Review Detail

A fantastic Extended Edition of an underrated film. 95% of the negative reviews of the movie I've read are from disgruntled fans of the book. While I can sympathize with feeling something is a poor adaptation of a thing you loved (DCEU, I'm looking at you), it doesn't mean this is a bad movie in its own right. I always wait to read the book until after the film (if I haven't already read it) so that I can enjoy both...and enjoy this I did! I won't waste more time talking about the film here though. (If you're interested, here's my review: https://letterboxd.com/nottheacademy/film/enders-game/)

As far as this edit, it's everything you could want. The extended scenes are all GOOD. They're mostly nothing big, just adding a bit more depth to the character's thoughts and feelings, but with a cast this good they're a pleasure to watch. There's no drop in quality, and all the audio and video are connected seamlessly. My one complaint is that a deleted scene was trimmed here, supposedly due to unfinished effects. I've seen it elsewhere though and I thought it was fine, maybe just needed a filter or bit of cropping. It helps explain where Ender is when his sister comes to talk to him, and why he's dressed like that. But it's honestly a minor quibble.

Overall, this film is a great watch for anyone looking for a very solid sci-fi movie. It's several cuts above other YA franchises like Hunger Games, Twilight, Percy Jackson, etc. That they all got sequels while this one didn't is a tragedy. Thanks for the great edit, at least!