“Ender’s Game” is visually impressive but it’s the lacklustre story-telling and mediocre at best acting that ruins the film. At times the film will make you feel as if you are watching somebody else play a “Halo” game; why is it that people try to make movies like games and games like movies?

In “Ender’s Game”, Asa Butterfield (“Boy In The Striped Pyjamas”, “Hugo”) is Ender Wiggin, a smart boy sent away along with many others to help the human race win a war against an alien species. The film is practically “Starship Troopers” without the humour as we see Ender struggle through various training experiences until we reach an ending that leaves you feeling underwhelmed.

Asa Butterfield might be a good actor but here he’s delivering lines that make him see weak and pathetic. Harrison Ford (“Blade Runner”) is the guy in charge yet he seems to lack any emotion or care in his performance. By far the worst is Ben Kingsley (“Gandhi”) because his character is made interesting and mysterious but ultimately goes nowhere. The aliens make only a few brief appearances and are ugly and unimaginative, it seems the days of “Alien” and “Star Wars” are truly behind us.

“Ender’s Game” features action sequences that seem as if they’d be better incorporated into videogames rather being scenes in a film. The morals of the film seem very conflicting and misguided, if only they’d spent less time adding the special effects. If you like “Ender’s Game” then that’s fine, some will feel the mere spectacle is enough while others will like its conclusion but I didn’t. It’s like “Dune” only less confusing (most of the time) and with a much slicker look. I am surprised and in many ways that there isn’t the “Ender’s Game: The Game” to play.