20

Atlas Shrugged II critique by LetsShrug

Posted by LetsShrug 12 years, 8 months ago to Movies
118 comments | Share | Best of... | Flag

First of all I want to send out a HUGE thank you to EVERY person involved in bringing Atlas Shrugged to the big screen, especially right now when so many need to be awakened. NOW is the time and you've nailed it! So thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

I was only disappointed in one thing while watching this movie: The size of the audience. Granted it was a 10:10am showing on a weekday (Friday), but I had really hoped for a bigger bunch of producers to show up. We were there with approx 60 others.

I didn't expect the movie to begin with the flight/chase scene, and for a split second I questioned that decision, but then I realized that it sucked in the viewer, making them thirsty for answers for who, what, why, where, and when is this happening? Brilliant!

I think a great job was done to tie in the details from the previous chapter (part I). Just a few words here and there were enough for the first time viewer to catch up with the present events.

The speeches: Hank Rearden in court, and Francisco d'Anconia at James and Cherryl's wedding, were cut incredibly short, but the main points were still made.

The new cast members, although older, were well cast. Particularly Patrick Fabian (James Taggart), and Kim Rhodes (Lillian Rearden).

The “bum” on the train's character was completely changed, the snowstorm, when the train stalled, was left out, and Dagny made her way to the airport, (where she buys a plane to fly to Utah to try and catch Quentin Daniels), in a truck, rather than on foot, but again, it didn't diminish the story line.

I am left with only one question. I know this is petty, ridiculous, silly, and unimportant, but I have to ask. In the part where Dagny is at their family cabin and she's cleaning up and chucking things off the front porch she heaved/dragged a perfectly good (as far as I could tell) adirondack chair into the front yard. Why? What was wrong with that chair? Okay, okay, it was HER chair she can throw it in the junk pile if she wants to...it just bugged me a little. I know I'm just nitpicking, but I wasn't convinced that she was “cleaning” at that point. I liked that chair. :(

All in all the movie is a MUST-SEE and I will tell everybody I know to go see it and I hope it has a tremendous turn out. We need it.


All Comments


Previous comments...   You are currently on page 4.
  • Posted by WesleyMooch 12 years, 8 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I'm rusty here, bear with...
    "Finally! To enjoy the fruit of the film. I have to work tomorrow. Now I'm going to bed. Good night."
    How'd I do, Maestro?
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by 12 years, 8 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Finalmente! Disfrutar de la película. Tengo que trabajar en la mañana. Ahora vamos a la cama. Buenas noches.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by WesleyMooch 12 years, 8 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Mañana, mañana, mañana ees gooed enough for me. As far as my value-for-value exchange, you'll find my sawbuck on the weekday tallies.

    Not to get too norbert_numbnuts here, but at this point, the weekend (or week's end) tolls will need to rise, and rise sharply, to pull this wagon into the black. It's not unheard of, I'm not crying "Uncle!" yet.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by 12 years, 8 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Eddie was "miscast" in the first one too :( (And I don't think their childhood friendship is ever mentioned). I'm glad I'm not the only one noticing the furniture. As for the big shoes to fill in the next chapter...Who is John Galt?
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by Mark32 12 years, 8 months ago
    Just went to see the movie. I would like to thank the makers of this movie for putting this great book on the big screen. Like others, I too miss the original cast. I particularly thought the new Eddie was miscast. You don't get the feeling he and Dagny were childhood friends. Also, it is funny. I too thought it was weird that Dagny was throwing all this furniture into the front yard. Glad I wasn't the only one. It will be interesting who the actor is that plays John Galt. Those are big shoes to fill.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by mccannon01 12 years, 8 months ago
    I just finished seeing AS2 and enjoyed it, for sure. Nice review, LetsShrug. I also cringed when Dagny tossed the adirondack chair off the porch, but as mentioned by DFish below, a later scene cameoed the chair set up overlooking the lake. I like those chairs because when they are constructed properly they can be very comfortable. Several decades ago I spent many hours in one of those chairs at a cottage overlooking the Raquette River in the Adirondacks reading "Atlas Shrugged".
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by Ob1 12 years, 8 months ago
    Just saw it tonight with my wife at AMC Monterery Park Calif, two screens had it, One was sold out, so we got into the second one. If this was the overflow from a packed screen, I'm happy. We thought Part2 exceeded our expectations; adapted to the change of cast, many were spot on. As always with a screen adaptation there will be changes, but the film had a good flow of continuity with the book nonetheless. I hope a LOT of people see it, and soon! There is much that reflects current headlines extrapolated forward. We can change the outcome for the better, if people will learn from history, and from films like this.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by 12 years, 8 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Gasp! No! You don't burn the chair...you paint it white and put a nice colorful potted plant in it. ... Or a new seat cushion and face it toward the lake. :) (And that's the last time I'm mentioning the petty chair.)
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by oilandgasman 12 years, 8 months ago
    Kudos for staying true to the book! Yet again another excellent production - but improved casting all the way around. Dagny was extremely well cast - much as I have imagined her on many reads through the book over the years. So rave reviews for Samantha Mathis. My wife - a former tv and film actress - and a tough critic - praises Ms. Mathis for her excellent work. Same for Hank Reardon (jason Beghe). His character reminds me of some of the oil patch entreprenuers I have known over the years. Got a kick out of the brief "Hannity"cut - but my guess that at this stage of the game - there would be no Fox news - only state controlled media in the Atlas Shrugged world. Nice touch, though.

    As to the Adirondack chair: I don't like them either. Pretty uncomfortable, and better suited for kindling.

    Had a pretty fair audience size (Newport Beach) for a 4:30 matinee, but I am hoping like all of you that Part II has a much bigger draw and is financially successful for the producer, especially since we do need to have a Part III.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by 12 years, 8 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Good Lord, Mooch, go see the movie!! (Don't lose your stubs...they might come in handy...not.)
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by 12 years, 8 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Thanks! I will make sure I notice next time...right at that point (when Frisco showed up) the person next to me asked, "Hey, didn't he play the drunk brother in LaBamba?" so I'm blaming that for not noticing the chair. I feel better knowing she used it in the yard tho. :) Also, there's a part (maybe the same scene even) where Frisco calls her Slug and she says something like "you haven't called me that in years", but he called her that in part I when she was asking to borrow money to build the John Galt Line. (I think).
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by overmanwarrior 12 years, 8 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Great review. The review I'm preparing will go in a different direction because I have some very intense thoughts after coming out of the movie. My theater was crowded, and there was another group ready to go in, but I went to see it at night. I feel all the things for the most part talked about in this review, but I have some thoughts that haven't quite settled down yet. Good thoughts!
    Reply | Permalink  

  • Comment hidden. Undo