3Ender's Game – Playing By the Rules
Hello everyone, DragonSiren7 here, also known as Joelle, joined by guest stars Zoe R. Sofia M. from my LEAP English/Reading class to provide input and creative ideas as we get farther down the road. This is our extra credit remake of the movie version of Ender's Game. We went to see it as a LEAP class after reading the books, and… well… Let's just say that while it could have been even more different from the book (*cough*Percy Jackson*cough*) – it was pretty wrong. Incorrect!
So, this is OUR remake of the movie, mixing it with true story elements. So, we hope you enjoy! Also, you can see our Ender's Game book remake in "my stories" on my profile page under the title: The End Game.
This chapter, by the way, is mainlya brief– oh, so very brief – analysis of the movie and a few things we will be changing. After this, we'll start with the beginning, which was actually fairly well done – except Ender is six years old, Peter has black hair, that bully's name is Stilson and he is also six, there is more focus on no one liking Ender since he is a Third, and well, you get the point. Please enjoy!
Disclaimer: Orson Scott Card own Ender's Game (book) and hence, the idea for the movie. NOT two eighth grade girls.
The beginning: Life on Earth
To begin with, the book starts off with the monitor, yes. However, when the monitor is pulled out, Ender has something similar to a seizure, causing the nurse to yell, "He's too strong for me!" (Card 3) and Ender falls off the bed because the nurse cannot overpower a SIX YEAR OLD. Make of that what you will.
Peter has black hair and appears similar to Alexander the Great.
Stilson (a.k.a. the bully) has a low IQ, uses crowds for intimidation tactics, is six years old, dies, and hates Ender because he is jealous, although he disguises it by blaming Ender for being a "Third."
A "third" is a third child from two parents. The Hegemon created a law to prevent overpopulation by restricting parents to only legally having two children. However, some religions still have more than two children, or, as in Ender's case, the government asked them to have a third child in hopes that they will make it into the IF (International Fleet).
The Hegemon is the international government that more-or-less controls earth. The Strategos is more-or-less a commander of people, and is a bit like a vice-president. They seem to almost always be Jewish when anything important is happening (no offense intended to anyone). The International Fleet is basically NASA if it was filled with soldiers who they trained from childhood. They fought in the Bugger wars and deal with all things extraterrestrial and space related. All three work together (and with earth governments as well) to peaceably rule earth.
The enemies – "informants" they are called in the movie – are called Buggers in the novel. Again, no offense intended, they just are.
Peter, deep down inside his cold, calculating and shriveled up soul, loves Ender. We won't say anything more as of yet, because we do not want to reveal the shocking surprise.
There are many more differences, but we won't be including them in the remake in order to move on to Battle School.
Battle School (where to begin….?):
Ender is first put in a group of "launchies" – new Battle School recruits. Among the group are Alai, Bernard, and Shen.
Shen is Ender's first friend. Apparently that wasn't important enough to get him into the movie the first time around, but he has a role in this version.
Ender accidentally breaks Bernard's arm in the shuttle after being physically provoked into attacking.
Ender is short. As in, "small for a six year old" short.
Alai is the leader of the launch group – which lasts for six months until Ender is transferred to Salamander Army.
Alai whispers "Salaam" into Ender's ear before he leaves for his new army.
In Salamander Army, Ender meets Petra and Bonso. No one else – not yet.
Bonso is Spanish. That was correct. He is also fairly tall, and extremely muscular. In other words, he is not three feet shorter than Ender.
Ender is the youngest in Salamander Army by several years, and is hated or shunned by everybody except Petra.
After several battles with Salamander Army, Ender is transferred to Rat Army, led by Rose de Nose. He is in a toon led by Dink and teaches the other boys the strategies he came up with for shooting, moving, etc.
During this entire time (except the shuttle), Ender and Alai are leading a practice group of launchies during free time and are honing each other's talents and skills.
Ender is made a Commander several years younger than is usual.
Ender is an extremely tough commander, and all of the people on his team are launches or barely seasoned veterans. In other words, Petra, Dink, etc., are not on his team. Bean, however, is.
Ender goes to command school on Eros, but not before breaking down and giving up, confiding in Bean about his emotions right before Colonel Graff whisks him away to "Command School" on Eros.
Again, there are more, but these are the main ones we will alter.
Eros:
Bonso is dead. As is Stilson, from earth.
Ender left for vacation because he did not want to play the school's games anymore, not to take care of and watch over Bonso.
Ender was in isolated training with Mazer Rackham for several months before he joined up with the rest of his group.
Bernard was not in said group.
Mazer confirmed Ender's suspicions about Eros belonging to the Buggers, but Ender had already figured most of it out.
After the battle, Ender and Valentine left for a new colony, with Ender as governor.
There, Ender discovered the Bugger cocoon, but the old queen was already dead.
By this point, Ender is in his early twenties and Petra is somewhere on earth.
The castle is from the Mind Game, but is set up to appear like the giant's body when you first see it.
Ender and Valentine leave together to find a new home for the Bugger Queen.
On Earth with Peter and Valentine as everything goes on with Ender in space:
World war is coming close to breaking out.
Ender's family moves to a forested area where Peter tortures squirrels and other small wildlife while Valentine lights small fires to honor Ender.
Valentine and Peter adopt the names Demosthenes and Locke (in that order) on the internet and begin publishing stories about Peter's ideas on the world.
Demosthenes is more popular at first, but near the end, Locke takes the upper hand.
Peter becomes Hegemon and essentially rules the world.
Demosthenes "retires" and Valentine flies off to meet Ender in Eros after convincing Peter to create a law banning Ender from returning to earth.
The Mind Game:
Is basically the most important piece as far as character development goes that is in this entire story.
There is a playground that Ender can never go on, filled with evil werewolf children that Ender drowns.
There is a well in a clearing that says "Drink, Traveler." The first time Ender tries to drink, is also the first time he realizes the children can turn into wolves.
There is a cave filled with exotic pets and riches.
Dwarves are living in the skeleton of the giant.
Ender steps off the ledge of a cliff in the game, expecting to fall into a river of acid, and is instead caught by a cloud and carted off to the castle, where he is eaten by a snake, etc.
The mind game is both Ender's subconscious, and a way for the Buggers to discover his inner thoughts (they hack they mind game, not set it up).
AN: All in all, there are many differences we will be covering, not all of which are listed above. So, the next chapter should be up this weekend or the next if all goes well! Ciao for now, DragonSiren7