We posted the trailer months ago, but in honor of today’s opening, here’s PJTV on location at the D.C. premiere (via Common Cents). The question on everyone’s mind: What does noted liberal Roger Ebert think? Well, guess:

So OK. Let’s say you know the novel, you agree with Ayn Rand, you’re an objectivist or a libertarian, and you’ve been waiting eagerly for this movie. Man, are you going to get a letdown. It’s not enough that a movie agree with you, in however an incoherent and murky fashion. It would help if it were like, you know, entertaining?

The movie is constructed of a few kinds of scenes: (1) People sipping their drinks in clubby surroundings and exchanging dialogue that sounds like corporate lingo; (2) railroads, and lots of ’em; (3) limousines driving through cities in ruin and arriving at ornate buildings; (4) city skylines; (5) the beauties of Colorado. There is also a love scene, which is shown not merely from the waist up but from the ears up. The man keeps his shirt on. This may be disappointing for libertarians, who I believe enjoy rumpy-pumpy as much as anyone.

Any film review featuring the word “rumpy-pumpy” will always have a place at Hot Air. Anyway: I haven’t seen it yet, but based on the other reviews I’ve read, I suspect he’s onto something. Buying a ticket sounds like less a fun afternoon in the making than an act of ideological devotion, so unless you’re an Objectivist eager to make the pilgrimage to cinematic Mecca, I’m not sure why you’d bother. In fact, even some critics well-disposed to Rand politically are encouraging people to pass: Both Kurt Loder and P.J. O’Rourke came away unimpressed with the flick as entertainment, however sympathetic they might be to the message. (See Reason’s round-up for a few who were more enthused.) Have any of the Hot Air faithful had a chance to see it yet? I’m open to persuasion.