Atlas Shrugged II critique by LetsShrug
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.
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.
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I think the introduction of Project X would have been confusing without full context. I think it will fit well on it's own as the next phase.
I still missed the newspaper salesmen and the "hustle and bustle replaced by fear". I actually loved the replacement of the stow-away as the engineer with the hat (I need to get that hat, he says wearing the ASII hat). Loved his linkage to Fransisco previous and Dagney's puzzled yet forming reaction.
It is tough to create all the linkages and drop the hints without the written word. This connection to Galt was well done but I missed Ragnar....DVD edition:)
Ready for III, right now. Shrugged Marathon time in 2014. Required attendance for looters to receive govt assistance...(too far?)
But why does Ragnar Danneskjöld rate *no* mention? Nor Project X?
And: Eddie Willers is a completely different person. What do you suppose the producers will do with him in Part 3?
I appreciate the concerns over the chair at the cabin and it did strike me as odd, however it was blown away by my concern over the car. Fisker? Really?
I need some help understanding why it was tauted in the credits as well. I need to understand how a Fisker fits the ideals of the book and presumably the movie. I am not a US only type, so I will not pick on the amount of animation completed in red
China, but somebody needs to explain to me why a government mooching auto like the Fisker made it into this movie. Oh well, at least it wasn't a Government Motors.
If trends continue, are there enough walkers and canes in Hollywood to supply the actor corps of III? If Dagny goes from strong and svelte in I to sad sack (please tell me Mathis is capable of any expression other than hangdog?) and unfit in II, maybe the next is a Sheriff Andy Taylor's "Ain't Bea?"
As to your nephew's name, a hoot indeed.
Thought the flying scenes were nifty, a la Top Gun. Can't wait to see how Galt is portrayed. His voice seems much more gravelly than I imagined. I'm really looking forward to part 3, since that's where all the good stuff happens!
Thank you for the excellent review. I enjoyed the movie Saturday night with a small party I brought with me. As is the case with every movie made from a novel I have read, I recognize the sacrifices that must be made for a screen play, and in this case the adaptation was as well as could be expected. The theatre was almost full. The crowd made rather primitive snarls at the dialog “…Capitalism doesn’t work without government…” My friends enjoyed the movie, and like last time tried to extract answers from me about what happens next. I again repeated, “read the book, or wait till the next installment.” They are not sated. I fear the cliff hanger endings might cost me some friends if A is A doesn’t come out soon! LOL
So now I am impatiently waiting for the DVD release date and the premier of the final movie!
I know that this may be a bit pre-mature, but I must ask, when is the estimated release date for DVD sales and is there a preliminary estimate for the premier of the final movie? I can’t think of a more disappointing possibility than failing to make the final movie! I must have it!
Regards,
O.A.
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