would Mardi Gras in space be more believable or effective. . . ?

- Uni

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Based upon the trailer alone, it looks like a dumb Hollywood explosion movie with bad production design.

Gee . . . you're really bound and determined to see this thing fail completely, aren't you? Going in with that perspective, even if this is a modern-day masterpiece you're going to find things to criticize.

What perspective is that? I don't see anything that I like in that trailer. Should I be a hypocrite and say I love it? I think not.

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Not been here till now, what is this, sow new Disney movie? Four pages for Jumanji in space?

It's a Summit/Lionsgate movie starring Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, and the kid from Hugo based on a widely loved science fiction novel from 1985 about earth preparing for a third attack by an alien race that already attacked twice and we barely survived. They decide to train children in a battle school in orbit above the earth.

It's a great book and we hope it will make a great movie, but that remains to be seen. The trailer just came out a couple days ago and was posted earlier in the thread.

Alex didn't like the production design, but he's also been very close minded about the project from the beginning. I thought everything in the trailer looked pretty good.

He also cares more about visual flair than story, and I can tell you Ender's Game has a really great story. It doesn't matter to me if visually this film doesn't break any new ground (as long as it doesn't look cheap or stupid, which in my opinion it doesn't, at least based on the trailers)

~~~

Told you guys something was up. Horner out, Jablonksy in for the score.

http://endersgamefandom.net/2013/05/08/steve-jablonsky-rumored-to-do-enders-game-film-score/

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That is incredibly disappointing news for me. I was looking forward to seeing what Horner would come up with for this, but Jablonsky is just terrible.

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It's a bit too gray for my taste.

Well, it's a space station to train children in zero-g in, it's not meant to be flashy, it's just there to get the job done.

Exactly. How would Mardi Gras in space be more believable or effective. . . ?

I just like the ISS look where there are a lot of little things around with an actual purpose, maybe less messy. Instead gray spaces with lot of empty zones on the walls which looks like a film set.

If you have gravity by rotation or acceleration, then certain ships could look more hospitable, like people actually live there. But this one is a military thing.

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Not been here till now, what is this, sow new Disney movie? Four pages for Jumanji in space?

It's a Summit/Lionsgate movie starring Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, and the kid from Hugo based on a widely loved science fiction novel from 1985 about earth preparing for a third attack by an alien race that already attacked twice and we barely survived. They decide to train children in a battle school in orbit above the earth.

It's a great book and we hope it will make a great movie, but that remains to be seen. The trailer just came out a couple days ago and was posted earlier in the thread.

Alex didn't like the production design, but he's also been very close minded about the project from the beginning. I thought everything in the trailer looked pretty good.

He also cares more about visual flair than story, and I can tell you Ender's Game has a really great story. It doesn't matter to meif visually this film doesn't break any new ground (as long as it doesn't look cheap or stupid, which in my opinion it doesn't, at least based on the trailers)

I look at the 'how'. The 'what' is all nice and dandy but one can spoil a good story if you don't know how to bring it. The interesting emotions lie in the 'how', not in the story.

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Oh I doubt the production design is so poor that it will distract any viewer from the story.

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The production design is only a part of the 'how'. The Shining is made interesting because of the way Stanley Kubrick told it. The TV movie of The Shining is what happens when you don't have a clue about the 'how'.

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That is incredibly disappointing news for me. I was looking forward to seeing what Horner would come up with for this, but Jablonsky is just terrible.

What?! I missed seeing this news. They could've gotten anyone for an epic movie event like this, and they grabbed up Jablonsky? There's one decision that tells me they're cutting corners, at least a little. Not a good sign.

The production design is only a part of the 'how'. The Shining is made interesting because of the way Stanley Kubrick told it. The TV movie of The Shining is what happens when you don't have a clue about the 'how'.

I see your point, and don't entirely disagree; a "how"-less approach can detract from what could've been a better movie. But story is the key, the critical element, the compelling idea that gives the director something to "how" into visual existence. In my mind, movies that "how" to the rafters but have no interesting story are worse. (Not to hijack the theme of another thread, but Michael Bay's recent robotic repertoire offers some excellent examples.)

- Uni

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I don't see how anyone can proclaim they've failed at the "how" from a 2 minute trailer. Oh wait, this is the internet. Nevermind.

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I don't see how anyone can proclaim they've failed at the "how" from a 2 minute trailer. Oh wait, this is the internet. Nevermind.

ROTFLMAO

(Y)

- Uni

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Based upon the trailer alone, it looks like a dumb Hollywood explosion movie with bad production design.

Gee . . . you're really bound and determined to see this thing fail completely, aren't you? Going in with that perspective, even if this is a modern-day masterpiece you're going to find things to criticize.

What perspective is that? I don't see anything that I like in that trailer. Should I be a hypocrite and say I love it? I think not.

it's based on a childrens novel so naturally you wouldn't like it.

as for your comments about the Shining film and the Shining mini series, you just show your unwillingness to let Mick Garris and Stephen King tell his actual story in the book as opposed to story (mostly unrelated to the book) Kubrick chose to make instead.

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What?! I missed seeing this news. They could've gotten anyone for an epic movie event like this, and they grabbed up Jablonsky? There's one decision that tells me they're cutting corners, at least a little. Not a good sign.

This is frustrating. It's like Djawadi and Pacific Rim all over again.

What about:

-Alexandre Desplat

-Christopher Young

-Marco Beltrami

-Roque Baños

-Fernando Velázquez

Hell, even Murray Gold. Or JNH in good shape with proper stimulation.

More suggestions for modern scoring? I know names like Abel Korzeniowski/Christopher Gordon/Elliot Goldenthal/Don Davis but Ive barely heard anything from them.

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