Child’s play: Teen warriors in ‘Ender’s Game’ and ‘Catching Fire’

Two consecutive weeks, two VIP movie theaters, two teen-driven futuristic action flicks. It could simply be my cinematic cravings that led me to watch similarly-themed films within a fortnight, but the Hollywood blockbuster machine is nothing but mimetic. Once a winning formula is established, studios rush to produce their own versions; since the groundbreaking success of the Harry Potter book-to-film franchise, Hollywood has been mining Young Adult Literature and Young Adult-driven genre fiction in search of their latest hit.

When the filming rights to Orson Scott Card's critically acclaimed novel “Ender's Game” were secured, the possibility of creating a new film franchise was bandied about. And for good reason; it bore the marks of a successful film adaptation:

Cult following, check.

School setting, check.

Young hero saves the world, check.

Prominent character actors cast in mentor roles, check.

Potential for visual spectacle, check.

The novel also provokes thoughtful commentary on the care and feeding of baby!Ubermensch, geopolitics in the space age, the influence of Internet forums on popular opinion, and the supremacy of the human race over other sentient alien life forms. But in the interest of plot expediency, production efficiency, and box office bankability, these interesting bits were watered down or cut out entirely. Such are the wages of transmedia adaptation.

Perhaps this is why, to an extent, Ender's Game feels like it's running on auto-pilot; though it hits all the expectations for a coming-of-age sci-fi flick: The 3D animated Mind Game was well-rendered and the zero-gravity Battle Room sequences are breathtaking. Asa Butterfield turns in a creditable performance as our young hero, holding his own in scenes with veteran actors Harrison Ford (dishing his version of gruff love mentorship) and Ben Kingsley (in another quirky, accented wild card role, post-Iron Man 3). But the movie's abbreviations of narrative and character development, while understandable and even expected, diminish the brilliance of the original story.

Aging up Ender from primary school genius to a somewhat angsty teenager lends an unintentional YA romance vibe to his relationship with Petra, which was strictly platonic in the book. His internal struggle to garner adult approval through academic performance while trying to form friendships with his peers directly affects the leadership choices he makes when he takes command. Simplifying the story lessens the emotional impact of his penultimate act and how he deals with its repercussions.

While it makes for a perfectly fine sci-fi movie, Ender's Game would probably have been better fleshed out as a miniseries, the sort one 'thons over the weekend, curled up on an easy chair and munching on snacks. At least the screening I caught got this part right--I watched Ender's Game at the Director's Club of the newly opened SM BF Paranaque, with its lazyboy seats and buzz-a-butler service for food and drinks.

Now, I'm a frugal moviegoer and the novelty of cushy seating isn't going to make me shell out extra bucks to watch a film, unless it's the sort I will eventually re-watch and fangirl about on social media; the first time I tried lazyboy seats was for my second viewing of the live-action version of “Rurouni Kenshin.” VIP theaters like the Director's Club are just the thing for event cinema, or movies you can't miss a minute of, like action-packed thrillers or sci-fi and fantasy epics. I can't imagine watching a serious drama or an arthouse flick in such an environment—it would probably lull me right to sleep.

So when I found myself with time to kill in Bangkok, just the week before, I was drawn to CentralWorld's SF World Happiness Cinema, which embraces the concept of a home theater experience seriously, with beanbag, lazyboy, and daybed seating for groups of various sizes. No fancy butler service, but it did offer complimentary popcorn and drinks. The theater was screening “Catching Fire,” which, as one of the year's most anticipated releases, definitely counts as event cinema. Like “Ender's Game,” it was an enjoyable ride, but it is ultimately the more successful film.

Titular similarities notwithstanding, it hardly seems fair to compare “Ender's Game” and the Hunger Games trilogy. As novels, they are firmly entrenched in different genres, military sci-fi and YA dystopia, respectively. “Ender's Game” is the clear frontrunner in terms of critical acclaim, its nuanced writing winning the Nebula and Hugo awards. In contrast, “The Hunger Games” has straightforward plot and merely serviceable writing; it does, however, effectively capture contemporary cultural milieu, and takes current fascination with reality TV and fauxmances to disturbing lows.

Ender and Katniss Everdeen of the Hunger Games trilogy are on opposite ends of the young hero spectrum. Ender is to the battle-born, a child reared with army command in mind; the street smart Katniss begins her Tribute career as a volunteer, replacing her sister in the lottery. Ender is driven primarily by logic, though his empathy is a finely honed instrument of war; Katniss's emotions give her the fortitude to win the Hunger Games, her emotional meltdowns clearing her mind for logical thinking. Ender is deliberately isolated to learn leadership, he is without peer; whatever leadership Katniss takes on is informed by her interactions with fellow Tributes. Ender's burden is the protection of humanity against alien invaders, his victory appropriated by the ruling establishment; Katniss's only goal is her personal survival (or that of Peeta, her partner Tribute), her victory a symbol of rebellion.  

In “Catching Fire,” the rallying cry is "Remember who the real enemy is." Once she is reminded of this, Katniss is able to subvert the system. Ender subverts the game as an intellectual exercise, but is unaware of who he's really fighting.

As film adaptations, “Ender's Game” and “Catching Fire” target the same audience: the tween/teen crowd that relates to young protagonists. The advantage of the Hunger Games is that its fan base is still young, growing up with the franchise and giving it box office longevity; Ender's Game's original readers have since grown up, and its new fans probably look for a little more intellectual heft in their reading than is usually found in YA dystopia. “Catching Fire”'s shortcomings as a novel are glossed over in film format, since it allows viewers to experience the story in the third person.

It helps immensely that Katniss Everdeen is played by Jennifer Lawrence, whose expressive face can convey Katniss's internal struggle sans the grating first-person POV. One of the most talented young actresses working in Hollywood today, Lawrence's successful headlining of the Hunger Games franchise cements her status as a bankable star, and allows movie studios to dream of launching new YA franchises, such as Veronica Roth's Divergent series.

Whether we like it or not, young Hollywood heroes are here to stay. — VC, GMA News