Blu-ray

After barely surviving an invasion by insect-like aliens called the Formic 50 years ago, Earth's military leaders have taken the idea that 'the children are our future' to their hearts. Realising that young minds are the most malleable and adaptable, the military now recruits and trains young children to fight and command the space armada that is massing for the inevitable rematch with the Formic forces.

Regardless of the literary franchise it gave birth to, it's easy to see why Orson Scott Card's award-winning novel has been trapped in development hell for the best part of three decades. For all of its 'young adult' sci-fi trappings, this is a ultimately a tale of child soldiers and institutional cruelty, with a young hero who verges on being a psychopath. Star Wars: The Next Generation it definitely isn't.

Unfortunately, what worked on the page doesn't quite work so well on screen. While it certainly doesn't shy away from the darker thematic crux of the story, director Gavin (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) Hood's screen adaptation seems to struggle with the overall tonal balance. The result is a film that sometimes feels like Harry Potter in space, and at others like a cross between Full Metal Jacket and Lord of the Flies.

Picture: EntertainmentOne's disc features a robust AVC 2.40:1 1080p encode that copes admirably with an often limited colour palette that veers heavily towards greys, blacks and steely blues. A handful of VFX shots look soft, but the many green screen sequences incorporating the actors are surprisingly sharp and detailed.
Picture rating: 5/5

Audio: The film's DTS-HD MA 5.1 track scores big on fidelity and dynamic range. The Zero-G combat exercises are particularly notable for the excellent audio placement and steering on display. Dialogue is also reproduced extremely well, easily compensating for the slight muffling effect caused by the helmets the young cast sometimes wear.

However, when it comes to the space battles towards the climax, it's hard to shake the feeling that the mix never cuts loose and shows what it's capable of in terms of power and immersion.
Audio rating: 4.5/5

Extras: The Blu-ray extras certainly don't skimp on info about how Ender's Game made the jump to the bigscreen. In addition to a 50-minute Making of… documentary it also offers up a pair of informative audio commentaries (a solo track by director Gavin Hood and another featuring producers Gigi Pritzker and Robert Orci). Finally, there are six deleted/extended scenes with optional commentary.
Extras rating: 3/5

We say: An interesting, if not entirely successful, screen adaptation that looks and sounds stellar in hi-def

Ender’s Game, EntertainmentOne, Region B BD, £25 Approx
HCC VERDICT: 3/5