Ender's Game

ACTION, ADVENTURE

Theoretical Warfare

7.75 out of 10 | Movie or DVD

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Rated: PG-13  Thematic material, some violence and sci-fi action
Release Date: November 1, 2013
Runtime: 1 hour 54 minutes

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Director: Gavin Hood
Writers: Gavin Hood, based on the novel by Orson Scott Card
Cast: Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, Aramis Knight, Moises Arias

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SYNOPSIS: The International Military seek out a leader who can save the human race from an alien attack. Ender Wiggin, a brilliant young mind, is recruited and trained to lead his fellow soldiers into a battle that will determine the future of Earth.

REVIEW: Gavin Hood, director of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, returns to the big screen after a short stint working for the small screen. Adapting the work of Orson Scott Card, Hood brings Ender Wiggins to screen at the perfect time.

50 years after an alien invasion by the Formic, Earth's military dedicates itself to enhancing its strategic preparedness to combat future extra-terrestrial threats. The International Military focuses on recruiting brilliant young boys and girls to train in the arts of war. Third child Ender Wiggins (Asa Butterfield, Hugo) follows in the footsteps of his older sister Valentine (Abigail Breslin, The Call) and his older brother Peter (Jimmy Pinchak, Let Me In). Competing to get into Battle School, Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford, 42) takes interest in Ender and pushes the young boy as far past his limits as he can. When Ender excels at all his schoolwork and tactical training, Graff promotes Ender to the orbiting space station for Battle School. Disliked, mistrusted or envied by the other 'Launchees', Ender must do everything he can to win over his fellow cadets. Rising up the ranks, Ender eventually finds himself face-to-face with endless simulation battles between the International Military and the planetary defenses of the Formic homeworld. Will Ender and his misfit squadron beat the Formic in a final simulation in order to graduate? And will they eventually be ready to face the true threat?

Based on the worldwide sci-fi bestseller novel 'Ender's Game' by Orson Scott Card, this adaptation remains as faithful as possible to the original story. Reading the novel as an adult, I have a greater appreciation for the story Card was telling. Not just a story of kids battling each other for supremacy in a academic school system – a la the Harry Potter franchise. Sure, the fate of the world between wizards and Muggles was threatened by Voldemort, but Ender's included the added components of having to save an entire planet from annihilation.

A sci-fi classic by Orson Scott card, 'Ender's Game' is the most accessible of the Enders stories for reading. As a series goes on, it gets more philosophical and deep. Cards later works, including 'Speaker for the Dead', 'Xenocide', and 'Children of the Mind', start to rival Frank Herbert's 'Dune' in terms of religion, philosophy, and exploration of xenomorphic entities. At the center of all the stories in the series, Ender struggles with is own nature, the solitary life he is forced to lead, and the choices he must make.

Ender's Game boasts a fine cast including Harrison Ford as Graff, Viola Davis (The Help) as Major Gwen Anderson, and Ben Kingsley (Iron Man 3) as Mazor Rackham. On the younger side Abigail Breslin plays Valentine, Moises Arias (The Kings of Summer) plays Bonzo Madrid, and Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) plays Petra. But the jewel of the crown in casting is that of Ender, played by Asa Butterfield. He is not the normal the muscular and chiseled adolescent protagonist. His portrayal is wide-eyed with innocence, all the while struggling with his dual nature of violence and empathy.

On the strategic and tactical side Ender's Game uses wonderful CGI and wire work to bring to life scenes most integral to the story. From the zero gravity Arena at Battle School, to the mountain lake and skiff on Earth, to the captured forward Formic outpost that the International Military uses as a base of operations to plan assaults on the Formic homeworld. Ender's Game is a mirror of the book. The final simulated battle between the International Military and the Formic armada is rendered in beautiful detail with military precision. It is a sight to be seen, especially in IMAX.

Fans of Orson Scott Card's original and revised work should be thrilled at the adaptation to the silver screen. Now is the time when movie magic FX can tell this tale in grand style. For those who have not read the book, they will find enjoyment in every surprising twist or turn. Ender's Game is a superb sci-fi daylight, grounded in the mind of a young man on the precipice of greatness.

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The Kings of Summer

DRAMA/COMEDY

Rites of Passage

9.0 out of 10 | DVD or RENTAL

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Rated: R Language and some teen drinking
Release Date: May 31, 2013 (limited)
Runtime: 1 hour 33 minutes

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Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Writers: Chris Galletta
Cast: Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Megan Mullally

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SYNOPSIS:  Three teenagers, in the ultimate act of independence, decide to spend their summer building a house in the woods and living off the land.

REVIEW: Jordan Vogt-Roberts, director of several season 2 Funny or Die Presents episodes, takes a film script from newcomer Chris Galletta that chronicles a summer where three boys strike out into the woods to become independent and to become men.

Joe Toy (Nick Robinson) is an adolescent teen who is sick of the way the relationship with his father Frank (Ken Offerman, 21 Jump Street) has deteriorated since the death of his mother. When his father tries to bring back family game Joe acts out against his father. One night after a beach keg party, Joe and a strange young man named Biaggio (Moises Arias) find themselves lost in the woods of Ohio. Joe comes to a clearing and instantly realizes that he wants to build a house there. Talking his best friend Patrick Keenan (Gabriel Basso) into joining him, Joe, Patrick, and Biaggio start construction on the house using scrap materials and ingenuity. When finished, the trio leave their parents houses without a word and move into their new structure to live off the land and to answer to no one. While Joe's dad and sister Heather (Alison Brie, The Five-Year Engagement) join Patrick's parents, Mrs Keenan (Megan Mullally) and Mr. Keenan (Marc Evan Jackson), at the police to try to find out the trio whereabouts, Joe and Patrick's lifelong friendship may not be able to hold when Joe takes a fancy to a girl named Kelly (Erin Moriarty). 

With wisps of Moonlight Kingdom, Lord of the Flies, and Stand by Me, The Kings of Summer (Previously known as Toy's House) Is a tale as much about the growing desires of independence as it is about the familial ties that bind. Laced with drama and plenty of humor, The Kings of Summer delights. Most of the adventures of these boys are as ridiculous as they are adventurous. Nick Robinson, Moishe Arias, and Gabriel Basso defy the typical teenager by leaving their video games, warm beds, and prepared meals behind In favor of the rustic outdoors, independence, and adventure. Moises Arias, playing Biaggio, is the comedic center for the trio of boys. This floppy-eared, slight build of a boy is happy to be a man among other those he considers friends. Although Joe and Patrick don't initially know what to make of Biaggio, the young androgynous boy makes up for it with his guile and enthusiasm. His ability to camouflage himself into nature is just one of the uproarious talents that the character has. Ken Offerman and Megan Mullally are equal funny in their respective child-rearing methods and subsequent pursuit to find their child.

Starting off with an opening scene Joe, Biaggio, and Patrick dancing and drumming on a rusting pipeline in the forest, The Kings of Summer represents the rites of passage from childhood to manhood. Sometimes manhood is earned and sometimes it is thrust upon you. In this case, Joe takes his manhood and independence by force, the house in the clearing in the woods his crowning achievement. He takes it as an opportunity to wrestle freedom away from his father's house and rules. The other's motivations are sometimes unclear - Patrick is there as Joe's best friend and support, while Biaggio is just looking for a place to belong. 

The Kings of Summer is wrought with adolescent conflict. From the separation of the son from under his father's rule, to the attraction of a school friend girl who seems to be unavailable, to dealing with an imagined betrayal by his best friend, the film has the heart, story, and visual appeal to keep the audience's interest.

Ohio was a wonderful choice as the backdrop for the film. A slice of small town suburban life with lush foliage, winding paths, and quaint houses - the sedate character of the story visually speaks louder than more widely used locations in Canada, out west, or even in the northeast. It allows the viewer to believe that this tale could actually happen to a trio of boys in this day and age. The Kings of Summer may no longer be a toy house, but it is a treasure chest of fine acting, a strong accessible story, and the perfect blend of drama and humor. It delights as a fine tale of growing up, anchored by a talented cast and passionate director.

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The Secret World of Arrietty

Anything But A Tiny Tale!

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Rated: G  For all audiences.
Release Date: February 17, 2012
Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins

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Director:  Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Gary Rydstrom

Writers: Hayao Miyazaki (screenplay), Mary Norton (the novel, "The Borrowers")
Cast:  Bridgit Mendler, Will Arnet, Amy Poehler, David Henrie, Moises Arias, Carol Burnett

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SYNOPSIS:  A family of 4-inch tall 'Borrowers' live secretly within the walls and under the floors of a human family's residence. When the daughter Arrietty is discovered by the young human being Sean, the lives of everyone living under the roof changes forever.

REVIEW: Involved in the creation of such animated adventures as Spirited Away and Ponyo, director Hiromasa Yonebayashi brings a little tale to life with a screenplay from Howl's Moving Castle's Hayao Miyazaki adapted from Mary Norton's book, "The Borrowers". Several television series have been created from Norton's book, including a 1973 film, a 1997 film, and a 1992 TV series of the same name, plus a 1993 TV series The Return of the Borrowers. Now, "The Borrowers" is brought back to the screen as The Secret World of Arrietty.

Arrietty Clock (Bridget Mendler, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel) stands only four inches in height, her entire world the house and property of the human residence she and her mother Homily (Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation) and father Pod (Will Arnet, Despicable Me) call home. They live in the walls and under the floorboards of the house, making their house a home with miniature furniture, homemade and found. They borrow only what they need to live, sugar cubes, tissue paper, cookies, crackers, and other necessities. When the young sickly human 'being' Shawn (David Henrie, Wizards of Waverly Place) comes to his Aunt Jessica's (Gracie Poletti) house to rest up for an operation, he discovers Arrietty while she and her father are in the act of 'borrowing' one night. Once a 'Borrower' is seen, it is tradition to move to a new residence before something bad befalls them. Anxious to protect and help Arrietty, Shawn has to deal with Jessica's superstitious housekeeper Haru (Carol Burnett, Horton Hears a Who!) who looks to expose the tiny borrowers for the thieves they are.

In the same style as other recent Japanese children's animated films, The Secret World of Arrietty is beautifully painted and animated. Attention is paid to the smallest details, from the upside down ceramic flower pot used as a hearth to a lithium battery used to light a small light bulb for Pod to use during his nightly 'borrowing' excursions. Director Yonebayashi executes each frame of the film with precision and a scale grander than most non-CGI cartoons these days. The way that Arrietty views the world is captured with grandeur and a sense of innocent wonder.

With wonder comes danger, especially when you are only four inches in height. Arrietty and her family face danger each time they set foot outside their humble abode. From rats to the family cat, from gutting winds to a ravenous crow, from the continued security of a secret life to a housekeeper interested in exposing the Borrowers to humankind, every step a Borrower makes could be filled with peril. Pod uses his experience and extensive network of mechanisms to navigate the treacherous pitfalls of the human house. Arrietty uses her youth, agility and eagerness to keep up with her father. Arrietty's mother Homily stays behind worrying enough for all three of them.

The Secret World of Arrietty is a children's film focused on the delight of children. When Arrietty climbs up to the top of a human dresser and drops something off the edge, the kids in the audience gasp. When Arrietty is confronted by an oversized bug and must dispatch it with her sewing pin, scattered eewwws can be heard. Arietty's panicked mother gets outright laughs. Ladybugs illicit ooohs and aaahs. Parents and grownups will be amused and delighted right along with the kids, partially in response to the kids' reactions to the film, partially in response to their own reaction.

The Secret World of Arrietty is a gentle, delightful adventure for kids. At its heart is a young girl looking for and trusting in contact outside her own family, hoping beyond hope that she and her family are not the last of their kind. Optimistic and fun, with a grand sense of adventure, Arrietty's world is one secret that should be shared.

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WORTH: Matinee or DVD