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About This Quiz
Ender’s Game is the only game that can save Earth from a future alien invasion. Recall the military strategy, simulated space battles, and the "buggers" in this action-packed Ender’s Game trivia quiz.
What has happened in the past, causing the military to be training children?
A. Formics had attacked Earth and killed millions, so gifted children are being trained for a counter-attack
Humanity is preparing to launch an attack on the home world of an alien race called the Formics or “buggers,†who had attacked Earth and killed millions. Over the course of fifty years, gifted children are being trained by the International Fleet to become commanders of a new fleet for this counter-attack. The alien Formics have the features and behaviors of ants. The compound Formic Acid is found in the venom of ants.
B. Space travel is too hard on adult bodies and space exploration is needed
C. Children’s minds need to be without emotion to fight aliens in the future
D. None of the above
What is the name of the main character?
A. Valentine Wiggin
B. Andrew Wiggin
Just like the three bears, Valentine is too nice, Peter is too mean, and Andrew “Ender†Wiggin is just right. He has just enough compassion and aggression to be a leader. Andrew Wiggin is portrayed by Asa Butterfield, known for his role in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, for which he received nominations from the British Independent Film Awards and the London Film Critics Circle. He also played the young Mordred in Merlin and Norman in Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang.
C. Peter Wiggin
D. Bean
Who says this? “In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him.â€
Ender
Ender says this, explaining that to really know your enemy is the only way to defeat him/her. However, once you know your enemy that well, you have compassion for him as you see the world as he sees it. So, at the moment you can defeat him, you also love him. Asa Butterfield, who portrays Ender, has also received the Young Hollywood Award for the lead in Hugo and was nominated for the Critics' Choice Movie Award and the Empire Award, among other accolades. He was nominated for a British Independent Film Award for Best Actor for his role in X+Y. Recently, he starred in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, and he will play Gardner Elliot in The Space Between Us.
Bean
Bonzo
Petra
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Who says this? “The enemy gate is down.â€
Valentine
Bean
Bean is the smallest, but also one of the smartest recruits. He uses the enemies' gate to orient the team during the simulated space battles. Bean is portrayed by Aramis Knight. His previous film roles include The Dark Knight Rises, Crossing Over, and Rendition. Aramis has also done voice acting for multiple projects, including Shrek Forever After and Happy Feet II. He has also guest starred as recurring characters on multiple television series, including Rizzoli & Isles, Royal Pains, Psych, NCIS, Lost, Dexter, and Cold Case.
Bonzo
Petra
Who said this? “There's only one kid on this launch with any brains at all so far, and that's Ender Wiggin.â€
Colonel Graff
Colonel Graff says this to ostracize Ender from the start of training. Graff wants to set him apart, so he can be a leader, and Ender just wants to blend in. Colonel Graff is played by Harrison Ford, best known as Han Solo in the Star Wars film series and as the title character in the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles in Blade Runner, Witness, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, and many other films. As of 2016, Ford is the highest-grossing U.S. domestic box-office star.
Bean
Major Gwen Anderson
Bonzo
Who is the war hero that stopped the Formics when they invaded?
Mazer Rackham
Formics’ invasion of the Earth was stopped by Mazer Rackham, who crashed his fighter plane into a Formic queen ship. Everyone thought he died, but he is at humanity's forward base on a former Formic planet near the “buggers†home world. This is where Ender learns from Rackham. Mazer Rackham is played by Ben Kingsley, an English actor with a career spanning over 40 years. He is known for his starring role in Gandhi, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. He is also known for his performances in the films Schindler's List, Twelfth Night, Sexy Beast, Lucky Number Slevin, Shutter Island, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Hugo, and Iron Man 3.
Colonel Graff
Major Gwen Anderson
John Paul Wiggins
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Who is questioning Ender? “After you had already won, why did you continue to hit him? Did you enjoy it?â€
Mazer Rackham
Colonel Graff
Major Gwen Anderson
Major Gwen Anderson is the psychologist on board -- she is assessing Ender Wiggin’s mindset. Ender answers her: “Knocking him down was the first fight, I wanted to win all the others, so they'd leave me alone.†It was a strategic move. Major Gwen Anderson is played by Viola Davis, a producer and actress of stage, screen, and television. Davis' film breakthrough came in in the drama Doubt which earned her several nominations, including the Golden Globe, SAG, and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also won the Tony Award for Best Actress in Fences.
John Paul Wiggins
Which of these are the first lines of the movie?
A. “Fifty years ago, an alien force known as the Formics attacked Earth.â€
B. “It was only through the sacrifice of our greatest commander that we avoided total annihilation.â€
C. “The International Fleet decided that the world's smartest children are the planet's best hope.â€
D. All of the above
Here is the quote in its entirety: “Fifty years ago, an alien force known as the Formics attacked Earth. Tens of millions died. It was only through the sacrifice of our greatest commander that we avoided total annihilation. We've been preparing for them to come back ever since. The International Fleet decided that the world's smartest children are the planet's best hope. Raised on war games, their decisions are intuitive, decisive, fearless. I am one of those recruits.â€
What is the “mind game†the recruits can play for entertainment?
It’s a computerized game that works with the player’s imagination to create a story
Ender plays a computerized "mind game" set in a fantasy world, aimed to present difficult choices to the player. In one situation, Ender creates an outside-the-box solution to overcome a seemingly unsolvable problem. This helps Major Gwen Anderson better understand Enders. Anderson is portrayed by Viola Davis, who is also known for her lead role in The Help, she received nominations for the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and the Academy Award for Best Actress, and won a SAG Award. She became the first black woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She was listed by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
It’s a mindless game that relaxes and creates boredom in the mind so the recruits stay fresh for battle
It takes experiences from their past that recruits can manipulate to create a new past
None of the above
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What do the kids like about space battles?
Weightlessness
Being able to shoot guns that freeze the suit
Learning how to fly in formations
All of the above
The kids enjoy simulated space battles because of all the above. Plus, Ender's innovations overwhelm his opponents. To achieve the effect of weightlessness for the actors in the battle room, two rigs were invented for this movie. First was a lollipop arm, which is like a counter-balance offering a full range of motion. The second innovation was a "people crane." It's a contraption, sort of like the lollipop arm, but the people crane sits on air pucks so that the effect is like you are floating around in the air.
What does it signify when the monitor is removed?
It is the end of the cadet program
The student has his/her privacy back
None of the superiors will know if the student is getting harassed
All of the above
The removal of Ender’s monitor is ordered. Once it is out of the back of his neck, he will have his privacy back, superiors will not know if Ender is being harassed (which happens), and it also signifies the end of the cadet program. His superiors want to see how Ender fares after he has been sent home as a failure. In the book, Ender kills the Stilson boy (who harassed him), although Graff never tells him.
Why does Graff show up at Ender’s house after he has been sent home?
He wants to explain his actions but doesn’t ask Ender to go to Battle School
He invites Ender to go to Battle School
Graff reveals to Ender that Ender was being tested by being sent home and is still part of the program. Graff invites Ender to Battle School. Did you know that the U.S. Marine Corps has Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card on its recommended reading list for officers? According to the U.S. Marine Corps, the book offers "lessons in training methodology, leadership, and ethics as well."
He is there to recruit Peter again
He is there to recruit Valentine again
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When Graff reassigns Ender to Salamander Army, who is the leader?
Sergeant Dap
Major Gwen Anderson
Commander Bonzo Madrid
Graff reassigns Ender to Salamander Army, led by Commander Bonzo Madrid. Bonzo is mad he received such a poor substitute for his team member and wants Ender to stay away from his team until Bonzo can trade him. Did you know the battle room featured in the film is the diameter of three football fields?
Admiral Chamrajnagar
How does Bonzo hurt himself?
A. In a fight with Ender he slips on the bar of soap and cracks his head on the floor when he falls
Bonzo accosts Ender in the bathroom after a match where Ender defeated Bonzo. In the ensuing fight, Ender sprays hot water in Bonzo’s eyes, then, as they struggle, Bonzo slips on the bar of soap and cracks his head on the floor when he falls. Bonzo is badly injured.The battles themselves are a major part of the movie and book. For the wirework in the battle room, the actors trained for a month with individual Cirque du Soleil members so they could do the wire performances themselves.
B. Bonzo beats his head against a wall when he loses a match
C. One of his teammates chokes him for being so bossy
D. None of the above
Who helps Ender train when Bonzo forbids it?
A. Alai
B. Petra
Petra helps Ender learn hand-to-hand combat, how to shoot, and how to maneuver on the battlefield. Petra is portrayed by Hailee Steinfeld, known for her portrayal of Mattie Ross in True Grit, for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, the Screen Actors Guild Award, and BAFTA Award for the same category. She is also known for her role as Juliet Capulet in Romeo & Juliet, Violet Mulligan in Begin Again, Zooey Renner in 3 Days to Kill, and Nadine Fletcher in The Edge of Seventeen, for which she received a Golden Globe Award nomination.
C. Bean
D. Bernard
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After Bonzo’s injury, what does Ender decide to do?
A. Quit Battle School
Distraught over Bonzo’s injury, Ender prepares to quit Battle School, but Graff has Valentine speak to him and convince him to continue. Valentine is portrayed by Abigail Breslin, whose film roles include Little Miss Sunshine, No Reservations, Nim's Island, Definitely Maybe, My Sister's Keeper, Zombieland, and Rango. She also stars in the horror-comedy Scream Queens on Fox.
B. Fight everyone else in the Salamander Army
C. Be the best commander he can be
D. None of the above
What does Ender encounter in the mind game?
A. A Formic
B. A simulated image of Valentine entering the ruins of a castle
C. A simulated image of Peter where Valentine stood
D. All of the above
Ender encounters all of the above. Then, when he is at the base on a former Formic planet, he sees the exact replica of the ruins of a castle in the game. Ender also encounters Mazer Rackham in his room and asks him about his tattooed face. Rackham tells Ender that his father was Maori, and the tattoos allow him to speak for the dead. Kingsley spent over an hour in makeup to have TÄ moko tattoos applied.
What does Ender learn from Mazer Rackham?
A. How to do pushups and meditation
B. That he spotted the shared-mind nature of the Formics to stop the attack fifty years prior
Mazer tells how he spotted the shared-mind nature of the Formics to stop the attack fifty years prior. He tells Ender how he killed the Queen and that all the other Formic ships stopped shooting and fell to the Earth. Several props used in the film were created using 3D printers, including a model of Mazer Rackham's ship that is hanging in Ender's quarters.
C. How to approach your opponent silently
D. None of the above
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What is Ender’s response when Sergeant Dap says he will never salute him?
“Whateves...â€
“Yes, you will.â€
Sergeant Dap is belittling Ender for asking Colonel Graff too many questions. At one point Sergeant Dap yells that he will never salute Ender. Ender replies, “Yes, you will.†Sergeant Dap is portrayed by Nonso Anozie, a British actor who has worked on stage, film, and television. He is best known for his role as Tank in RocknRolla, Abraham Kenyatta in Zoo, and Xaro Xhoan Daxos in the HBO television series Game of Thrones.
“That’s no concern of mine.â€
“Not to worry, I’ll never salute you either.â€
What does the weapon “MD†stand for?
A. Mass Destruction Device
B. Molecular Detachment Device
Ender finds that his former squad members have arrived at the base on a former Formic planet to help him train in computerized simulations of large fleet combat. Petra has been trained on the MD, the fleet’s Molecular Detachment Device that is capable of disintegrating matter. It is also nicknamed "Little Doctor." Did you know that the producers consulted with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to discuss some of the future space shuttle technology depicted in the film? They wanted to be as accurate as possible.
C. Massive Disaster Device
D. Massive Death Device
Why are they pushing Ender so hard?
They have run out of time to replace Ender
Sleep deprivation is part of the training, the final fight might take days, weeks or months
He is the best they have so far and they want him to be the best he can be
All of the above
Ender's training is rigorous and Anderson expresses concern they are pushing Ender too fast, but Graff notes they have run out of time to replace Ender. He is the best they have and they want him to have all the knowledge and training physically possible before the final battle. This includes training Ender and the team to be alert with very little sleep, as the final battle may take days, weeks, or months. In the book, Ender’s Game, children entered Battle School at 6 years of age. They trained there for several years before progressing to Command School during adolescence.
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What shows on the screen in the final test?
The Formics' home planet
The Formics are not attacking
Ender’s fleet is vastly outnumbered by the Formics
All of the above
Ender's final test is monitored by several of the fleet commanders. As the simulation starts, Ender finds his fleet over the Formic home world is vastly outnumbered. Also, when Ender’s fleet appears, the Formics do not attack. They never attacked. Ender attacked first. During the final battle, Ender's subordinates are sitting in front of transparent screens controlling the attack ships. Several times they are seen using a left-hand Razer Nostromo computer gaming keypad.
What is the strategic plan that Ender puts into place to end the battle?
Sacrificing part of his fleet to protect the MD
Sacrificing part of his fleet so the MD has a clear shot
Killing the home planet to kill the Formics’ queens
All of the above
There were many sacrifices made by the fleet to win the battle. Many people were sacrificed to protect the MD and to give the MD a clear path to shoot the home planet. And then, of course, the entire Formics’ species was sacrificed so the people of Earth could feel safe. Did you know portions of the film were shot at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana, where the massive external tanks for the space shuttle program were constructed?
What is the name of Ender’s team?
Salamander
Lion
Dragon
Dragon team had a losing record and the name of the team was retired. But they have the uniforms, so Ender takes over the Dragon team and breaks the curse on the name. Ender’s team has non-stop victories. Did you know that each of the "stars" in the battle room, objects used for cover against laser fire from the opposing team, weighed 13,000 pounds?
Phoenix
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How does Ender feel about winning the final battle?
He is furious -- he feels responsible for the Formics’ annihilation
He is saddened. He would not have sacrificed some of the fleet if he knew the battle was real
He is beside himself. He feels he will be remembered as a killer
All of the above
Although Graff says he will be remembered as a hero, Ender feels he will be remembered as a killer because he not only sacrificed part of the fleet, but also killed the entire species of Formics. Director Gavin Hood was drafted into South Africa's army at age 17. This probably gave him a feel for how young people view war.
What does Ender come to believe about the Formics?
A. They have been trying to communicate with him
B. The Formics are not an aggressive, blood-thirsty species, they just needed water
C. The Formics species should be saved
D. All of the above
Ender recognizes one of the Formics' structures nearby that looks similar to the ruined castle from the game, and he now realizes the Formics were trying to communicate with him. He races out towards it. Rethinking how he feels about Formics, he now realizes they weren’t aggressive and the species should be saved. Do you know who played the giant in Ender's Mind Game? Gavin Hood, the director and writer of Ender’s Game! He did both the voice and motion-capture performance.
Who does Ender discover when he races to the structure on the base station?
A. A Formic Queen who is dying
B. The egg of the Formic's Queen, who will be a Queen herself
C. Ender discovers the Queen can communicate with him
D. All of the above
He follows the path set by the game and encounters a dying Formic queen. The Queen acknowledges Ender's role in the genocide of their race, but understands that he simply wants peace in the long term and forgives him. The Queen later gives Ender a queen egg that it had been protecting. This egg will help revive the extinct species.
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What is Ender’s promotion after the war?
A. He is now commander and will be working in Battle School as a teacher
B. He is now an Admiral and can do whatever he wants
After the battle is over, Colonel Graff says to Ender, "We won! That's all that matters." Ender replies, "No. The *way* we win matters." After that, Ender needs to be away from all things military to heal mind, body, and soul. He is promoted to Admiral, given a small ship, and left to his own devices.
C. He is now a Colonel and in charge of only the most elite squads, similar to Mazar Rackham
D. None of the above
What does Ender tell Valentine he is going to do?
A. He is going to visit planets and never come back to Earth
B. He is going to form a new Formic colony with the queen egg
In a letter to Valentine, Ender tells her that he is going into deep space, determined to form a new Formic colony with the queen egg. He’ll be using the small ship given to him for winning the war. Speaking of ships, during the game at the beginning of the movie, the ship piloted by Ender closely resembles the Millennium Falcon, the ship piloted by Harrison Ford's character in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.
C. He is going to party it up with Bean, Petra, and Alia
D. He is going to go home and be with his sister
What major part of the story was left out of the movie?
Bean and Ender working together
Colonel Graff setting up Ender to be ostracized by saying Ender is the smartest launchie
Peter and Valentine expressing different political opinions, using the pen names Locke and Demosthenes
This subplot was in the book but not in the film, due to the visual boredom of seeing people type on the Internet. Valentine and Peter comment on political affairs and become influential. Peter is Locke, the statesman whose opinion is measured and compassionate. Valentine is Demosthenes, the rabble-rouser who moves people to action. Peter knew that this was counter to their personal opinions, but it helped them both see the other's viewpoint more clearly.
None of the above
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What did the critics think of the film?
Mixed reviews
Ender's Game received mixed reviews from film critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, a Review aggregator, the film has a score of 60%, based on 196 reviews, with an average rating of 6 out of 10. The critical consensus states: "If it isn't quite as thought-provoking as the book, Ender's Game still manages to offer a commendable number of well-acted, solidly written sci-fi thrills."
Favorable reviews
They didn’t think much of it
None of the above
What did the fans think of the film?
More positive than negative
The audience gave it an 65% on Rotten Tomatoes. On a budget of $115 million, Ender's game earned $125.5 million in box office sales. Variety included the film in its list of the "Biggest Box Office Flops of 2013."
They loved it
They hated it
None of the above
How can you enjoy more of Ender’s Game?
Eat Ender’s Game Cereal
Watch the sequels
Play Ender’s Game Battle School Board Game
There is an Ender’s Game Battle School Board Game, published by Cryptozoic Entertainment. The game is played inside the Battle Room. The player takes control of an Army, led by either Commander Ender Wiggin or Commander Bonzo Madrid. With different abilities granted to each Commander, the Armies try to either capture each of the opponent' Gates or freeze the opposing Commander while avoiding other frozen players and Stars. As of 2016, there are no plans to create any sequels or develop any cereal.
None of the above
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How else can you enjoy Ender’s Game?
Read Ender’s Game: Inside the World of an Epic Adventure
Listen to Ender’s Game soundtrack
Buy Ender’s Game merchandise
All of the above
From T-shirts to wall calendars, the film and novel have inspired a bevy of merchandise. Plus, there is a soundtrack, which was released on October 22, 2013. The film's score was composed by Steve Jablonsky. And to get the inside story, read Ender's Game: Inside the World of an Epic Adventure, published by Insight Editions. The book is filled with behind-the-scenes images of the making of Ender's Game, as well as interviews with the producers, artists, directors, and cast.
What was the controversy surrounding this film?
Child labor laws
Orson Scott Card’s view on homosexuality
In July 2013, the group Geeks OUT boycotted the film in protest of Orson Scott Card's views on homosexuality and same-sex marriage. The calls for a boycott were picked up by a number of other groups and individuals in the media.
Pollution-causing scenes
None of the above
You Got:
/35
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