Review of Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011) by Rod H — 07 Dec 2011

Any fictional narrative that puts philosophy ahead of story does so at its own peril. "Atlas Shrugged Part 1," Paul Johansson's adaptation of Ayn Rand's epic-length novel, testifies to this point.

Like the novel itself, the film exists entirely as a life support system for Rand's objectivist viewpoint. Students in the School of Rand might find this fascinating, but the average viewer must sit through a drawn-out talkfest than feels much longer than its 97 minutes.

And beware the "Part 1" . . . this film is only the first of a projected trilogy. However, given the disasterous performance of the first installment at the box office, the wait for "Part 2" might be even longer than it takes to read the novel!