Enders Game - anyone taken their DC to see this film?

[hulahoopsilove]

Would it be suitable for a 9 yr old?

It's not released here yet, but it's a PG so in principle yes.

Having read the book way back and the more recent one the film allegedly integrates (Enders Shadow) I would have guessed at a higher rating, but perhaps they've downplayed a few of the darker dystopian elements.

I'm just back from taking my DS's (11 and 12). They enjoyed it, and I would say it's pitched at their age and above. Its a 12A, which seems about right.

We didn't take my 8 year old DD, but she wouldn't have enjoyed it, and certainly wouldn't have understood the finer points. But she is a young 8, and still more into cartoons/disney type films.

But if your 9 year old is fairly mature for their age, into sci-fi, and enjoyed films such as Star Trek Into Darkness, then I would say they would like Enders Game.

Hi I have a 6 & 9 year old do you think Ender's Game would be suitable, can't decide if it is too scary? Help? Reviews have been a bit sketchey. thanks all

I definitely wouldn't take a 6 year old, I don't think they would follow the story, and it could be a bit scary in parts.

"Its a 12A, which seems about right"

Mea culpa, I'd looked a while back and it was the trailer that was rated PG not the film itself.

Having read the book, I would take my 13.5 y old and my 11.5 y old to see it, but not my 9 y olds.

My ds is nearly 9 into star wars, iron man he heard it sells itself as a cross.between star wars meets something or other

I took two Y6 girls (10yo DD and her very best friend): They emerged without any emotional damage and were pleased that it wasn't wall-to-wall action-movie fighting stuff.

It's not quite the book and some elements of that whizzed past quickly, but I doubt you could do better for a film: I cynically expected the worse, but thought it was very good.

Star Wars??

A cross between Starship Troopers and The Hunger Games, perhaps.

I remember it as being about child soldiers, trained to kill other children. Am I thinking of the wrong book?

Sorry, had remembered wrongly. DS1 (who has read it much more recently than me) says that they are trained to kill aliens and only kill other children by accident.

Definitely not Star Wars. More depth than Hunger Games.

Before we went I briefly explained that although it's Sci-Fi, the story was mostly about morality, emotional and psychological trauma and then had to explain what that all meant. Doing so was surprisingly easy, however they've witnessed some fledgling psychological sorricide at school over the last couple of years and a like lot of children of their age, can get quite serious about assorted rights and wrongs in life.

It's less intense, but the film was still that which was pleasing. I'm used to this pair of Y6 girls giggling about the most hilarious scene or the cutest [whatever] after a film, but the questions and conversations were relatively sober and much more interesting this time. But girls are generally ahead on the social maturity, so I'm now wondering how it goes down with boys of a similar age.

I have read the book and really want to see the film.

I am not sure that a 9 year old would get the book, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't enjoy the film.

Child soldiers trained to kill aliens. Because they can think outside the box, or because they are geniuses, or some other backstory that is necessary in order for the story to happen. The training includes laser-quest style battles against other children. No killing of other humans is recommended or encouraged.

"No killing of other humans is recommended or encouraged"

A good rule for life generally.

:o

I think that makes it less scary than the Hunger Games, where killing of other humans is required :)

My 9yo is desperate to see this, I think it will be OK.

I read the book years ago and it's very good, but I would think probably too scary for a 9 year old. But then book to movie often changes a great deal, particularly when they're chasing the youth audience. They may have tamed down some of the scariness.

I didn't let my son (now 8, 7 at the time) see the Hunger Games either, despite his moaning that other kids at school were getting to see it. I didn't want to deal with the inevitable nightmares. I swear, some kids must have nerves of steel, with the age-inappropriate movies their parents take them to.

On another note, LGBT groups are boycotting the movie Ender's Game because of the many startlingly offensive and homophobic things Orson Scott Card (author of the book) has said and done over the years. My (gay) BIL actually emailed me asking DH and me not to go or to take the kids, and we promised not to. Not saying you have to boycott too, just putting the information out there.