Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violence, some language in awful book-based trilogy finale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Atlas Shrugged Part III: Who Is John Galt?
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
ATLAS SHRUGGED III is set at a time when cellphones are in regular use, unlike the novel it's based on, which was written in 1957. Here, America is in a state of increasing dysfunction. Workers are angry. Blackouts are common. In rebellion against the government, corporate leaders are sabotaging their own factories and mines and "disappearing" from public view, gathering in a self-sustaining secret community far from the eyes of the rest of the world. John Galt (Kristoffer Polaha) is the handsome, self-confident rebel electrical engineer who has persuaded many of the world's smart, wealthy, and accomplished to leave the collapsing world behind. At the heart of Galt's philosophy is the notion that no one should live for anyone else. Enter the lovely head of a large railroad, Dagny Taggart (Laura Regan), who flies her plane smack dab into the force shield Galt erected in the sky to hide his village. What will become of their connection and Galt's movement?
Is It Any Good?
The source material doesn't work on screen here. In Atlas Shrugged III, actors are asked to make long speeches that are poorly written and poorly reasoned. Teens looking for action are bound to be bored. In addition, the film fails to address the inherent disconnect between its predictions about the coming dictatorial future that Ayn Rand foresaw based on the state of the world in 1957, and the completely different conditions on the ground today. For all Rand's forward thinking, she didn't take into account the financial and geopolitical collapse of Soviet communism, nor the influence of the internet, the unregulated rise of tech barons, the power of the billionaire class, and the dominance in politics of huge amounts of private and corporate money.
The movie's claim to fame is that it was crowdsourced by Kickstarter after the first two movies were commercial failures. The lack of funds shows with its low-budget look, stiff performances, and heavy-handed political messages.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the book upon which this film is based. Have you read it? If so, do you think this adaptation is successful? If not, does the movie make you want to read it?
Individualism is the main theme here. Do you believe society does better when everyone is selfish? Why or why not?
Do you think it's possible for societies to foster invention and innovation and allow hard workers to be successful at the same time they provide help to people in need? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : January 1, 2014
- Cast : Kristoffer Polaha , Laura Regan , Greg Germann
- Director : James Manera
- Studio : Samuel Goldwyn Company
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Book Characters , Dystopia
- Run time : 99 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : Some violence and a scene of sexuality
- Last updated : September 23, 2026
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