《安德的遊戲》 一場少年稱霸戰

Hollywood adaptations of best-selling sci-fi novels are no longer reason enough to attract moviegoers. But Ender’s Game, which is an adaptation of the 1985 novel of the same title, is a bit different.

對影迷來說，暢銷科幻小說改編的好萊塢電影已不復從前那樣具有吸引力。但《安德的遊戲》這部改編自1985年同名小說的電影卻稍有不同。

From US author Orson Scott Card’s refusal to sign the film deal for years, to the film’s pre-release controversy thanks to Card’s anti-gay views, there are plenty of reasons to watch it. At least you should be curious about what all the fuss is about.

從美籍作者奧森•斯科特•卡德數年來拒絕翻拍小說的態度，到新片上映前卡德因反同言論而引發的爭端，該片可謂噱頭十足。起碼你會好奇，想知道這些爭議從何而來。

Generally, it’s a polished sci-fi epic with stunning visual effects that will appeal to mainstream audiences. While it fails to reach the height it aspires to —namely the novel’s moral complexity — it’s quite an entertaining experience with some timely issues on its mind.

大體上講，這是一部精心打造的科幻史詩——出色的視覺效果足以贏得主流觀衆的青睞。但它並未觸及原作中道德的複雜性，沒有達到預期的高度，而淪爲一次將爭議問題一帶而過的娛樂體驗。

Asa Butterfield plays the 12-year-old Ender Wiggin, a student soldier in a military facility that is training children to fight the Formics. The Formics are the alien species that attacked Earth half a century prior to the film’s story, killing millions before being driven back to their home planet.

12歲的安德•維京（阿沙•巴特菲爾德 飾）是戰鬥學校裏的一名學員，該校負責訓練少年戰士以抵抗蟲族的再次攻擊。故事發生半個世紀前，外星“蟲族”曾入侵地球，造成生靈塗炭，之後才被趕回自己的星球。

Why children? As the film explains, because of their youth, these military prodigies can absorb complex battle information and develop attack strategies more quickly and easily than adults — the same skill that makes them so good at video games.

爲什麼是孩子？正如片中解釋的那樣，因爲他們年輕，相比成年人，這些軍事天才可以更迅速、更輕而易舉地掌握複雜的作戰信息並制定出進攻策略——同樣的技能也使得他們打電玩時遊刃有餘。

And as the title suggests, gaming is critical to the story and its visuals.

如片名所示，遊戲對劇情發展和視覺效果來說都十分關鍵。

For example, several scenes feature a high-tech version of laser tag played in a weightless arena, while others show Ender playing a video game on an iPad-like device that he controls with his mind.

例如，片中有好幾個高科技場景展示的是在失重條件下的激光槍戰遊戲，而另一些鏡頭則是安德通過一個類似iPad的裝置，用意念操控電子遊戲。

The film’s touch of current issues becomes evident in Ender’s attempt to end all future battles, and when he is confronted by bullies. It talks about everything from the morality of using children in battle to the consequences of violent video games. But they’re only fleetingly addressed, without becoming a large conversation.

片中，當安德嘗試結束未來戰爭或慘遭欺凌時，影片明顯觸及了一些現實問題。從利用孩子進行戰爭的道德問題，到暴力電子遊戲對孩子的影響，影片探討了方方面面。但這些問題都只被輕描淡寫一筆帶過。

Another shortfall is the film’s character development. In the film, everything seems too easy for Ender. While to some extent that’s the point because he’s supposed to be a military genius, it makes him hard to relate to as a character.

該片另一不足之處便是片中角色的成長。電影中的安德似乎無所不能。也許這是因爲他生來就是位軍事天才，但這樣就很難將他和一個有血有肉的人物角色聯繫起來。

Certainly, the film is much better than I expected, given all the buzz beforehand. If you want an out-of-this-world experience before Spring Festival, Ender’s Game is an excellent choice.

當然，考慮到影片上映前的種種噱頭，該片已經大大超出我的預期。如果你想在春節前體驗一次逃離地球的冒險，《安德的遊戲》無疑是上上之選。