2013 is set to be a solid year for science fiction films, and one of the more anticipated releases is the big-screen adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s bestselling and beloved Ender’s Game.
The story follows a young cadet (Asa Butterfield) training in the art of warfare as mankind’s last ditch effort to stave off an alien invasion. It seems the insectoid-like Buggers (?) are able to anticipate our typical defense efforts and sending teenagers into battle catches them off guard. There’s probably more to it than that, but that’s really all I could glean from this first trailer.
Check it out below.
I’ve never read the book so I can’t speak to how this looks in that regard, but am I alone in thinking this trailer isn’t all that compelling? The effects are fine but far from special, but the minimal plot reveal does little to create anticipation. The cast is definitely appealing though with folks like Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley and Viola Davis bringing the big guns.
But how does it look to those of you who’ve read the novel?
This may be director Gavin Hood’s last shot at big studio pics seeing as his previous effort X-Men Origins: Wolverine underwhelmed audiences. (To be fair, it did well enough globally.) The other big unknown here is the ongoing controversy surrounding Card’s reportedly rampant hate-mongering towards homosexuals. Will the push back hurt the film’s reception, or will the fans of the novel turn out in large enough numbers to make it a hit anyway?
Ender’s Game opens November 1st, 2013.
Related Topics: Harrison Ford
