Below you will find a comprehensive list of movie reviews separated by country.
United States
Larry Schrof, Facebook employee (English) – An employee of Facebook that got to see the film early posted a mostly spoiler-free review of the film, called it a reward for long-time fans of the book.
The Hollywood Reporter (English) –
Todd Gilchrist of The Wrap (English) – Complex Sci-Fi Adventure That Appeals to Children’s Inner Adults
Cine-vue.com
Germany
Largest National Newspapers/Magazines:
- FAZ: “Butterfield [impresses] with his simultaneously anxiously restrained and constrictively present portrayal.” “[Ford], with a rumpled, faded, creaking kind of dignity … is absolutely worth watching.” (Check out my translation of this beautifully written review here: FAZ EG Review)
- Bild: “:) – Science fiction with psychological tricks instead of laser fireworks. Just right for young people who dream of space.”
- Welt: “A clumsy, reactionary glorification of child soldiers.” (Note: check the comments section for many intelligent critical comments)
- Stern: “[O]ne of the most thrilling hero movies Hollywood has turned out in recent years. [A] difficult balancing act between criticizing military ideology and exploiting the fun factor, … a first class action spectacle, but the glorification of the military spirit … can cause slight discomfort.”
- Sueddeutsche Zeitung: “The end is a curious mix of the clear division of guilt and innocence on the one hand, and the morality of remote controlled war on the other.”
- Handelsblatt: “The movie very much deserves to become a great box office hit, hopefully without also becoming an advertising tool for the military.”
Other (Selection):
- Koelner Stadtanzeiger: “Ender’s Game is never just spectacle, but often enough a subtle coming-of-age story … a thriller that matches the intelligence of its protagonist.”
- Berliner Zeitung: “This is a movie for teenagers. Everyone above 14 will probably wonder what to do with the irony-free pathos – imminent destruction, heroes!, ‘you alone” – of this movie.”
- Mittelbayrische: “Gavin Hood … tries to give the movie a humanist touch. The adults’ almost fascistic strive for destruction is strongly critcized, [but] another fascistic ideal is carried through to the end without question: the leader (“Führer”) cult.”
- Stuttgarter Nachrichten: “The question remains why the world needs to be saved by teenagers when there are so many supposed heroes walking around. One thing is is clear, though: what young Ender and his friends are forced to go through is anything but a game.”
- WDR: “There’s not much left of Card’s novel and its subtle characterisations …. Superficial SciFi for teenagers.”
- Moviegeek: “Good actors, an interesting if little detailed story around such topics as child soldiers, militarisation and genocide. The pacing is pretty off … but as far as Hollywood versions go, it’s quite decent.” (7/10)
- Kritiken.de: “… hart to take seriously. The softened adaptatation … might not just alienate newbies, but also die-hard fans.” (2/5)
- MovieGod: “A movie for book fans. Those who know the thoughts and motivations of the characters can lean back and enjoy a solidly acted ‘Best-Of’. Those who don’t will probably remain unimpressed.”
- Moviemaze: “Wasted potential. It could have used a little more bite and more offensive criticism of the military and its doctrines.” (5.5/10)
- Filmdienst: “A nightmarish SciFi dystopia …. But its critique of militarism is undermined by the glorifying music and the fact that the children seem to survive the merciless drill unscathed.”
- Movie Infos: “There’s room for improvement. The ending packs a punch …. Pity, because at that point the movie could have benefitted from a little more running time.” (6/10)
- Filmjunkies: “A much more interesting movie than expected. Ultimately it’s sad that the movie isn’t more stringently constructed since several times it narrowly misses the mark of being truly awesome.” (3.5/5)
- Moviejones:”Ender’s Game sticks to the novel in some respects, but completely ignores it in others. … a movie made for the mass market and without ambition.” (2/5)
- GameStar:”If you don’t expect too much, you’ll be thoroughly entertained. But the movie is not a milestone of SciFi cinema.”
- Gamona: “Complex science fiction war movie that, instead of taking the easy way out when it comes to character development, actually lives up to the book.” (8/10)
- Filmstarts.de:”A gripping adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s complex miltiary scifi classic – even though the movie seems somewhat rushed and could have used an extra 30 minutes towards the middle.” (3.5/5)
United Kingdom
| Site | Grade | Language | Brief Description |
| Mirror | 4/5 | English | “Ender’s Game has an all-star cast and stunning effects but Asa Butterfield steals the show.” |
| Site | Grade | Language | Brief Description |