In the beginning of the movie it introduces us to a very unusual setting. Destruction of Earth. 50 years ago an alien race called the Formic invaded Earth. The government ensured this would never happen again. To prepare, they’ve selected a number of children whose minds are sharp, and are suited for warfare. How do they know what every single child’s thinking? The military put monitors on the back of the child’s necks. First, I thought that was impossible, I mean there are thousands of people on this earth, what was the deal. The deal was parents were only aloud to have two kids. If they have a third kid, the kid is usually referred to as a “third” and is treated pretty bad by other peers. Ender was a third. He’s had his monitor on for a pretty long time, which made his brother, Peter angry. The longer you have a monitor on, the better chances you will get picked by the military. But while Ender was in school, they’ve taken him to the nurse, and the doctors remove his monitor. Disappointed, Ender walks out to find a bunch of boys ready to demolish him. Ender won the battle, but he felt like a killer inside, and he hated that feeling. Later on that night, the military force commanders, Major Anderson and Colonial Graff came to Enders house to take him to battle school. They must have seen something in Ender that could be useful. Battle school is wear the kids grow up to be victorious soldiers, and prepare for the third invasion of the Formics. Ender says yes to the opportunity and heads off the Battle School. I was kind of disappointed because practically the first 10 minutes of the movie, was already the first 150 pages in the book. The beginning of the book had way more description and details than the beginning of this movie.

Ender enters the battle ship with about 8 other kids. Graff decides to isolate Ender from the rest of the group by making him seem like a “teachers pet.” While the other kids thought Ender was showing off, he always had one true friend. In the book it tells a completely different story, the isolation and eccentric vibes between Ender and his friends are more complicated than in the book. It was hard to tell who was Enders friends, and who wasn’t. While at battle school they have to battle against other teams. Ender and his crew were one team. While battling his crew agilely noticed Enders game tactics and they all thought he was a genus. Sadly, Graff moves Ender to a different army named Salamander Army. Things didn’t go so well during Salamander army. The commander of Salamander Army was Bonzo is he very controlling and demanding. Ender was smarter than Bonzo, and Bonzo didn’t like this. Soon enough Bonzo fought Ender. In the book the setting of this fight was the exact same as the movie. I pictured a bathroom with Ender bathing, and Bonzo and his crew tormenting him. Long story short, Ender knocks Bonzo out of his misery, and that killer feeling comes back to Ender. What the movie does not tell is that after the fight, the military told Ender that they were going to send him home, the real story that was told in the book, was that Ender actually killed him. I’m guessing the military didn’t want to scare Ender with this atrocious incident.

While Ender stays in battle school learning a bunch of warfare skills, and playing tactic games, Colonial Graff decided to make a new army. This new army is called Dragon army, and it includes Enders first group of launchies that he played with in the first game. With Enders tremendous intelligent and incredible tactic skills Dragon Army has never lost one battle.

The military was stepping up Dragon Armies game. They transferred them to a new area in space. Right now Dragon army is thinking if they win this last game, the military will graduate all of them and they would be fully prepared for the next Formics attack. They were very, very wrong. With courage, skills, and Enders commands, Dragon army beat their last game. Soon enough the military is delighted at this outcome and Colonial Graff and Major Anderson tell Dragon Army that the game they just played was no longer a game, it was for real, that was the third invasion of the Formics. Outrageous with anger, Ender goes up to his room. Now, in the book it says Ender went straight to sleep, and everyone outside goes crazy. In the movie Ender realizes that the Formics aren’t as bad as everyone thought they are, and he goes outside to look if there are any remaining Formic species left. In conclusion, Ender realizes that all the Formics wanted to do was communicate with the humans, and have peace. Ender finds a queen Formic still in her egg and takes the cocoon. Ender is now determined to find a new home for the new species, and make his wrongdoing right. The ending in the book wasn’t open ending, which was shocking and suspenseful. I think the movie had a better ending because I could see a clearer picture of what was happening.

I personally liked the movie better, just because it was clear picturing, great acting, and got to the point really fast. The book was very well described and well detailed, but it will get a little boring, and seem super long at times. Based on my Enders game review I really hope you take the time to read the book and watch the movie, because if you just do one of them, you’ll never know what information the author or director wanted share or hide from you.