Film Review: Ender's Game & Catching Fire

Ender's Game

I came to read Ender's Game pretty late, as I think it's a book a lot of people read in high school, so I did not have many years to build up expectations for a film adaptation.  So I think the film exceeded my expectations with how well it brought Ender's story to life.

The actor to play Ender, Asa Butterfield, was stellar!  I totally believed in his compassion and his intense drive to win and the inner turmoils that resulted.  He more than held his own against the older actors he played against, and he did so well with looking physically inconsequential, but having that inner fire that made him someone you definitely don't want to mess with.  But I think the humanity of Ender was the most touching part of the movie.  Despite all the terrible things that happen to him, and the attempts made to make him into the ultimate weapon, he holds on to empathy and I loved how well Asa Butterfield showed all of that.

The special effects in this film was amazing.  I was completely mesmerized by the zero-g competitions and how realistic it looked.  There were times when it was confusing to understand what was going on in them though, because the space was so big and it was all lights and tiny people.  I can't imagine being able to actually fight in that scenario since it seems to easy to confuse your enemies with your teammates.

The film is more focused on Ender and less on his siblings which makes sense, and I the most important points in the book made it to the film and is explained in a way that made the dilemmas in the story very poignant and relatable.  As an adaptation I think they did the best they could to bring such a complex story to life, and I was so impressed by the work all the actors did in this.  This is a great science fiction film.

Catching Fire

I think the first film was a fantastic adaptation of the first book, so I had high expectations going into the second film.  And I am happy to say that I was completely impressed by this film.  The story packs so much emotional power, and it is not glossed over at all in the film.  The desperation the people in this future have for freedom and independence comes across so well, and the way Katniss struggles with the role of symbol she accidentally stumbled into comes across beautifully genuine and poignant.  There's so much depth to these stories, and the film captures that so well, making this such an immersive, emotional ride of a film.

Jennifer Lawrence has to be one of my favorite actresses, because she's just amazing as Katniss.  Compassionate, wry, determined, traumatized - she needs to keep everyone safe, but is helpless to do so.  I can't imagine any other actress capturing all those sides to Katniss like Jennifer Lawrence does.  I think that final moment when she just says everything with her eyes, is enough to get her another Oscar.

When I first read The Hunger Games, I have to admit I was very Team Gale (I switched over later) but if I had seen Catching Fire before reading the books, there is just no possible way I would have been Team Gale.  Peeta really steals the show in this - he's everything that should be right for Katniss, and his devotion to her is heartbreaking to see when Katniss doesn't appreciate him enough.  Josh Hutcherson was just amazing, and I already feel depressed about what's in store for him in the last two films.

I really enjoyed what some of the other Tributes brought to this film, but the sassy Johanna was the best in my opinion.  I love when characters say what everyone else is afraid to, and her defiance was inspiring.  As was all the moments when the tributes did or said something that was like a slap to President Snow.  

This film captured all the heart and suspense and surprises of the second book and was an excellent adaptation.  I was truly affected by the characters all over again and I can't wait to watch the next movie!