Watch Atlas Shrugged: Part II For Free

Just what I expected

A lot of fun.

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

I just got around to watching the first two parts of Atlas Shrugged in preparation for the upcoming release of Part III.Looking past all philosophical objectives, this book changed my life. I have never been so connected to a group of characters or a story line in my life as I was when reading it. I don't consider myself an advocate of objectivism, but the way Rand depicts the triumph of the human spirit has always proved to be uplifting for me personally, and I love all of her novels.That being said, I was terribly disappointed in these movies. I feel like the casts did what they could, and that the general idea was portrayed decently, but there is a depth and beauty in the novel that was totally lost in translation to film. The film is left dry and without any real feeling to it. Instead of feeling connected to the story and uplifted by the successes of characters I love, I was bored and disheartened by the total obliteration of one of my favorite books.I also hate how much they give away about the disappearances throughout the movies, when reading the novel you are left in a lot more suspense as to what is happening. So, basically, these movies are a lot like the book if you strip everything away from the book that makes it wonderful.

I haven't read the book so can't comment on it, but the story in the movie is so original and so important that I just loved it. I saw part one but honestly couldn't remember if they had changed the actors in part two or not, since none of them were well-known. The acting seemed fine. The movie looked like a medium budget movie. The special effects weren't great and some of the scenes weren't as large-scale as they could have been, like the steel mill, the protesters, etc... But all that was fine because the movie was great. I'd imagine conservatives would like it and liberals would hate it. It's great to see a glimpse of where we're headed when the government goes overboard with talk of fairness and equality. It leads to everyone being equally poor.

Sure I'm not an Ayn Rand sycophant. Ayn Rand had wanted to write a book where the rich went on strike. Well it seemed like a childish (no childlike) premise from the start. But let's leave all that behind. At it's core, it's an apocalyptic future America. That's every other movie nowadays anyways.They have recast all the roles. Samantha Mathis is now Dagny Taggart. She's a capable actress who could hold the movie together. The scale of the movie has marginally improved from the first installment. There is still too much talking, too much posturing, and not enough action. It's as if the filmmakers want to explain philosophy rather than make a good story.And there is too much that screams 1950s. How puritanical do you have to be to sign away your pride and joy to preserve your lover's sexual reputation? This and many other little things demand a rewrite.And this whole thing of refusing to sell steel to the government. It makes Rearden look petty and silly rather than a Real Capitalist. Isn't capitalism dependent on the philosophy of "Money Rules All"? Capitalism shouldn't be selective. I'd rather have the government jackboot their way into the factory. It would make more sense for the story.

Oh my God you people giving good reviews to this movie are ideologues! I guess that's the type of America we live in now though where anything that mirrors your worldview is a great art. Realistically though, you ought be able to be the world's most Randian libertarian and be able to admit this movie was awful (I bet Facebook Paypal alum Peter Thiel, if you could get him to watch it would think it was total trash and he's such a Rand fan he's literally going to build those islands in the Pacific from the end of the book).It's hard to tell what is the film and filmmakers fault (probably a lot of it) and what you can chalk up to this story being terrible and flat. I read The Fountainhead in high school and truly loved it (could be that it sucked but I was in high school) yet have never gotten through Atlas Shrugged. I've worked in the private sector my entire life, am obsessed with markets, watch more Bloomberg than any other channel etc. and the characters in this book have never seemed anything but cartoonish to me. All the dialogues really seem shocking and along these lines:Hero: "I do everything for money. I want more, nay, all the money possible"Interlocutor: "Hey the government is going to offer you a billion dollar grant"Hero: "I shall not take such government bribes!"ORHero: "I need you produce me this metal/engine/whatever"Interlocutor: "I can but I'm going to charge you exorbitantly for my efforts"Hero: "I wouldn't have it any other way"Wow, I've worked in Securities and IT Buying and these type of exchanges are absurd and throughout the book. Only a writer or a Paul Ryan type of conservative politician with no private sector experience could think businesspeople think this way, (I would imagine though its common sense.)With these kind of essential failings in the book you can't really blame the movie for failing, if it at least its effort to put it to screen was ambitious. This was NOT. I thought the first movie was absolutely terrible but this one was so wretched I'm almost looking back on it fondly. I'll probably see Part III and this one will be in some way redeemed. There's a version of The Fountainhead starring Gary Cooper that I understand is much better if you must get your Ayn Rand fix. Let me close with saying that I am a religious believer in capitalism yet also loved movies like Che and The Motorcycle Diaries because they were good movies and hate movies like this because it is simply garbage. You people who gave this movie more than 3 stars because it affirms your worldview, you are seriously what is wrong with this country and I blame you for nearly all of its problems.