What I think of Ender's game and issue I have with it: Part 2 Stupid Warfare.

Now, for the part 2 and a final part. I will focus entirely on warfare strategy in this film.

Before begin I would like to say that I did not actually plan to separate this article into two parts. But as I sit down and thinks it though I found out that the warfare in the story is probably the biggest issue I have with the film. The battle in the film( and the book by extension) are create clumsily and stupid. I hope that no one would take the strategy in either the film or the book seriously. But seeing so much fame and accolade this book,especially that it require to read in US army, have make me decide to elaborate on this matter. I might say that Ender's game is the worst media that trying to portray with warfare seriously. While I think that there are some useful idea like  how to think outside of the box or how to deal with difficult person, it fail on deliver that idea through.

Now I admit, I never went to war and my talent in chess, board game and RTS are limited. My opinion is offer from just a simple guy who know a little bit about history and military tactic. You can take it with a grain of salt.

Now let see what is so wrong with Ender's game warfare.

1) No Intel

In the Ender's game, we are entirely in assumption that Earth have a war with Alien. They attack earth once and earth decide to fight them back. To prepare for war. They create ships. They create Death Star(call Little Doctor in this film). And they are training a super badass kid who will become the best strategist ever!

But they seems know nothing about our enemy.

Seriously, this is one of the things Ender repeatedly say in the film. I understand that this is no spy drama, but the emphasis of 'lack of intelligence' really show that something is very wrong in this fictional military organization. 

In the film, it seem that no one knows anything about alien. The entire research and intelligence section in Ender's game should be fired. While I understand that Colonel Harrison Ford(name Graff in this film) might consider them as a mindless bug. But it was pretty careless to ignore on other Alien 'intel'. How about there generic behavior? How they eat? What are their physical capabilities? And what about their technology? 

The only detail we know about Alien is that they are Hive mind. Blow the queen ship and all minions will be destroy.

And did Ender know that in school? No, he know by repeatedly watch Ben Kingley(who plays Darth Maul older cousin, Mazzer Rackham) propaganda video for thousand time.

"Ender, You will never see it coming."_[1]

To make it worst, old Ben know it the whole time and decide to not tell him directly. Now why no one was teach about that in the officer school. Did Ben Kingsley withheld the information from Harrison ford? Or Harrison Ford decide that killing Alien is too easy and decided not to tell Ender? Seriously, that is 'withheld crucial intelligence' right there. 

As Sun Tzu once said once: "If you don't know others but know yourself, you win one and lose one." This means Military clearly give an unreasonable handicap to alien.

2) Telecommunication and Morale issue.

After Ender graduated from his Nazi boot camp, he was send into(what-he thought) of a battle simulation. There he control the fleet from command center several planet away. It might seems cool and neat idea back then. But as you might know, teleworks is only good in some situation. And in a situation that require close attention like combat, it might not a good idea to issue from planet away. No matter how much advance technology is, you would never be able to get all the detail like you actually be on the field. 

Of course, it depends on commanders style. It probably reasonable for Ender to be away from the field so that he can focus on the big picture. But that also mean that entire battle is depend on the communication system. Which for all the chaotic nature of war, can be disrupt or destroy. 

Ender's greatest enemy._[2]

And lack of communication can also lead to morale issue for the fleet itself. 

Let me ask you a question, what would you do if your old boss leave the office. You might be happy or sad for a few days. But then you got to take order from your new boss. Now, imagine if you never seen him and he's only shouting order at you by one-way phone. You might thinks it absurd but wouldn't you getting crazy if you know that your boss is just a kid whose only work experience is military boot camp and videogame? 

I'm sure I would. I might even consider looking for a new job.

Put that and consider your job is to go fight in a war where your best friend can die at anytime for an order that you would not understand. No one can fight and die for voice with internet connection. Combine all this and we have a textbook example for morale destruction. This will decrease effectiveness of the fleet and at worst: desertion or mutiny.

Not to mention that Ender become disillusion and throw a fight(but win anyway) in the last battle on the book.

3) Platforming warfare.

Now we all know that the military have bad intel and put an unreachable commander in task which will probably create morale issue. We will now begin to see what the warfare in Ender's game like. 

In flim(and even more so in a book), we see that Ender was walking into simulation room. He have five minute briefing then watch the big IMAX screen which all the ship are lining in formation opposite from the Alien fleet. After he battle by moving hand like Tom Cruise did in minority report(which I think it's cool) and issue command to his officer (who also kids around his age). After he win battle, he gave Haylee Stanfield(who plays Petra, Ender's sorta girlfriend) a high-five, go to bed, and fight new battle tomorrow.

Seems like someone laid back on the military research. War is not simple like that.

Warfare, according to the movie._[3]

While everybody in the film keep talking about 'think outside the box', this method discourage them. As you might know from history of warfare, each battle in war do not have specific time. It does not always begin with two force stand on each side and duke it out. It was base on event and coincident. War is uncertain and chaotic and those that expect certainty will only be defeat. 

Did George Washington give the Hassian a time to prepare of battle of Trenton? No.

Did Sam Houston wait until Santa Anna finish his Siesta before begin battle of San Jacinto? Nope.

Did Ender and Alien gave other time to nap? Yep.

It might be understandable that Alien not trying for unconventional warfare. Consider that they reveal to be peaceful. But how come that military in Ender's Game are so simple mind like that. They have no intel so they can't come up with proper strategy and only rely on Ender to give them victory on each skirmish. What about ambush, cutting supply, misdirection, divide and conquer, etc? All these concept are entirely non-existance.

And this is not to mention the issue of supply and manpower shortage which seems to be non-existance in this universe. Every ship seems to be repair and men power replace by the matter of days.

Can't said that really happen in real life.

4) Ender himself.

From all the issue above, we can see how suck it is behind military in Ender's Game. But we did not talk about the boy himself. All we know is that military thinks he is a best candidate, a chosen one and a savior who can save mankind. They manipulate him and do all the backend work to make him focus on the field. It's understandable, but did it work? Is this whole abomination project of abuse and violation of human right work? It's probably work because he win, right? Ender win and it all that matters?

Nope. I don't think so.

Not to mention that this 'genius' first action in training room is point the ray gun at his friend and shoot him.

In fact I would go so far to say Ender Wiggin is probably one of the least talented 'child strategist' in all fiction(or at least the one I have been heard of). He have all the trait of Mary Sue, yet he fails to delivery a crucial ability that great strategist throughout history has.

An ability to defeat large army with small troop and survive.

And ability to make badass boast that delivers._[4]

The film try to make Ender looks smart. I think he did but he absolutely not 'military genius' that everyone seems to praise him for. His strategic reason was sound but it was the execution that seems bizarre and cause heavy casualty. Especially the part that he shield his mini deathstar with star fighter before he 'gasp' blow the Alien planet. In fact, he seems to love this 'meat shield' strategy so much that he use it twice.


Plus, since 'long term strategy' aspect of military and 'supply issue' do not exist in Ender's Game. Ender was force to play straight up 'Skirmish real time strategy' with very limit room for improvising. It's pretty hard for me to consider Ender Wiggin as nothing more than glorified Starcraft or Laser Tag player. He was limited by 'inside the box' warfare and did not have a perfect battle formation to come with it.

And that is the end of the second part of my issue with Ender's game movies. At first I thought that this will be the last part, but in the middle of the article I decide to borrow the book from a friend of mine and read.

So in last and final part, I will talk about the movie compare to the book itself.



PS: Now since I mention Jia Xu(guy in pic 4), I wander if the film might be more interesting if they switch Ender with him or Guo Jia. Any "Colonel sacrifice his head" strategy is welcome (No hate for Harrison Ford though, he's cool. I just don't like Colonel Graff).

Image source:

[1] Walt Disney Motion Picture, Iron man 3, 2013.
[2] Unknown. Taken from http://searchenterprisedesktop.techtarget.com/tip/Deciphering-the-Blue-Screen-of-Death
[3] Blizzard, Starcraft. Taken from http://www.giantbomb.com/starcraft/3025-326/
[4] Chen Mou, The Ravage of Times