Ender’s Game had impossibly high expectations to meet when it was released in 2013. An adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s classic 1985 sci-fi novel, it was unable to reach the same heights as the original work. However, that isn’t to say the star-studded film isn’t without merit, and now a decade removed from its release, it is well worth giving another shot with an open mind with the release of the Ender’s Game 4K SteelBook.
The first thing that stands out about Ender’s Game is the incredible cast. While veterans Harrison Ford, Viola Davis, and Ben Kingsley all give spirited performances (with Ford as a stern military colonel being a particular highlight), the casting of the children has really aged well. Star Asa Butterfield had previously impressed in Hugo but has further cemented himself as the star of Netflix’s Sex Education, while Hailee Steinfeld has become a franchise staple with great performances in Bumblebee, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and Hawkeye. The film’s star power has only increased in retrospect, and it’s fascinating to see how talented they were from such an early age.
The film starts off with pretty standard sci-fi fare — a hostile alien race has appeared, and Earth is training its children to become commanders as the military looks to launch a counterattack and end the war once and for all. Butterfield stars as Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, a particularly gifted child who is often ostracized for academic success. While a lot of the film is spent viewing the children’s training, including some well-shot zero-gravity battle games, the final act features a surprising twist and a lot more thematic depth than you’d initially expect from a film clearly targeting young adults.
The 4K scan of the 2013 film looks great, especially on an OLED screen. While it’s not as visually stunning as Tron, there are plenty of explosions and neon colors that pop off the screen and look great. The black levels have also been fixed from the previous release, so it looks better than ever before. In particular, the space battles really shine with solid CGI and are a lot of fun to see play out. Fans of the novel won’t get to see every plotline occur on-screen, but they will be treated to some great spectacle and recreations of most of the key moments.
Sadly, all of the special features, including the two audio commentary tracks (one with director Gavin Hood and another with producers Gigi Pritzker and Roberto Orci), are only on the Blu-ray disc. With six deleted or extended scenes and an extensive 49-minute making-of feature, there is a lot of value and insight to gain. It shows how much respect and thought went into the adaptation, and both commentaries are worth giving a listen to.
As for the SteelBook itself, it features the protagonist on the front and some beautiful art on the back. The slipcover is fun as well, as it features a suit that you put on Ender, thus completing the cover art. It looks a lot better than the initial 4K release’s cover, so it’s a positive all-around.
Ender’s Game 4K SteelBook Review: The Final Verdict
The Best Buy exclusive Ender’s Game 4K SteelBook release is the definitive version of the film to purchase. With fixed black levels, meaningful special features, visuals that still impress, and a plot that deals with the messy nuances of humanity, this is a great package for fans of the film or the original novel. The movie has aged quite well a decade later, with its cast even more impressive in retrospect, and it remains a thought-provoking work for sci-fi fans regardless of age.
Disclosure: ComingSoon was sent a copy by the publisher for our Ender’s Game 4K SteelBook review.
