Probably the criticism I saw the most when I checked the response to this flick was "uneven." A fair carp, but not enough of one to spoil the movie. Gavin Hood's (great first name, Gavin) adaptation of Card's masterpiece falls short of excellence, but not by that much. To avoid faint praise, I won't cite any of the film's "adequate," "above average," or "favorable" features. I'll focus on the positive. The story is brilliant (it's Orson Scott Card, after all), the special effects outstanding, the supporting cast very good, and the protagonist (Asa Butterfield) convincing. The weak link in the cast --oddly enough-- is Harrison Ford. Blasphemy, I know, but his performance lags his work in most of his other films. Here, I sensed he was not convinced of his lines, comfortable with his character, or happy with the flick. In fact, I think it his performance that most made the film uneven. I won't go so far as to say his performance is bad, but it c certainly falls short of the standards he set or himself in films like The Frisco Kid and Blade Runner. Sorry Han Solo fans. Watch the film and let me know if you agree.

And watch it you should. While its length can become tedious and it occasionally descends to preachiness, the story is pure gold. I probably won't watch it again, but I'm glad I took the time to revisit Card's world. Kudos to Gavin Hood and his screen writers for sticking fairly close to the book and kudos, too, to the young and promising cast. It's definitely worth the rental. 3 smiles    
 :)