Atlas Shrugged (Part I)

I enjoyed this book not because of the plot or the ideals, but because I found it wonderfully written. Also, I thought Ayn Rand's views were shaped partly because she would have been in her 30's (and a US resident) during FDR's many public-assistance programs. (e.g. Social Security, Welfare) If a political-minded intellect followed the implications of these programs - that is, if they were to grow and take over our government, one could picture the world outlined in Atlas Shrugged.

But to bring this novel onto the screen more than 50 years after it was written, and to present this world as 2016, is much more far-fetched than the context of the novel.

The movie was, overall, terrible. Although I found the casting adequate, and the acting acceptable, Ayn Rand's words and concepts come through as thin and laughable.

When Dagny traded for the Rearden steel bracelet, we can almost glimpse Rand's insights. But these glimpses are few and far between. We can feel Dagny and Hank's frustration and determination, but the other characters seem extremely one-dimenstional and impossible to believe.

I hope Part 2 (and 3!) are filmed, but only because Atlas Shrugged is a story that deserves to be told.