Jack E. Kemp
After the NY Post's film critic Lou Lemenick panned Atlas Shrugged Part II, I was surprised to see that it was playing on opening day in my local outer borough neighborhood's smaller Regal movie chain theater. For that to have happened, someone who saw it was impressed. I recall the first Atlas Shrugged movie opened in New York City at only one or two Manhattan theaters and never got into this particular neighborhood movie house. So I took a short walk and went to see the film.
What I found was a film that had much better pacing and drama than Atlas Shrugged Part I - and a new cast. The first film's Dabney Taggert looked like a local tv news reader from a middle market, barely out of college. She was too young for the part of someone running a major business. The current Dabney, played by Samantha Mathis, is more mature and much more fitting for the part without being a "lady of a certain age." There were also some surprise appearances such as a cameo by Teller of the magic act Penn and Teller - and comic actor Diedrich Bader (formerly of the Jim Carey Show) as scientist Quentin Daniels. Esai Morales as Francisco D'Antocia and John Rubenstein were two other recognizable names in the cast.
The story begins with something out of the ending scenes, a high speed private jet chase through the mountains of the West, and flashes back to tell what lead up to it. The preceding events included heavy handed government regulations hamstringing the producers of society to produce "fairness" and "equal distribution." As I listened to government official Wesley Mouch, played by Paul McCrane, and others argue this viewpoint, it sounded like an Obama stump speech written by David Axelrod...word for word. Wages were frozen. People could not quit their jobs. The government seized all patents, copyrights and corporations. All this motivated talented individuals to leave the society, making references to John Galt in notes left behind. Novel author Ayn Rand - and the film's producers - were showing us what a hard leftist government such as the Obama administration would do to our freedoms, given some additional time and opportunity. Speaking of television commentators, the ones shown in the film parroted the government's rationalizations of "fairness" in slick and soothingly worded statements for public consumption. They were totally believable: I thought I was watching CNN or ABC.
Gasoline in this movie was over twelve times as high as the current California prices, effectively ending private auto travel and restricting airline schedules to once a week flights for those few that could afford a ticket. As much as the government wanted to jail Henry Rearden, the nation's best steel producer, for some "fairness" violation, the court knew it couldn't run his vital company without him. Still, the government seized his tangible assets and made him essentially their employee in a form of indentured servitude without end. Using recent news as inspiration, there was even a government Czar to insure "fairness" was enacted. And the movie dramatically ended with you wanting to see the sequel, Part III.
Although this is will not draw the crowds of a Saw movie, consider it Saw for the "Economy and Freedom," an economic horror story. Go see it.
Comment
Comment by Phil McConathy on October 18, 2012 at 6:58am We are discussing the newest part II of Atlas Shrugged. It is out at the movies now. If you haven't seen Atlas Shrugged Part I it is on Netflex and Redbox now. I would strongly recommend watching Part I first. Great movie and how timely as much of it is too much like what is happening today in America yet the book was written in 1950's by Ann Ryan.
Comment by Peggy Smythia on October 18, 2012 at 3:05am You all are talking about a movie whats the name of this movie? maybe i can get it i know a guy that lives over here thats sells DVDS and maybe i can tell him to get it but i need to know the name of it. and maybe who stars in it. please answer me back on this one.
Comment by Peggy Smythia on October 18, 2012 at 2:59am Right on Phil we must get this Obama out of there. with his vice President neither 1 of them know what they are doing. i think we need to clean the White House out and put Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan and all of thier familys in the White House. somebody that knows what they are doing.
Comment by Phil McConathy on October 14, 2012 at 4:24pm I saw Part II on Friday and it was GREAT. I also liked the Part I but with the character change it took a few minutes to figure out who all the characters were. Just hope they make Part III and keep the SAME actors as Part II in it. I will be taking my grown up children to this movie later this month. I have already purchased the DVD of Part I and viewed it with them a few months ago. It is so scary to see on screen what it slowly happening today under this current rogue socialist administration. All of the regulators and czars was an eye opener as well. We MUST elect Romney and clean out the cesspool currently in DC.
Comment by American Infidel on October 14, 2012 at 12:58pm Update from my comments yesterday: We saw it last night! It was great! I liked both parts, but I did like Part 2 even better than Part 1, most definitely. I would recommend for anyone who has not read the book, to at least see Part 1 first. Part 1 is on Netflix. You can stream Netflix into your home for only 8 dollars a month! Then, if you see Part 1 first, Part 2 will make a lot more sense. There were some old people who were sitting behind us in the theatre who clearly had not seen the first part nor read the book, and they kept talking to each other, asking questions, rather loudly, since they clearly did not hear well. Bless their hearts! We eventually had to move to other, quieter, seats. But no worries; the movie was really well-done! Go see it! You'll be thinking about it all that day and the next day. I sure am!
Comment by jalina susan stutte on October 13, 2012 at 11:40pm Seen It and LOVED it! I had to travel 2 hrs away to find a theatre that was showing it but it was worth it. The only time that I didnt like was seeing Juan Williams and Bob Beckel make a cameo appearence. They make me want to break my tv when I see them on Foxnews.
Comment by Linda G on October 13, 2012 at 10:38pm A boyfriend of mine gave me the book 50 years ago, boy does that make me feel old, and I do not remember if I ever read it. I will try to go to the movie. I have been pushing 2016 on Twitter, and in blogs on the super liberal Washington Post.
The movie made some good points to the un-enlightened viewer. In particular, I liked the description by the former 20th Century Motor Company employee, who described how the company failed… essentially condensing the whole book down into about 90 seconds.
We had a number of STARS (South Texas Ayn Rand Society) members there and when we asked the audience, before the movie started, if they wanted any "Vote Galt/Taggart 2012" campaign buttons, everyone wanted one. Also, lots of people stopped to talk to us in the lobby, after the movie. They all thought it was great and some of them had never read the book. These two movies were their first exposure to anything Rand.
Comment by Kathy Strauss on October 13, 2012 at 8:53pm Go see this movie! Loved Part I, and thought this was heaps better. I'm planning to take my 15 yr old son (who liked Part I enough to tackle the book) later this week. Well worth time and money, and I hope they make enough $$$ to produce Part III.
Comment by James W. Lewis on October 13, 2012 at 8:14pm I just saw the movie this afternoon. Part 1 was good, but part 2 is great. I went right to the bookstore to buy the book, Can't wait for part 3!
© 2013 Created by Judson Phillips.
You need to be a member of Tea Party Nation to add comments!
Join Tea Party Nation