"Ender's Game" film

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I'll eventually give it a try. In the meantime, I'm getting close to getting the audiobook of Ender's Game. I'm finally #2 on the waiting list at a small library system that only has two copies. It pays to be on multiple waiting lists; and frequently, it's the smaller libraries that deliver first.

Update: it's here. Timing is a bit off, because I won't be able to listen to it until next week.

[kennyc]

I'm still #6 on the list for Madd Addam...

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by kennyc

I'm still #6 on the list for Madd Addam...

This time, I only put my name on three lists. The wait times started to get really long, so it was pointless to go any further. When I un-waited myself at the other two libraries, I was #37 with 15 copies at one and #32 with 2 copies at the other.

Thank heavens for smaller library systems

[stevenaleach]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Dumbed down? You can't get much more violent than committing genocide, and that certainly wasn't dumbed down.

I think a lot was lost in translation. Many elements from the book appeared in the movie - but seemed out of context, and undeveloped as ideas. I was rather disappointed, since there were so many bits which the movie included but never built up to or explained - they just occur out of nowhere (consider, for example, "the enemy's gate is down" which in the movie is shoved in with a single spoken line - with no experience or discussion having developed and lead to the idea.)

Of course this is almost always the case with a film translation - they have to be cliff notes of the story, sketches that leave most of the book out and include only the major events. In this case, however, I think too much was lost to call it the same story - or at least viewers who haven't read the book aren't watching the same story as those who have.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by stevenaleach

Of course this is almost always the case with a film translation - they have to be cliff notes of the story, sketches that leave most of the book out and include only the major events.

That's one approach, and it's possible to do it well or do it badly, but there is also the approach, which I believe Peter Jackson used for LOTR, which is to take an aspect or event sequence from the source, and tell a detailed, cinematic, story about just those elements. Maybe it amounts to the same thing, but one way feels like Cliff's Notes, and the other way feels like the filmmaker made his own story from the book, and the other less fleshed out elements that may be included but merely glossed over feel like mere detail 'homages' to the source, rather than shortcomings of the film.

[tubemonkey]

Finally downloaded Ender's Game to my Sansa Clip Zip and iPod touch 4. Will listen next week.

For those unfamiliar with WMA audiobooks from OverDrive, listening options are limited. Android devices are not allowed at all, whereas MP3 players are. As for Apple devices, they need permission from the publishers for the transfer (which they generally have).

The one disadvantage for Apple devices is the conversion process; it's quite lengthy. It took less than two minutes to download to my Clip Zip, but over 52 minutes to my iPt4. Even so, a touch in a speaker dock is far more convenient for home listening than hooking up my Zip to speakers and a power source.

[Rizla]

On reflection, I found the film pretty dull compared to the book. The battle scenes were central to the concept of the book and they were shortened in the movie.

[hidari]

Originally Posted by HarryT

You really should read the book - it's an SF classic.

I would have to kindly disagree. I just finished the book on Audible and found it good but not a classic. The monologues by OSC do help explain the story more. The ending was not that surprising, too many....... I will stop there. I do hope the film is good.... but for a book....I prefer Dune.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by hidari

.... but for a book....I prefer Dune.

Most wholeheartedly agree

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Most wholeheartedly agree

Good, because otherwise it's the Gom Jabbar for you!