I got around to seeing the movie this morning along with about ten other folk. I was reminded of why I don’t go to movie theaters: they’re run by sadists who like to torment people with a quarter hour of promos following the advertised starting time, meat-locker temperatures and ear-splitting sound. I didn’t bring my wife knowing she couldn’t have endured the torment but I’ll get the DVD later.

So, what of the movie? Quite good, mostly. The screenplay is faithful to the novel, thanks, no doubt, to David Kelley. The special effects, notably the tunnel disaster and the airplane chase and crash, are powerful. I wasn’t bothered by the change to an all-new cast. Rearden’s trial was done well. The acting, however, is mixed. Rearden is good and the bad guys are good but Dagny, who is really the central character, was a disappointment. She looked almost bored as she piloted her plane toward what increasingly looked like death. Only later did she crank up the intensity.

Just a couple of nits: two men can’t lift a concrete railroad tie. Galt tells Dagny not to move because she’s hurt and then extends a hand to drag her out of the wrecked plane. A few others but nothing substantial, really.

I give it 3.5 stars out of 4, but I’m sure the critics won’t agree. It looks like the movie will follow Part I into oblivion, sad to say. One only hopes that DVD sales will pick up and that it will enjoy the same sort of underground success that the novel enjoyed following its scathing reviews.