Let me start off by saying that I consider myself a political moderate and have never read this book.
My local mom/pop video store apparently forgot about the "official" release date (grin) and made it available for rental. After watching it last night, I'll have to say that I was very impressed. I knew the budget was small and that no "A-list" actors were on board. But, it didn't seem to matter.
WARNING! POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOLLOW!
The film envisions a future America ruled by an oligarchy of political liberals and labor unions - all seemingly hellbent on turning the USA into a "socialist" democracy. And, they'll stop at nothing to do so. They use a willing liberal media machine and pressure on scientific institutions dependent on government funding to twist the truth about a breakthrough product from Reardon Metals - all because they fear that the company is becoming "too powerful." Fortunately for the company, a railroad executive is a believer in the product and orders a large quantity of the new metal for new tracks and a new bridge. And, the successful inaugural run of the new train at speeds in excess of 250 mph proves the truth about the metal.
Throughout the film, there is an ever-present reference to a man named John Galt. And those unfamiliar with the book (like me) might first suspect that Galt is a government assassin - getting rid of the country's movers, shakers, and doers (aka captains of industry) in order to protect the power interests of the liberal government oligarchy. But in the last few seconds of the film ...
REAL SPOILER FOLLOWS ...
... you hear the spoken words of Ellis Wyatt, one of the investors in the railroad (and one of the "missing" captains of industry). And from his words, you realize that Galt isn't a government assassin at all - nor did these captains of industry die. Instead, they were (woo woo) "recruited" for a purpose that will be fleshed out in the next two parts of this film - to be released in 2012 and 2013.
For me, the suspense of this film kept me riveted to it. And if the actors seemed a bit dull and myopic, I think it was because our captains of industry really ARE dull and myopic people (grin) ... but are otherwise "focused" on their dreams and unstoppable. Example from real life. Who can say that Bill Gates was ever thought of as an "exciting" person (grin)? You don't have to be exciting to get things done ... only "driven." So ... why only 9 out of 10 stars? As I said, I'm a political moderate. And I have a hard time envisioning a scenario where captains of industry are set up to "succeed" in an environment that would seem to be a situation of "too many chiefs and not enough Indians."
To remedy this, I now intend to buy and read the novel ... before part 2 of this film comes out. If the book provides a believable future for the protagonist characters, I'll look forward to the next 2 films. If it doesn't, I won't see them.
My local mom/pop video store apparently forgot about the "official" release date (grin) and made it available for rental. After watching it last night, I'll have to say that I was very impressed. I knew the budget was small and that no "A-list" actors were on board. But, it didn't seem to matter.
WARNING! POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOLLOW!
The film envisions a future America ruled by an oligarchy of political liberals and labor unions - all seemingly hellbent on turning the USA into a "socialist" democracy. And, they'll stop at nothing to do so. They use a willing liberal media machine and pressure on scientific institutions dependent on government funding to twist the truth about a breakthrough product from Reardon Metals - all because they fear that the company is becoming "too powerful." Fortunately for the company, a railroad executive is a believer in the product and orders a large quantity of the new metal for new tracks and a new bridge. And, the successful inaugural run of the new train at speeds in excess of 250 mph proves the truth about the metal.
Throughout the film, there is an ever-present reference to a man named John Galt. And those unfamiliar with the book (like me) might first suspect that Galt is a government assassin - getting rid of the country's movers, shakers, and doers (aka captains of industry) in order to protect the power interests of the liberal government oligarchy. But in the last few seconds of the film ...
REAL SPOILER FOLLOWS ...
... you hear the spoken words of Ellis Wyatt, one of the investors in the railroad (and one of the "missing" captains of industry). And from his words, you realize that Galt isn't a government assassin at all - nor did these captains of industry die. Instead, they were (woo woo) "recruited" for a purpose that will be fleshed out in the next two parts of this film - to be released in 2012 and 2013.
For me, the suspense of this film kept me riveted to it. And if the actors seemed a bit dull and myopic, I think it was because our captains of industry really ARE dull and myopic people (grin) ... but are otherwise "focused" on their dreams and unstoppable. Example from real life. Who can say that Bill Gates was ever thought of as an "exciting" person (grin)? You don't have to be exciting to get things done ... only "driven." So ... why only 9 out of 10 stars? As I said, I'm a political moderate. And I have a hard time envisioning a scenario where captains of industry are set up to "succeed" in an environment that would seem to be a situation of "too many chiefs and not enough Indians."
To remedy this, I now intend to buy and read the novel ... before part 2 of this film comes out. If the book provides a believable future for the protagonist characters, I'll look forward to the next 2 films. If it doesn't, I won't see them.