This may end up being one of those Me, Too posts.

Ender's Game is also one of my favorite SF novels. I am strongly tempted to see the movie, but decided to wait and here how others react to it first. It could easily go so wrong.

I liked the Hunger Games book trilogy. I also liked the first movie. In fact it was actually better than I had expected. We have movie #2 coming there, too.

I very much enjoyed LotR as a movie and for the most part agreed with the changes made. I'm not as convinced by The Hobbit movie, at least not so far. It works visually for me. In fact I am consumed with longing for Bilbo's pantry; I want it for my own. The song is haunting and lovely, much better than I had expected. As for the other changes, I'm not so happy with them. Radagast is my strongest disappointment. He seems to cartoonish to be part of the Tolkien universe. I regret that. I was looking forward to 'meeting' him. The goblins seemed a bit overdone, too, a burlesque of the original. Restraint is not Jackson's strong point. On the other hand, the cast seems to be doing a good job. I will withhold final judgment until I've seen more.

Rosefolly

I am also undecided about seeing Ender's Game as I really liked the book and I don't want my mental images ruined by the screen ones. I think that I will wait to hear what others have to say about it before I decide whether to see it or not.

Rosefolly, I agree with you about Radagast being too cartoonish, I had not gotten that impression from the brief encounters we had with him in LoTR. I, too, loved the music from The Hobbit, it stayed in my head for days after I saw the movie. I do intend to see the next Hobbit movie, even if I do jump out of my seat a few times...sigh. LOL

I absolutely loved the "Hunger Games" and also thought the film version was well directed, well cast. I am eager to see the 2nd film. Is it out yet?

Nov 22, Mary.
We watched the first one again last night so are ready to go!

I meant to add on that the reviews I have read on Ender's Game are mixed. I will probably skip it, and go to the Hunger Games instead when the opening furor has died down.
The reviews I read also stated that the boxoffice numbers have been good but not stunning, noting that there has been a general boycott by some of the gay community and others because Orson Scott Card is outspokenly homophobic. I knew he was very religious but knew nothing about this.

Anyway, apparently he is not making any money from the movie due to some contract thing years ago, but is still making money from the book. The article I was reading said that if you really want to hurt him in the pocketbook for his views, then boycott the book.

Which brings up an interesting question. Would you boycott a book because you disagreed with the author's personal beliefs?

I disagree completely with OSC's beliefs on gay marriage but Ender's Game is one of my favorite books. Several others of his novels are high on my list as well. I might avoid books in which he espoused those beliefs, but the particular books I like do not address sexuality.

By the way, I did see the movie. I had a mixed reaction. The child actors were very good; Harrison Ford was in my opinion miscast; the Battle Room scenes were tremendous; the plot followed the book pretty well, but in the end, the movie lacked the emotional intensity of the book. Not the movie makers' fault, I do think. The medium simply did not work. However I will fault them for a weak and abrupt ending. Ender in the closing scenes of the novel is a powerful moral figure, almost a prophet. In the movie he is a petulant adolescent scolding The Establishment for failing to live up to his expectations. He reminded me of the average teenage boy of my early years.

Rosefolly

I disagree completely with OSC's beliefs on gay marriage but Ender's Game is one of my favorite books. Several others of his novels are high on my list as well. I might avoid books in which he espoused those beliefs, but the particular books I like do not address sexuality.

By the way, I did see the movie. I had a mixed reaction. The child actors were very good; Harrison Ford was in my opinion miscast; the Battle Room scenes were tremendous; the plot followed the book pretty well, but in the end, the movie lacked the emotional intensity of the book. Not the movie makers' fault, I do think. The medium simply did not work. However I will fault them for a weak and abrupt ending. Ender in the closing scenes of the novel is a powerful moral figure, almost a prophet. In the movie he is a petulant adolescent scolding The Establishment for failing to live up to his expectations. He reminded me of the average teenage boy of my early years.

Rosefolly

My apologies. 'Edit post' does not seem to be working for me at all, while accidental double posting is working all too well.

I, for one, would never boycott a book or film because I don't agree with the idealogy of the author or director.

I agree Mary. It begins to have a whiff of censorship.

And then in order avoid being a hypocrite, you (and I am speaking generally here) would be required to research every author of every book you read to determine if they fit into your value system. It would be one way to weed out your book shelves as I imagine about 3/4 of your books would have to be tossed.... :)

Jumping in with both feet here (ha, it's been a while!)

I will likely avoid the movie. I have a vision in my head about how the movie should look and I don't think our special effects and character castings can do it justice. I keep seeing it listed on the movie board and it's just not grabbing my attention. (My girls are finally old enough to enjoy movie visits - but alas the youngers are too young for Ender - and only my oldest has read it so far.)

Simply, it's just not grabbing my attention.

The boycott of Ender's Game does raise the issue of how to reconcile your response to a work of art to an artist's behavior. Card's opinions, however, are hardly a secret. He has not just been a recent opponent of same-sex marriage. He has been publicly expressing views against gay people for years. If there is any censorship against Card it must be coming from the movie studio, since his views are clearly going to hit them in their pocketbook. I know of some younger readers who found Ender's Game to be a book with Fascist overtones. Card, however, seems to take any dissent to his views as religious persecution, which to me is like having your cake and eating it too. Even if I was interested in SF, he seems like such a paranoid, neurotic person, I think I would rather just skip his books.

It reminds me a bit of all those German opera singers who joined the Nazi party before WWII. After the war, most of the great opera houses would not hire them. Just because someone is an artist doesn't mean that they are absolved from the facing the consequences of their behavior or politics.

Politics aside (and lucky for me I can do that in this case), I have greatly enjoyed the three Ender books I have read. While this movie received lukewarm reviews, I knew I had to see it as I enjoyed the book so much.

It has been greatly pared down to less than 2 hours, and I think it loses something because of this. This is a given. Yet, I really enjoyed the movie. One of the criticisms I saw was that it was humorless. If you have read the book, you will realize that there was not any humor, as the world was under attack from an alien race. This was not a cutsie Spielberg film with warm and fuzzy aliens. It is a serious story, well-thought out, with possibly very serious consequences. Given the time limitations of the movie, I believe it was very well done and I enjoyed it alot. Just one thing--I did not think Harrison Ford was a good choice for his role. I am not sure why but he was not very convincing to me.

Um ... The reason I won't be seeing the film is because I didn't like the book. Shall I duck now?

Only if you enjoy ducking... *grin.

Would be a very boring world if we all liked and disliked the same thing, Plus our discussions here would not be so entertaining and informative.

I'm impressed that you stuck with it and read it. I'm tossing anything that I can't get into after a good try. I am too old and life is much shorter than it used to be.

*smile - I hear you, Janalyn. I have reached that "toss it" stage also - but I didn't dislike Ender's Game THAT much. Actually, I suppose it would be more accurate to say I just wasn't interested in it. Plus, I had the motivation of our community One Read program, for which Ender's Game was our selection a few years ago.