Share mcredpoint's profile
mcredpoint
mcredpoint's stats
- Review count1
- Helpfulness votes0
- First reviewOctober 13, 2012
- Last reviewOctober 13, 2012
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4
mcredpoint's Reviews
Overall rating
4
/
5
A good adaptation
PostedOctober 13, 2012
mcredpoint
from Connecticut
Age:45 to 54
Gender:Male
Goes to the movies:once every few months
Dialogue
4
/
5
Special Effects
4
/
5
Art Direction
4
/
5
Acting
4
/
5
Story
5
/
5
Camerawork
4
/
5
It's an incredible challenge to adapt a 1500 page novel that is deeply philosophical across metaphysics, aesthetics, epistemology, economics and much more,. But I do believe the film makers have done a credible job with both of the films, and I found part 2 to have improved production values, script and acting over the first.
The challenge with a trilogy is to make it accessible to those who have not seen the first film, and so after an initial action sequence there is a bit of exposition than sets context and characters. But it is not long before the story is fully rolling.
Some of the emotional components probably could have used slightly more emphasis from actors and director. The plane chase does not quite capture Dagny's "Oh no you don't" determination, and the scene where Hank Rearden gives in and assigns his patent to the government, while played fairly well, could have used a little more emphasis on the critical realization by Rearden of his love for Dagny - a flashback review of their time together and then the "Oh, that", signing away the patents as he returns from his revierie.
Some cast replacements between Part 1 and 2 were good choices, while others still don't make a lot of sense to me. The replacements for Dagny and Lillian Rearden don't really strike me as significant improvements, but the new Hank Rearden is excellent and Franciso's performance is also very good. And the choice of Bader for Quentin Daniels is a surprising gem.
There are also a few gratuitous omissions of key items from the film. Such as where Stadler tells Dagny that she'd probably like Daniels because Daniels wouldn't work for him. Also, Halley's Fourth Concerto is renamed a Rhapsody (it is a lovely piece of music, however).
Overall, the acting and production values are good. The writer and director also do a good job of making the critical philosophical statements work as reasonable representations of their originals while respecting the real life feel that the movie demand
A few scenes were real standouts and gave me some misty eye moments. Intellectual and philosophical courage are displayed and are pretty well set up in terms of the emotional cost.
Worth seeing whether you are an Objectivist or are just curious about a controversial and highly successful work of fiction and philosophy.
Pros well paced, great story, great actors
Yes, I recommend this movie.
Share:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.