Ender's Game

[sigmtnman]

Was a surprisingly good show.  I was not expecting much, so perhaps that made it better than it was. 

[NoBanStan]

It was fairly close to the book so i enjoyed it. Very good visuals. My only disappointment was that Ender wasn't as calculating as he was in the book.

[MudBugjr]

Just finished watching it . better than I thought it would be.

[sigmtnman]

It was fairly close to the book so i enjoyed it. Very good visuals. My only disappointment was that Ender wasn't as calculating as he was in the book.

 

Yes, the visuals were very good indeed and there were no slow parts to speak of.  The wife has been reading the book. I may give it a read when she is done if I can carve out some time.

Edited February 23, 2014 by sigmtnman

[NoBanStan]

Yes, the visuals were very good indeed and there were no slow parts to speak of.  The wife has been reading the book. I may give it a read when she is done if I can carve out some time.

 

You'll find some differences. Without spoiling anything, there's a whole political aspect back on earth that they skipped over (which was fine honestly). I'd like to hear your feelings on Ender (book vs movie), whenever you read it.

 

Overall, i was happy with it. It wasn't a total abomination like Starship Troopers. If you haven't, read that book, it's very good. NOTHING like the movie except a few names and the fact that the bugs exist.

[hipower]

Yes, I watched it Friday morning and found it to be actually pretty good. As with most movies that are based on long involved story and plot lines; it was greatly condensed. But at least was pretty close to the premise that Card used for the series.

 

And as NoBanStan says if you haven't read Orson Scott Card, at least you could follow the movie.

 

But if you have read Enders Game and Ender's Shadow, you will find soooo much more of an involved story.

 

I was never able ro read Card's work when these first came to print, as I found his style and the story and style rather difficult for me to follow. But that's been close to 25 years ago.

 

I guess I've changed. I'm now reading the entire series and find it quite interesting in spite of the social allegory and commentary.

 

I think I would suggest them for a thought provoking read.

 

And as sigmtman said, the visual effects were excellent.

[DWARREN123]

Read the book many years ago. One of the better book to movie SF stories.

Some that did not go so well in my opinion were Starship Trooper, Jumper.

[NoBanStan]

Yes, I watched it Friday morning and found it to be actually pretty good. As with most movies that are based on long involved story and plot lines; it was greatly condensed. But at least was pretty close to the premise that Card used for the series.

 

And as NoBanStan says if you haven't read Orson Scott Card, at least you could follow the movie.

 

But if you have read Enders Game and Ender's Shadow, you will find soooo much more of an involved story.

 

I was never able ro read Card's work when these first came to print, as I found his style and the story and style rather difficult for me to follow. But that's been close to 25 years ago.

 

I guess I've changed. I'm now reading the entire series and find it quite interesting in spite of the social allegory and commentary.

 

I think I would suggest them for a thought provoking read.

 

And as sigmtman said, the visual effects were excellent.

 

I stopped with Enders Game, I heard Enders Shadow was good, mainly because Bean rocks... but I've heard the rest of the series gets all meta and preachy.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I've managed to listen to a great deal of Card's work this last year, with kindle "read to me" text to speech. The text to speech makes some kinds of prose easier to tolerate. But I think Card is generally too tedious for my tastes, if I had to read it.

I think he is a good writer, just tedious. Too touchie-feelie. Too much characterization and psychological conflict. Too much not particularly interesting dialog. Too many descriptive passages. In other words, all that crap "the experts" claim to be essential to a successful, salable fiction story.

Bah I say. Not enough rocket ships and ray guns. :)

The enders game previews on youtube imply that the movie has enough rocket ships and ray guns.

Is it on netflix? Where are ya'll watching it? Edited February 24, 2014 by Lester Weevils

[sigmtnman]

Redbox

[Guest t.bird]

I had been excited about this movie for the last six years...it took them that long to get around to making it.  I would highly suggest reading the book if you found the movie at all interesting (then follow-up by reading Ender's Shadow).  The movie stripped away my favorite parts of the book, it took out pretty much any emotion/thought shown from Ender.  That's what the books are about; Ender having to deal with what is happening to him, and having to live with what he has done.

 

I was sad to give the movie a solid, "Meh".

[JPS]

I read Enders Game years ago, and chuckled when I saw the movie previews with Lester's rocket ships and ray guns - I decided they either didn't follow the book's story line or there wouldn't be much of that kind of action.  Not a bad movie (or book for that matter) but it ain't Star Wars.

[sigmtnman]

You're right. Better script, acting and effects with Ender's

[RC3]

For some reason, I kept seeing how different it was from the book. Some books just do not do well in the big screen. They kept most of it accurate, Ill give them that, but somethings, really got under my skin. Still better than dune, and I LOVE that damn book.

[sigmtnman]

For some reason, I kept seeing how different it was from the book. Some books just do not do well in the big screen. They kept most of it accurate, Ill give them that, but somethings, really got under my skin. Still better than dune, and I LOVE that damn book.

 

LOL at dune.  I never read the book because the movie was so bad.  That fat dude with the puss was nasty.

[RC3]

LOL at dune.  I never read the book because the movie was so bad.  That fat dude with the puss was nasty.

The book is quite elegant on the way it was written. The movie is a shrewd mockery. The omnithopter is not a dumb flying box but a helicopter with wings and thrusters instead of having rotors. Read the book, I do not think it will disappoint you. Avoid the rest of the series, just like enders game, they fail to capture what made the first book great. Now the three pre dune books we pretty good.

[hipower]

I stopped with Enders Game, I heard Enders Shadow was good, mainly because Bean rocks... but I've heard the rest of the series gets all meta and preachy.

 

Enders Shadow was pretty good. In many ways Bean was much more interesting than Ender.  As to the preachy...see my comment to Lester'

 

I've managed to listen to a great deal of Card's work this last year, with kindle "read to me" text to speech. The text to speech makes some kinds of prose easier to tolerate. But I think Card is generally too tedious for my tastes, if I had to read it.

I think he is a good writer, just tedious. Too touchie-feelie. Too much characterization and psychological conflict. Too much not particularly interesting dialog. Too many descriptive passages. In other words, all that crap "the experts" claim to be essential to a successful, salable fiction story.

Bah I say. Not enough rocket ships and ray guns. :)

The enders game previews on youtube imply that the movie has enough rocket ships and ray guns.

Is it on netflix? Where are ya'll watching it?

 

I do agree that Card does tend to be rather obsessed with a thought and very reluctant to let go of it. He obviously believes he is Ann Rand re-incarnated. Just loves to educate you on his views, almost to the point of indoctrination.

 

But maybe this is why Orson Scott Card is on many primary and middle school reading lists. There to show all the young minds the evils of our society.