Ender's Game (2013)

I could have used a little more Death Blossom.

Throughout Ender's Game I was reminded of The Last Starfighter, a favorite film of mine when I was a kid.  It's interesting to note that the original book was released a year after The Last Starfighter.  I'm not saying Ender's Game ripped off The Last Starfighter, but I wonder how much inspiration was drawn from it, or was it all just a coincidence.  The Last Starfighter could use an update, so even if Ender's Game had been a direct rip-off, it wouldn't have bugged me that much.

I haven't read Ender's Game.  Hell, I was only vaguely aware of its existence the first time I saw the trailer, so if you're looking for a comparison of the book to film adaptation, you'll need to look elsewhere.  I've also heard people say it was unfilmable, which didn't seem like that case while watching.   Maybe at the time of writing it was.  Modern technology sure seems to be making a lot of these supposed unfilmable movies a reality lately.

In the future, Earth is attacked by an alien race known as the Formics.  They were beaten back, but humanity has been preparing for their return ever since.  Children a trained at a young age to find the best candidate to lead the fleet.  Why children?  They learn and adapt quicker, are more adept at thinking outside the box, and let's face it, they are better at playing video games.  Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) is recognized early by Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) as the strongest candidate.  He's put through a series of simulations and games to test his strategy and leadership abilities.  He quickly rises through the ranks and eventually gains the respect of his peers.  With the next battle likely determining the fate of the human race, will Ender be ready in time and handle the responsibility and pressure being put upon him?

At it's heart, Ender's Game feels like one of those classic stories of a child being told there's greatness within him and slowly gaining the confidence to realize that potential.  The kid in me found it easy to identify with and go along for ride.  While PG-13, I thought about how much my 8-year-old nephew would have enjoyed it, and I do think it's suitable for kids in that age range.  It helps that a lot of what's effective about Ender's Game is seeing how Ender deals with the consequences of his actions.  Not being familiar with the story, I was a little surprised with how it played out and thought it was a nice twist.  I've heard from some that the book is smarter, but when isn't that the case?  I also thought there was a nice message about standing up to bullies.  Bullies should also be on notice, as you never know when the guy you're picking on knows all your weaknesses and is ready to mop the floor with you.

Although considering the fact that the boy that saves the day was the best at games and video game simulations, you might want to avoid giving your kids the ammo that allowing them to play more video games may mean the difference between life and death in the future.  I do think it's interesting that book was written back in 1985, and had a pretty forward thinking view regarding the adaptability of children and how it relates to playing video games.  Maybe I'm reading a bit too much into that though.

The timeline felt a little rushed with how quickly Ender was progressing through the ranks.  It seemed like just a day or two would go by before he was being promoted again.  I remember at one point seeing a readout saying they had 20-something days before the next attack, but it wasn't quite clear to me.  Did only just a few weeks transpire or did this take place over a few months?  If it was a really short period of time, it might have helped to have some kind of throwaway line about accelerated learning technology or something.  However, there are a few scenes involving space travel where you can see they were in stasis, which would imply that more time was elapsing, so it felt like a few steps were being skipped in the transitions that might have explained it better.  Having said all that, I felt Ender's Game was paced well and wouldn't have minded if it was a few minutes longer.  I thought Gavin Hood did a good job with the material.  I can't comment on how faithful this is to the book, but after watching X-Men Origins: Wolverine, I'm just happy this wasn't a train wreck.  It certainly seems to lend weight to the belief that X-Men Origins: Wolverine was a case of massive studio interference.

I enjoyed the special effects and the overall look of Ender's Game.  It felt sufficiently futuristic without having technology that seemed impossible or way too ahead of its time.  I really liked the design of the Formics ships and worlds.  It had a very organic, alien look, and I was reminded of the Yuuzhan Vong from the Star Wars Expanded Universe.  Thankfully it's not in 3D, so you won't have to contend with that.  I did see it in IMAX, and while I always enjoy the format, you don't need to wait for IMAX as it's not that big of a deal.

I also enjoyed the performances.  The film is anchored by Asa Butterfield's sympathetic portrayal of Ender.  Let's face it, had they cast the wrong kid, or you don't buy into his performance, then the whole film kind of falls apart.  Butterfield's had a pretty strong start to his career and I think we can expect to see a lot more from him.  After a disappointing performance in the recent Romeo and Juliet, Hailee Steinfeld bounces back with a stronger performance here, and I thought she good chemistry with Butterfield.  It was fun to see Moises Arias' antagonistic turn as Bonzo, whom I totally thought they were calling "Bonesaw".  Wouldn't that be such a natural nickname for someone named Bonzo though?  Ben Kingsley and Viola Davis are also very good in their limited roles, but I'm convinced neither actor is capable of delivering a bad performance.  Finally, I was happy to see Harrison Ford not mailing it in for a change.  This is the most invested I've seen him in a long time, and you get the feeling he must have really cared about the story.

Ender's Game is a fun adventure that'll appeal to the kid in you.  It's well-acted, has great effects, and the whole family can enjoy together.  It's not a game changer, or something that's gonna make you want to throw out your copy of The Last Starfighter, but there's definitely enough entertainment value that makes it worth a watch.  I recommend a matinee.

3.5 (out of 5) Death Stars

The Kings of Summer (2013)

Three teen boys decide they're done with their parents, run away and build a house in the woods.  That's pretty much how you'd sum up The Kings of Summer.  If that were all there is to The Kings of Summer, then I could understand how this might have a limited appeal.  The good news is that once you get past the premise and opening moments, The Kings of Summer is a sweet and often hilarious coming-of-age story.

As summer vacation approaches, Joe (Nick Robinson) becomes increasingly frustrated with his father's attempts to get him to be responsible.  He encourages his best friend Patrick (Gabriel Basso), who's also grown tired of his overbearing parents, to join him.  A wild card named Biaggio (Moises Arias), whom the other two barely know, also tags along.

I do want to get a few things out of the way though.  As it began, I almost wasn't able to buy into the film, as it was really hard to understand Joe and Patrick's reasons for wanting out of their homes.  Joe's father, Frank (Nick Offerman), only seems to be on his case for not being more responsible.  Frank gets mad at him for things like taking an hour long shower and not picking up after himself.  A total monster, right?  Then, Frank has the audacity to schedule a family game night with his new girlfriend, and Joe's older sister (Alison Brie) and boyfriend.  Joe acts like a twerp, embarasses his father, and calls the police just to mess with him (which he apparently has done several times before).  This also has the end result of ruining things between Frank and his new girlfriend.  Lastly, Joe doesn't exactly seem to be the most motivated student either.  Is painting your main character as a dumb, lazy, entitled brat the best way to start your film?

Patrick's parents biggest crime seemed to be that they were a little smothering, and really nerdy.  Not exactly reason to run away either.  Biaggio didn't seem to have any motivation at all other than he didn't have any friends, and the other two let him tag along.  I'm sure people that grew up in households with real problems wouldn't have much to sympathize with here.  How would Joe handle real abuse or if Frank had been an alcoholic?  Look, I get that these are dumb kids and when you're a kid you think your parents are terrible even if they aren't, are and your problems are the worst in the world, but I just thought that was a little weak.  Anyway, the film gets past this part pretty quick, as if even they knew it was the flimsiest part.  Another thing masking this is that the opening of the film is peppered with humor.  When I'd start to scrutinize something, Nick Offerman would have a one of his many great moments, and I'd forget about it.  It's best to just think of the whole film as a boy's fantasy and it makes it a little easier to get past.

The trio finds a space in the woods where nobody can find them and build a place.  The enjoy their newfound freedom and learn to live off the land.  Another thing that was a little off was that the film starts with Joe building the world's worst bird house, so the idea that he could build a house (even with help) that could stand up on his own was a little goofy to me.  Plus, he also seemed to have professional level skill at making maps and designing floor plans.

Despite these flaws, the film takes off once they begin this adventure and it's a lot of fun to watch.  It doesn't take long to like the the kids and become invested in the story.  When I was their age my friends and I used to talk about taking a summer and building a fort or half pipe, so this is something that did speak to me on that level.  The trio have great chemistry, and the performances of Robinson, Basso and Arias really help sell that.  All three came off as very natural together.  I also appreciated that all three of them actually looked like they were the right age for their roles.  They all had that awkward teen look.  I was also impressed with how mature Robinson and Basso's performances were.

While the kids are gone, Frank and Patrick's parents (Megan Mullally and Marc Evan Jackson) haven't given up looking for them.  Despite what the kids think, their parents are genuinely concerned and care about them.  Mullally and Jackson are great, but the real star here was Nick Offerman.  If you're a fan of Ron Swanson from Parks & Rec, then you'll love his performance here.  Imagine Ron Swanson but even crankier.  He has some epic lines, particularly when dealing with two local cops (Mary Lynn Rajskub and Thomas Middleditch).  Another thing that makes this a great performance from Offerman is that we find out Frank is dealing with his own issues that explain why maybe he's been a little too hard on Joe.  You see some growth from him and he eventually has a nice reconciliation with Joe.

Meanwhile, the boys are having the time of their lives, but eventually a wrench gets thrown into the mix when Joe invites his dream girl Kelly (Erin Moriarty) out to hang out with them.  Joe hopes to impress Kelly with what they've done, but things don't always work out the way you hope.  Watching Joe's heartbreak will pull on your heartstrings a little bit, and you'll see how this affects the group and their friendship.  At times I saw a lot of my younger self in Joe, so as the movie went on I couldn't help by sympathize more and more.

Your enjoyment of The Kings of Summer is largely going to depend on how much you like these quirky, indie, hipsterish kinds of comedies.  I've heard this kind of film referred to on Adam Carolla's podcast as a "quirkedy".  I can't remember where I heard this first - might have been Anderson over on The Film Vault when he described his thoughts on the film - but I got a distinct Wes Anderson-vibe from film.  Think of it as Wes Andersen-lite.  Where The Kings of Summer differs is that I felt it had more of a sardonic tone about it.  Maybe also a tad less pretentious or hipsterish.

This leads me to another thing I loved about the film which was Moises Arias as Biaggio.  He's certainly a distinct looking person, and that works well to contrast the other two.  I guess the best way to describe him would be to imagine a teenage Kramer from Seinfeld, but then shrunk in half and mixed with a Sleestak.  Nearly everything he says is random or bizarre, as if he wasn't scripted.  Sometimes overuse of non-sequitur really bugs me, but here I thought it was funny every time.

Even if Biaggio's dialog wasn't scripted, I thought the script by Chris Galletta was extremely funny.  This was Galletta's first movie, so I'm really excited to see what comes next.  If director Jordan Vogt-Roberts set out to make a more cynical Wes Andersen-like film, then I think he succeeded.  This appears to be his first feature as well, so it's a nice way to start out and great collaboration between the writer and director.  Interestingly enough, like another recent coming-of-age-tale Mud, this also features some foreshadowing with a snake.  I really hate snakes, so that kind of stuff sticks with me.

Oh, one last thing before I wrap this up.  Something that kind of took me out of the film was that Patrick was wearing a cast the entire film.  The mention he's a wrestler, so I'm assuming his broke is ankle, but the movie seems to have forgotten he was wearing this.  He walks around for miles, you see a scene where they are sprinting, and then they dive into a lake.  They are out in the woods for weeks, but he was never concerned about his leg or re-injuring it?  I understand that kids will do stupid things like that, but it just seemed odd that a guy with a cast on would do all of these physical activities without any outward concern for further injury or showing any ill effects from continuing to push himself on it.  I know it's a nitpick, but I kept noticing it.

The Kings of Summer is a sweet, quirky and hilarious coming-of-age tale.  If you can buy into the fantasy, then you're in for some fantastic performances from Nick Offerman, Nick Robinson and Moises Arias.  This is one of the few films I've seen this year that I was upset when it was over and wished it had been longer.  I'm looking forward to watching it again just for all the scenes with Nick Offerman.  It's still in some select theaters, so I highly recommend checking it out soon.

4.5 (out of 5) Death Stars