Overall Rating: 3.5 Eggs
Theatrical Release Date:
04/15/2011
Run Time:
102min.
MPAA Rating:
PG-13 for some sexuality.
Author Disclaimer: Atlas Shrugged is based on a very politically loaded book and I felt is would be important to point out that, when viewing this film, I came to it with no previous pre-conceived notions. I have never read the book by Ayn Rand, I am not an acolyte of Objectivism, nor am I a disbeliever. I stepped into this movie viewing simply for the entertainment of the movie itself. I do not make any claims to the "isms" within the movie. However, I encourage you to share your thought on the matter on our Facebook Page, of course :)
Critique:
Given the disclaimer above, I did step to this movie with a little bit oa wariness. Knowing how deep people are into many of the social issues related to the authors original works, I was a little scared that this movie would either blast right into a diatribe or it would try so hard not to be controversial that it would totally blank out on depth.
Happily, the movie stood on its own. The writing was very respectable and you could tell that a quality script writer had been brought in to craft the story well. The actors came across as realistic and connected well with the viewer. Grant Bowler was a stand out. His cool demeanor and crisp delivery made me believe that what we were seeing in his character was just the tip of the iceberg. Taylor Schilling struck me as a little one dimensional. Yet, she held it together and gave a good performance when called upon to do it.
The surprise in the film was in just how much action they were able to put into it. The subject matter of the movie ( the re-building of a rail line ) can seem a little dated to our audience today. But, the director (Paul Johansson) was able to use the films cinematography and b-roll shots to keep our eyes moving. Even when some pretty long winded discussions we being had.
There was just one moment in the film where it almost began to get preachy. When the two main characters arrive at their second business venture. They begin to discuss why it failed before hand. At this point the hair on the back of my neck began to stand up. But, it was over in a matter of minutes and they were back to the story arch. You could almost here the director or editors saying "Ok, we gave the politicians their chunk of meat. Now lets get back to the movie".
Overall, I found the film enjoyable. It was now and action packed ride. But, it hit the mark. Held back from being too preachy and delivered a solid movie experience.
Tell us what you think about the movie ( or this review ) on our
Facebook page.
Join our
Google+ page and Hangout with us in video chats regularly.
Or get easy updates through our
Twitter account.
