So, I saw Part 3 today. Some thoughts:

- This is clearly a trilogy aimed at fans of the book and no one else. A few reasons why will be encountered below in other thoughts.
- Three movies simply isn't enough to fit the book in. You need at least 6. Maybe 8. Atlas Shrugged has a level of content of the entire Lost television show. I suspect is better purposed as a multi-season TV show.
- While I really like seeing Ron Paul in there, it jolted me out of the movie and back into reality. It is just too startling to use political figures in the movie. Which brings me to ......
- It is super douchey to put Glenn Beck or Sean Hannity in there. ESPECIALLY HANNITY. While the head of Freedomworks and Grover Norquist were in there playing bit parts ... they too were just too startling and brought you out of the movie. It was a bit funny seeing Grover play a government baddie though.
- Huge meaty chunks of important elements of the book simply aren't there owing to time. This includes Francisco and Dagney's relationship. Dagney and Hank's relationship. Hank and his wife's relationship. James and his wife's relationship. The full monologue between Hank and the government goon wanting Rearden Steel. The full monologue between Hank and Francisco. The monologue by John Galt is there, and powerful, but paired down from like 30+ pages to maybe half of one. While I'll be the first to cheer shortening that monologue ... that is wayyyyyy too short. Ragnar is only mentioned briefly in passing. The economics of The Gulch are utterly absent, particularly as they tie into the Income Tax and Midas and Ragnar.
- Given the huge gaping chunks of the book not there, I don't think you can coherently follow the movies at times if you haven't read the book. They can, and frequently do, jump 50 ... 100 ... 150 pages worth of book material.
- Having a new cast for each and every part is deeply jarring to keeping the experience going. And I mean new. There are, AFAIK, ZERO people who make it into more than just one movie.
- Having said all that, I really liked John Galt's final monologue. It is a V for Vendetta "good evening London" kind of moment. Outstanding.


So .... make it a multi-season TV show. It would need to be somewhere behind a pay wall like Netflix or HBO to have the total creative freedom necessary. This will give it the proper time to delve into such a complex and deeply multi-faceted story. Keep the cast in lockstep throughout production. NO CURRENT POLITICAL FIGURES. Even ones I like such as Ron Paul. It cheapens it, takes you out of the moment, and dates the production. Not bad given that they made three movies with half a typical Hollywood budget for one movie. But they can and should do much, much, MUCH better.