OT/MISC Official Atlas Shrugged Movie Review Thread

Seeker

3 Bombs for Hawkins
Haven't seen it, but local radio talker stated that at the end of the first showing here today the whole audience stood up and cheered.
 

tanstaafl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I liked it a lot and the audience clapped at the end, so I guess we all enjoyed it. The audience wasn't all that large and sported various book-themed clothing, but after all it was the first show (at 12:30 p.m.) on the first day. A lot of scenes are compressions of multiple scenes in the book, which you pretty much have to expect considering the length and density of the book, and some of my favorite lines didn't make the cut, but it stayed true to the book. I speculated beforehand about how a book so focused on railroads could work in the modern world of airlines, but the first few minutes of the movie explains that and doomers will appreciate the very dark nature of the 2016 economy leading up to the beginning of the movie proper.

I found myself quite happy with The John Galt train ride even though they didn't line the tracks with people or make a big deal about the country's reaction like the book did. Taylor Schilling (as Dagny) was a heck of a lot sexier and more emotional/more expressive than I pictured Dagny. On the plus side the sex scene with Hank at Ellis Wyatt's house in Colorado wasn't the dominant/submissive sex that was in the book (which always bugs me reading the book since I'm not even remotely into that) but was rather a more tender kind of sex -- no nudity and a great contrast to Lillian Reardon's earlier bored "are you done?" comment. The movie ends well (considering the destruction) leaving you wanting more, and of course there are (hopefully) two more movies to come.

It pisses me off that only two theaters in the Portland metro area are showing this and not ONE WORD (that I've seen, anyway) has appeared on The Oregonian's web site about it. Apparently the ultra-liberals in Portland really ARE that insecure. But I do find it enormously ironic that silver and gold set new highs today -- I'm sure Ayn Rand would have appreciated the irony (and so would have Alan Greenspan in his earlier incarnation).
 

workerbee

* Winter is Coming *
Two movie theaters here in Melbourne were showing it.

We planned on going to the 7pm show, but decided we'd rather try for Sunday and maybe have a better chance at getting decent seats....lots a capitalists here...bet it was sold out!

We're really looking forward to it!
 

Dux

Veteran Member
Got in late, sat in the 2nd row. My teenaged daughter caught on to the plot pretty well.
 

Red Baron

Paleo-Conservative
_______________
Three theaters in the Milwaukee area are playing "Atlas Shrugged". We caught the 7:10 pm show.

Took my long suffering wife out for dinner and a movie tonight. We seldom go out anymore.

Despite high winds and a driving rain, the theater was 80% full in a huge multi-screen Cineplex.

Before the movie started some college age kids went up and down the aisles and passed out free white on black 4" x 5" "Who Is John Galt?" stickers. Very cool.

DW has read the book, I haven't yet. I will read it now.

We both enjoyed the movie very much. The film really painted the near future of 2016 in a terrifying light.

I saw it basically as a primer on resource wars pitting the producers/free thinkers against the government/entitlement cabal. Rules/regulations/greed/power all trying to suck the last ounce of blood out of the turnip. But what happens when the turnips decide not to play the awful game anymore? The Reardon character was especially likeable and Dagny was well played also.

The movie was well paced, thoughtful and did a good job of making it's point. The entire theater errupted into applause at the end of the movie.

The movie did fail miserably on my bikini/guns/fire truck scale but otherwise I'll give it a solid 4 out of 4 thumbs up!

See it, talk about it and spread the word.

Who is John Galt?
 

Tessa Blue

Veteran Member
Okay, so I went with my sister and brother-in-law last night to see this movie. I wasn't expecting a lot - I'd read reviews that were downright painful, and I figured the only people who'd enjoy it would be Atlas Shrugged fans. Frankly, I never liked the book and never slogged my way completely through it. But my brother-in-law is a die-hard Ayn Rand fan, so I tagged along. I love movies, and will watch almost anything!

I was pleasantly surprised.

The acting was a bit stiff at first, in my opinion, but that smoothed out pretty quickly. The storyline was fairly consistent, the message stayed true (from what I'd read of the book), and I loved the train ride... the way it snaked along the countryside was a GREAT shot. The only thing that bugged me at all was the music. Who the heck did the music score for that movie? There were places in the movie where the music was a complete disconnect.

Anyway, I thought it was well done, and I will definitely go see the next installment. Oh yeah, our theater was completely full - even the front row was taken! And everyone clapped when it was over.
 

Ice Guy

Inactive
ITunes store has the audiobook for 17.95. I have decided to D/L it and listen before going to see the movie.
 

BoatGuy

Inactive
ITunes store has the audiobook for 17.95. I have decided to D/L it and listen before going to see the movie.

Make sure it's the unabridged version. Karnie and I have it from Audible (it plays on iTunes). I've never been able to read fiction, for the most part. But, I listened to the whole thing, as I would travel to, on, and from the boat, back in the old days. It was fascinating. Even just the other day, I told Karnie that it was probably about time to listen to it, again. We're going to see the movie in just a little while.

It's a lot like reading (or listening to) tomorrows history book, today... IMHO

PS> If you do listen to the unabridged version, Part 2 may be in theaters before you are finished. The Audible unabridged is about 52 hours long.
 

Karnie

Veteran Member
BoatGuy and I really enjoyed it, though he, too, expressed some disappointment at having to wait for the next installments. The storyline was highly compressed (of course it HAD to be!) but the pertinent facts were there and stayed true to the book. I'm going to have to listen to the audio book again soon. I spend a couple hours a day driving, so audio books help me maintain whatever sanity I possess. Re-listening to the Outlander series right now, but I'll have to put Atlas Shrugged in the queue!
 

Jeff Allen

Producer
DW and I went with 14yo DD this morning.

The movie had the feel of a really good made for TV mini series to me. This is not to say its bad at all!!! We get spoiled these days with hundred million dollar epics like Avatar..LOL

Anyway, DW and I both felt the movie stayed very true to the book and were both VERY SAD when the end came....where is part two???? Definitely leaves you wanting more.

DD said it was "boring" for the first hour but even she got into it during the last half an hour, which is saying something!

Overall, I give the movie a solid 8 out of 10.

Will this movie save America? Hell no. We lost it a long time ago....

Enjoy it while you still can.

J
 

2redroses

Senior Member
John Stossel (FOX) did a piece on AS of which I caught the repeat Sat. I think Stossel's regular program is on FOXBusiness, we only get FOXNews, so this had been aired earlier in the week on FOXBusiness. There might be more info on Stossel's FOX website.

He devoted most of a program on the Atlas Shrugged movie, and had the producer (a Libertarian), director, and the British actor on (1 of the main characters), and showed a couple of clips. The interview was quite interesting, talked about why it took so long to make into a movie (liberal Hollywood elites wouldn't touch it), and the distribution problems they ran into. The producer said reading the book had changed his life.

Per the producer, Part 2 will come out April 15, 2012, Part 3 on April 15, 2013, if Part 1 does well financially.

The AS website is interesting, there's quite a Rand cult following, postings indicating that LOTS of theaters had the audience cheering and applauding at the end! The AS website also offers a search feature to find a theater near you. Our nearest is 60 mi away.
http://www.atlasshruggedpart1.com/?gclid=CJPVrISOpKgCFRNl7AodZH6eHw

Now off to find a copy of the book to read...
 

Deena in GA

Administrator
_______________
We're going to see it tomorrow night, so don't have a review. But, I was talking to my son and his 17 yo girlfriend today. They said they were going to the movies tonight and that she wanted to see Atlas Shrugged. I was shocked that she'd even heard of it and asked if she'd read the book. She hadn't, but did seem to know a bit about it. So we're all going tomorrow to see it together. I thought it was pretty cool that she even wants to see it.
 

Hacker

Computer Hacking Pirate
At it times, it has a campy feel to it. The acting is generally good to excellent. The soundtrack mostly helps the movie. The screenplay is good

All of this should add up to a good movie. But it is not just a good movie - it is exceptional.

The story and the way it is presented on screen - these two items make it compelling.

The movie critics are showing their bias when they pan this movie. The movie deserves much much higher ratings.
 

Altura Ct.

Veteran Member
Atlas Shrugged The Movie

THANK YOU. After an incredible opening weekend, it would appear it's time to expand. In only 300 theaters, Atlas Shrugged made 1.67 million dollars averaging $5,590 - 3rd only to Rio and Scream 4 in averages. Atlas Shrugged Movie = Free Market Working. Spread the word. This is our moment. Here we come.

http://www.facebook.com/AtlasShruggedMovie?sk=wall
 

Hammer

Veteran Member
The rub wil be what happens next weekend. All the AS wonks went to see it opening weekend. Now that they have all seen it, will anyone else go? I certainly hope so.
 

Bad Hand

Veteran Member
Anytime the so called critics bad mouth a movie it is usually a good movie and when they like a movie it usually sucks big time.
 

2redroses

Senior Member
Saw the movie today, really enjoyed it, now to read the book! Waiting for copy purchased thru ebay, and there were all sorts of Atlas Shrugged listings.
 

Deena in GA

Administrator
_______________
Saw it tonight. It most definitely leaves you wanting more. In fact, it seemed to me that we were just getting a handle on what was going on when it was over. :( How long do we have to wait before the next one?

There were only 12 - 15 others in the theater along with our party of 5, but that's pretty good for a Monday night. We've been to other movies on Mondays at that same theater when there wasn't anyone else in there.
 

Roger Thornhill

Some irascible old curmudgeon
My wife and I just got back from seeing 'Atlas Shrugged'. It was pleasantly surprising in many ways, understandably disappointing in others, but definitely worth seeing.

I worked in the film industry for 25 years, so I think I can offer an objective critique (pun intended). The film is much better than one would guess, given the shoestring budget of $10M, and being shot in only five weeks.

First, anyone who has read the book will be frustrated by the compression and omission of many details in the novel. It's almost on par with what Cecil B. DeMille must have faced when he made 'The Bible', although DeMille certainly had the luxuries of far more time, money, and studio support. (In fact, "Atlas Shrugged' is ranked second only to The Bible by many readers asked to rank the most influential book they have ever read.)

The movie gets off to an uneven start, as if both the scriptwriter and director had trouble finding the right scope and pace. But by a half-hour in, I found myself fully engaged by the characters and the plot development.
The acting is remarkably solid, with Dagny Taggart and Henry Rearden both very well-portrayed. The supporting cast is good, and the lighting and camera work are seamless.

There are points to quibble with. In particular, I thought the film needed better editing -- some shots are slightly too long, others too short, and the absence of alternative camera angles and 'pick-up' shots made for some distracting cuts. Most of this is probably due, again, to the extremely limited budget. An editor can only assemble a film from camera takes that actually exist. Some of the CGI was also noticeable; again, invisible effects are almost impossible to achieve without spending a great deal of money.

Overall, though, I was impressed. By the final third of the film, everyone in the theater was fully engrossed in the story. The pace and direction flowed well, and the actors were obviously fully committed to their roles. The message became more focused and powerful, and I was left wanting more.

Both my wife (who hasn't read the book), and I (who read it many years ago) are eagerly waiting for the second and third installments of this trilogy. I'm frustrated that parts II and III are not planned for release until 2012 and 2013. I'm hoping that this first installment will do well enough to guarantee the completion of the next release, and wishing that someone like a real-life Henry Rearden would step up and fund the project to the tune of $100M or so.

Considering the political and financial hurdles this production faced, it's really surprising that 'Atlas Shrugged' has made to the theaters at all. It's not perfect, but well worth your time. Go see it.
 

tanstaafl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Last night I went to the official movie Web site (http://www.atlasshruggedpart1.com/) and checked the products they offer. I was looking specifically for a way to reserve a DVD directly from them, but I didn't see anything like that. I figured that since money is something of an issue with their finances that they'd offer DVDs direct to the public, cut out the middlemen, and pocket all the profits. They may yet do exactly that, but as I said I didn't see any indication of it yet.
 

Hacker

Computer Hacking Pirate
This is just a hunch . . .

Because of the limited release, I see this movie running for several months - not just the standard few-week burst that many movies do.

Thus, we may not see the DVD until Christmas (or so).
 

FarOut

Inactive
Interesting circumstance: I check what movies are showing locally on msn.com. Last Friday a local theater disappeared from the listing. It's happened before; they sometimes don't get the list until a day late. Nothing over the weekend or Monday. Checked the theater on Google; they were showing Atlas Shrugged. Went back to msn.com and checked movies now showing; Atlas Shrugged isn't listed. So along with all the idiot liberal critics slamming it msn isn't listing the schedule of any theater that shows it. Nice. :mad:
 

Wise Owl

Deceased
I have to get our local library to add the book to it's collection. It's a classic. They have the Fountainhead but not AS.
I read it when I was about 26 and it impressed me way back then. DH tried to read it a couple years ago but anything that long is daunting for him.......

Maybe I can find our own copy of it somewhere. I think I used to own it but it got lost when I moved from Michigan to Maine. I would LOVE to sit down and read it again. And then do the Fountainhead just for frosting....
 

workerbee

* Winter is Coming *
I hope the movie does well.

We saw it Sunday 1pm.....when we arrived there were around 10 people in the theater......by the time the film started, it was 1/3 filled, which isn't bad for an extremely early afternoon showing.......I'm sure the 3, 5 and 7 showing had a bigger audience.

Took our 13 (14 next month) daughter and her friend.....at the end our DD was explaining the context of the movie to her friend, and DD hasn't read the book, just heard her Dad and I talk about it enough, lol!

DD wants to read the book, maybe over the summer.

Crowd was mostly an older crowd with a few 20/30 year olds peppered in.

The beginning of the movie could be a news report from today.
 

Wise Owl

Deceased
I actually found the book at the library today when I went into town......! It's a paperback but that's ok. I have it for two weeks and can keep it longer if I call and renew it. Not up for the epic today but maybe in a couple days I will sit down and start it again. They have the Fountainhead also so that will be next for me.
 

tanstaafl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
The movie soundtrack CD is now available for $12.95 at the Atlas Shrugged movie web site (still no way yet to buy/reserve a DVD that I've found):

http://www.atlasshruggedpart1.com/merchandise

I went to see the movie again last Friday. I almost NEVER watch the same movie more than once in a theater, but I figure if I can contribute that little bit towards encouraging them to actually make the other two movies then it's a few bucks well spent. I noticed the music more the second time around.
 

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Wise Owl

Deceased
I am on page 175 right now of the book. It has been 35 years since I first read it. I have to say it is dead on current in the attitudes of the people in it referencing today's attitudes. I was about 25 when I read it the first time and it impressed me back then. Even more so this time. Please go to the library and check the book out and read it. THEN watch the movie. I am sure they have cut major portions out to make the movie but it's probably still good.
It's just that to get the whole concept, you really should read the book.

Absolutely fascinating. Brain dead people taking over the world. Pure communism in what they do. And just a few intelligent people trying to fight against it.
 

Troke

On TB every waking moment
There is a news article floating around that says after doing pretty well in the opening days Atlas Shrugged has crashed so badly that it is being jerked from venues.

Unfortunately, I lost the reference and cannot locate it.....possibly somebody has seen it. It was published yesterday or today.
 
Read a review of the movie on Steve Sailor's sight. He seemed to enjoy the film.

"Atlas Shrugged: Part I"

http://isteve.blogspot.com/2011/04/atlas-shrugged-part-i.html

From my movie review in Taki's Magazine:
Atlas Shrugged: Part I is the most universally despised movie of 2011, but I liked it. Critics hate this adaptation of Ayn Rand’s 1957 cult novel for predictable ideological reasons, while Randites are embarrassed that their exalted capitalist system failed to pony up the munificent financing necessary to give Rand’s doorstop novel the blockbuster treatment they feel it deserves. ...
To my surprise, I quite enjoyed Atlas Shrugged. Although the story is a hymn to the overdog, this low-budget movie has underdog appeal. I soon started to root for the plucky filmmakers to pull off their high-wire act of making a movie that’s distinctive—not distinguished, but still very 1957 in texture—without having anywhere near enough of the dollars that Rand idolized.

Read the whole thing there.
 

Conrad Nimikos

Who is Henry Bowman
...Wife, daughter and I wend to see it Monday at the 5:10 PM showing. Unfortunately we were the only people there. As for the film itself I can describe how we felt about it in 3 words "WE WANT MORE!".
 

Kronos

Veteran Member
I recently read AS, more or less in order to grep all the "Go Galt" references.

I have not seen the movie.

While I understand the GALT angst,
IMO, framing the protagonist as some gorgeous powerful horny sleep-around
was a sure-fire recipe for Hollywood to emphasize the latter at expense of any (purported) message.

AS could have done without the sleaze. Just my opinion.

Reardon may have been some major whiz-bang, but the adultery and sado- was... what?

Honestly.
 

TB2005

Contributing Member
Saw it. Good production value, decent acting, good photography,

terrible dialogue. Mostly a direct lift from the book. Nobody talks like that, as if they are in 3rd period Economics class. Producer should find a real screen writer.

Needs to have more of a Dallas or Dynasty feel, classic tale of back stabbing in the elite class. Plenty of potential JRs, Crystals, Blakes, etc in the plot.

Also could also benefit by changing to more contemporary industry situations. Trains, steel, bridges not as snappy as maybe Internet, space vehicles, cures for disease, public employee unions, and contemporary bureaucratic organizations like CDC, NASA, NPR, czars, etc.

Maybe a 8 or 12 hour TV mini-series could do it justice.

Can't strongly recommend the movie. Just OK. Will definitely see the sequel.
 

tanstaafl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Today I received the music CD of the "Atlas Shrugged: Part 1" motion picture soundtrack. The music alone is really very, very good without the distraction of the movie (among other things, Taylor Schilling as a MUCH sexier Dagny than I had pictured when reading the book). Lots of inspiring and well done orchestral music that invokes strong images and feelings (at least for me, but I really like strings and piano). With only a single listening, oddly enough I think I like "Dagny's Despair" the best. The music was composed by Elia Cmiral, who it turns out grew up under communism and found artistic and individual freedom in the US much like Ayn Rand did (but he didn't know that when he started the job). If you liked the movie and want to provide additional financial/moral support to the second and third movies, I think it's worth your time and money to buy the soundtrack CD -- the CD cost me $17.90 with s&h (http://www.atlasshruggedpart1.com/merchandise).

Still no way to reserve an advance copy of the DVD when I checked just now (at least none that I found).
 

Old Gray Mare

TB Fanatic
I hope they allow us to watch this over the net. I would happily pay to do so. Maybe they will put it out on disk soon?I know some folks I'd love to send it to.
 
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