Task 37 – “Atlas Shrugged Part I” Movie Review

(37) Watch 26 Movies (9/26)

Movie: Atlas Shrugged - Part I

Rating: 3-Stars

Unlike most Hollywood blockbusters, Atlas Shrugged - Part I was filmed on a shoe string budget of ~$10 Million. The producer, John Aglialoro, gambled his own money and time to bring this adaptation of Ayn Rand’s famous book to the silver screen.  Unlike most adaptations Atlas Shrugged stayed true to the author’s words and ideas.

By now the plot is so well known that it is no spoiler to share that Atlas Shrugged isa murder mystery. It isn’t a traditional murder mystery about the killing of a human body, but of the assassination of the human spirit. The mysterious killer is John Galt.

The movie is well acted and perfectly cast.  It contains a mix of new faces and those you will recognize as supporting actors from other movies and it will drive you nuts trying to place them. The audience is allowed to follow the narrative of the story and soak in the ideas of the author without being distracted by a big name actress such as Angelina Jolie or Charlize Theron who were purportedly vying for the role of heroine Dagny Taggert.

Character development suffers from the movies fast pace and leaves you wondering how all these people are bound together other then the obvious business relationships. The audience is given just enough to allow it to make sense without really explaining the background. This is an obvious restriction of a 90 minute movie and leaves you feeling a bit rushed.

The special effects were spectacular. The dramatic 250-mph run of Dagny's train on the new John Galt Line made of the blueish-green Rearden Metal was very exciting and believable. The score was fitting an epic story. The choice to set the film in 2016 instead of the 1950s allowed the writers to tie in current events related to the recession and bailouts.

The movie has an obvious cult following and is being well received by audiences around the country while receiving critical reviews from professional reviewers. I take my hat off to the producers for taking on a movie said to be un-makeable and creating the beginning of something the audience will certainly want to see parts 2 & 3.