2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) User Reviews

Ahead of its time but...

[suws1 · 7/10 · 24 June 2013]

I felt the need to review this movie after reading some reviews from other users, simply because I agreed with all. Those who love it, those who hate it, those who enjoyed it, all of them. And the reason is simple: everything they say makes sense to me. I watched the movie for the first time about 10 years ago, and watched it again last night. It still doesn't make perfect sense to me. I mean, the story is absent, the characters don't really get through you, and the ending...who gets that ending?? #SPOILERS# BELOW

The end makes no sense to me... The psychedelic travel, the space child... Maybe I'm just plain stupid, but spending two and a half hours looking at space, slooowww space, and in the end just watch a man in bed, then a baby in a bubble, no explanations, no nothing... Truly, if someone got it and has the hability to explain it to me without calling it "art" or whatever, simply explain it to me, I would be very thankful, not kidding. Maybe that way I would be able to enjoy it next time I watch it, maybe ten years from now.

That been said, why would I rate it a 7...? I believe when I watch a movie for the first time, I should put myself at the time, the era, the social paradigm, the movie was released. And this movie is cleary ahead of its time. Note, that I am talking about the visual effects, and the general idea of the movie. This movie clearly marked an era, a filmmaker, visual effects and the idea of what space was like. For that it deserves a high rating, maybe the highest. Not to mention the hype the movie STILL causes. We still can't reach an understanding...is it a masterpiece, is it overrated. The only way to really be able to discuss it and form your own opinion is to watch it, so the movie reaches its goal: to be watched and debated. A blockbuster rarely does this, we just watch them to get some good action scenes, visual effects, whatever, but when a filmmaker creates a movie that creates hype, controversy and most importantly, a vision of the future, he is creating a cult movie...a classic.

To sum up, as I said in the beginning, when i read people calling it a classic, a masterpiece, I have to agree, but I also agree with those who say its overrated and boring...For me both sentences are true.

Planet of the Hominins...

[Xstal · 8/10 · 22 November 2022]

There's a monolith that seeks to influence, the evolution of the simian confluence, teaching apes how to compete, how to kill to get their meat, all leading to, a lunar revolution. On the moon, another block has been discovered, the apes now have the means to open wings and smother, it's to Jupiter they go, what they'll find nobody knows, but it doesn't seem to fill primates with dread. To protect they have a powerful A. I., it misses nothing, and nothing passes by, everything will not be fine, if you rely on an airline, as it watches with satanic, evil eye. At Jupiter, Darwin gets dispatched, down kaleidoscopic, psychedelic hatch, death brings birth and birth brings earth, a giant foetus wants to berth, I'm not sure hominins will make much of a match.

A perpetually engrossing film that offers more conundrums than conclusions, your interpretations uniquely your own, but the scale, cinematography and concepts are truly out of this world.

It takes hard work to get into, but when you do, its amazing.

[jacknorwood2002 · 9/10 · 3 September 2015]

Originally, I was writing a huge analysis of this film to post on IMDb, going through the film, thinking about it in detail and peeling back all the different layers to it. About half way through I realised that it was getting too long, and I should perhaps be more concise with my review. This however, showcases the huge amount of substance and detail to be found in this film.

In my opinion, the best films aren't the ones that tell you things. The best films are the ones that ask you questions, so that you can think about it for yourself.

The biggest theme in this film, in my opinion, is tools. Near the beginning of the film we are watching two tribes of apes just after the creation of the world. They are rival tribes, but then there is a pivotal moment which changes everything. One tribe discovers tools, in the form of using dead animal bones as weapons, and they are automatically superior. When one apes is playing, smashing a bone against another bone, he throws it up in the air and we witness one of my favourite cuts of all time. Suddenly it cuts to a spaceship with a similar shape, millions of years later, and we come to witness the tools that were discovered by the apes now defining who the humans are. The place they are staying in, a spaceship, is a tool. Breathing, which should be a wholly natural thing, can only be done through a tool. A man's only means of contacting his family is through a tool. For a large part of the film the characters wear spacesuits which, to me, although it is all up to interpretation, is symbolic, as, without their spacesuits (a tool) they would be naked.

Later in the film, we spend a long time following an expedition to Jupiter which has on board an artificial intelligence computer, HAL, an astronaut Dave, and about three other Astronauts in hibernation. The thing that is striking about this section of the film is that Dave and the other Astronaut who awakens, both give extremely unrealistic and unemotional performances. That probably sounds like a bad thing to you, but that's exactly what the director wanted to convey. The fascinating thing about it is that in a ship full of a number of humans and a computer, the computer seems to have the most humanity.

In this section, the two Astronauts decide HAL the computer, has gone out of control and they must unplug him. HAL finds out, and a fascinating situation arises. HAL feels fear. Here, it is easy to view HAL as a one dimensional villain who just wants to destroy things, but really, I think he fears being unplugged in the same way a person would fear being killed. I also think he reacts in quite a human way, killing the the Astronauts in order to save himself. However, Dave reaches HAL's control room and so begins a scene that I think is more disturbing than most things you find in a 12 (I'm British, but I think that translates to a PG-13 in the USA). In this scene Dave unplugs HAL and the most interesting question in the film arises. Is this murder? Whichever way, this is a very sad scene as HAL shows genuine human sadness and fear.

At the end of the film, after an odd sequence consisting of Dave going through a light, colour tunnel and then seeing various landscapes in weird inverted colours, he lands in an eighteenth century room. This is a highly debated scene and is completely open to interpretation, but I will give my views on it:

In this scene, I think that Dave, has travelled so far out, that time and space are insignificant. What I mean is that he has travelled to a place where it doesn't matter where, or when you are, time moves randomly. You could be in the eighteenth century, you could be on earth, you could keep getting older or you could keep getting older, (which all happen to him): it doesn't matter. And then what I think is the most ambiguous ending in film history unfolds. A much much older version of him appears dying on a bed, then you see a baby on the bed replacing where he was which grows and in the final shot you see it next to the earth, a similar size.

So what does the ending mean? What does the film mean? What is it saying about tools? Was the unplugging of HAL really murder? Is HAL really human? What makes us human? Is it trying to imply we are too reliant on tools? Perhaps it is trying to imply that we ourselves are becoming the tools, as the beings with the least humanity. This brings me to my first point. 2001 never makes any statements it, only asks questions. And the great thing about that is that, they are interesting questions I can think about for as long as I want and never come to a conclusion, as I don't think there ever was one.

Legendary

[Wesley-Wang · 10/10 · 14 April 2018]

A stand-alone monument in cinema history, Stanley Kubrick's magnum opus 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is an undeniable masterpiece. 2001 not only shattered science fiction genre conventions, but gave cinema a whole new meaning. From the grandiosity of its futuristic idea to its ambitious execution, 2001 isn't concerned with entertaining us- but rather to inspire us with awe. I've never seen a person say, "2001: A Space Odyssey? I don't think I've seen it... oh wait, the one with like, the spaceships and stuff?", while most movies today are forgotten once the credits roll. What viewers must understand is that 2001 not the type of movie where you "get it" or not, nor is it designed to thrill us with flashy special effects- but as Kubrick said, is "...intended to be an intensely subjective experience that reaches the viewer at an inner level of consciousness." In it of itself, exploring the philosophical and scientific arenas of mankind while serving as a groundbreaking achievement both on a conceptual and technical level is a hell of an accomplishment, but to transcend the audience to a whole new dimension all in one- that's sheer genius at its highest form.

At its premiere, 2001 polarized critics and audiences alike. Walkouts numbered well over 200, including Rock Hudson who asked, "Will someone tell me what the hell this is all about?" The New York Times remarked, "Somewhere between hypnotic and immensely boring." "Superb photography major asset to confusing, long-unfolding plot," Newsday commented. Renowned critic Pauline Kael even went as far as calling 2001 "trash masquerading as art". It's understandable, though. In a time in which excitement revolving around interstellar exploration and extra-terrestrial life was everyday talk, audiences came into 2001 expecting answers. When will we reach the moon? What does the future hold? Are we alone? To their great surprise, 2001 did the paradoxical; leaving more questions to answer than answered questions.

Even though the late 60s marked the height of technological optimism, Kubrick saw ahead, highlighting the potential negatives of technological advancement. Notice the contrast between how apes and humans approach the monolith. The apes approach it with dignity, respect, and mindfulness. The humans approach it with arrogance, grouping astronauts in front of the monolith to take a picture. Since the monolith represents the incomprehensible (man, with his limited senses, cannot comprehend the absence (perfect black) of color or light), Kubrick may be suggesting the manner in which we handle new information is careless and hasty, emphasized in the Clavius base briefing. Scientists discuss how to distribute this exciting news to the public, for "if the facts were prematurely and suddenly stated without adequate preparation and conditioning", as stated by Dr. Heywood Floyd (William Sylvester), it may cause "cultural shock and social disorientation". It's a significant message to the anxious people of 1968 to perceive fresh information precisely and draw conclusions logically.

Yet apes are not much better. They're not willing to share food and water with their fellow apes, and with the discovery of bones as weapons, kill their own race for a puddle of water- possibly foreshadowing our own demise if we continue to advance artificial intelligence. Because like our ancestors, at heart, mankind has been and will always be selfish.

Far before The Terminator (1984) or The Matrix (1999) accentuated the dangers of artificial intelligence, there was 2001. H.A.L 9000, voice played by Douglas Rain, was ingeniously crafted into one of the most terrifying villains in film history. There's something about his calm voice, unpredictability, and especially, his omniscient single red eye that's so frightening. Kubrick utilizes one of his favorite filmmaking devices to compare artificial intelligence with humans: irony. Neither Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea) or Frank Poole (Gary Lockwood) display much emotion throughout the film, while H.A.L, albeit a machine, exhibits some while pleading for life singing "Daisy" (which, by the way, is a heart-wrenching scene) and murdering his crew members. There are clear connotations of humanity's fate when H.A.L attempts to kill Frank, Dave, and the hibernating crew members. Yet H.A.L, contrast to what he may think, is not perfect. If he was incapable of miscalculating even the slightest bit, he wouldn't have gotten himself killed. Kubrick implies that artificial intelligence has not yet reached the level of annihilating the human race, but if we are not careful, they soon will.

This idea coincides with the perplexing final sequence, resembling man reaching the next stage of evolution. After the famous "Star Gate" sequence, Dave is enlightened in a room. The setting hints at the Enlightenment Era, exquisitely decorated in 18th century style and embellished with lavish paintings and furniture. Notice how the room is solely lit through the transparent ground, establishing a heavenly environment. The eerie silence is ominous, magnifying the mystical aura that is ever so present in the timelessness of the final scene. As Dave exits his EVA pod, he watches himself age rapidly through one-point perspective. He knocks over a wine glass while eating, suggesting that man, no matter how advanced, will keep making mistakes. As he lays on his deathbed later, he reaches out to the monolith, alluding to Adam reaching out to God in Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam. After man is enlightened, he inevitably dies.

A pessimistic ending? No. Man is then transported back to Earth as a "Space Baby", an infinitely more advanced race, marking a new age of evolution. A masterful stroke of genius, Kubrick ends hopeful, giving us another chance to improve on our mistakes. Or is it hopeful? Is he implying that civilization is evolving badly? Or is he suggesting that civilization will NEVER evolve? There are multiple interpretations of the ending, and it's a question for you to answer.

There is such a great deal of symmetry in 2001's composition throughout the film, possibly suggesting the equilibrium present in the universe. The painstakingly slow pace also compliments the exactness of its harmony, practically forcing you to admire its artistry. While Andrei Tarkovsky's work would breathe with such organic and poetic beauty, Kubrick's artificial visual fluidity mesmerizes the eye with meticulous precision and thoroughness. Each shot, averaging 13.6 seconds, possesses a sense of purity and perfection that can only be achieved through the medium of cinema.

But of course, it's impossible not to talk about 2001 without mentioning one aspect. The visual effects are so unanimously praised that it's hopeless to even try to describe how groundbreaking and influential they were. Hopeless. I can talk for days about the impeccable zero-gravity effects, clever rotating sets, fastidiously constructed spaceships, the brilliant use of slit-scan photography for the psychedelic Star Gate sequence, or how it pioneered the use of front projection with retroreflective matting, but what's the point? You don't need me to appreciate 2001's immaculate visuals.

Finally, the choice of music is outstanding. Originally, Alex North was appointed to score the film, but Kubrick turned it down in post-production. Critic Roger Ebert explains it perfectly, "North's (rejected) score, which is available on a recording, is a good job of film composition, but would have been wrong for 2001 because, like all scores, it attempts to underline the action-to give us emotional cues. The classical music chosen by Kubrick exists outside the action. It uplifts. It wants to be sublime; it brings a seriousness and transcendence to the visuals."

"But why all the slow parts?" asks the one who fell asleep. Primarily, to establish tone. Unlike the low-budget commercial science fiction movies preceding it, 2001 was meant to be taken seriously. It symbolizes a quest for whether God exists or not, challenges humanity's fate, and questions evolution as a whole. If each shot's average length was two seconds and there was some sappy romantic love subplot mixed in between, the whole film would've been a mess. Space isn't fast-paced like we see in most movies. Space is slow-really, really, slow. The addition of three minutes and seventeen seconds of a black screen in the beginning was also pure genius, a signal for casual moviegoers to get out of the theater now and save your time.

Thankfully, its ingenuity was gradually recognized, and it's now widely regarded as one of the greatest and influential films of all time. It stands at an impressive #6 on the BFI "Sight and Sound" Critics' poll in 2012, ties for 2nd in the Director's poll, places 15th on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies, and tops the Online Film Critics Society list of "greatest science-fiction films of all time".

2001: A Space Odyssey breaks almost every rule there is in filmmaking. The first half drags, the dialogue is unnatural, the static camera creates no visual interest, there are barely any emotional punches, characters are monotonous, and none of the protagonists, if there even are, have dimensionality, arcs or epiphanies. Nonetheless, it's transcendental and sublime, awe-inspiring and thought-provoking, visually revolutionary, technically impeccable, monumentally imaginative, substantially rich, and way ahead of its time, thriving with unparalleled originality and ambition.

Only a few films will live forever. 2001 is one of them. Happy 50th birthday.

Unmatched accomplishment

[simon_booth · 10/10 · 17 June 2003]

Sometimes reading the user comments on IMDB fills me with despair for the species. For anybody to dismiss 2001: A Space Odyssey as "boring" they must have no interest in science, technology, philosophy, history or the art of film-making. Finally I understand why most Hollywood productions are so shallow and vacuous - they understand their audience.

Thankfully, those that cannot appreciate Kubrick's accomplishment are still a minority. Most viewers are able to see the intelligence and sheer virtuosity that went into the making of this epic. This is the film that put the science in "science fiction", and its depiction of space travel and mankind's future remains unsurpassed to this day. It was so far ahead of its time that humanity still hasn't caught up.

2001 is primarily a technical film. The reason it is slow, and filled with minutae is because the aim was to realistically envision the future of technology (and the past, in the awe inspiring opening scenes). The film's greatest strength is in the details. Remember that when this film was made, man still hadn't made it out to the moon... but there it is in 2001, and that's just the start of the journey. To create such an incredibly detailed vision of the future that 35 years later it is still the best we have is beyond belief - I still can't work out how some of the shots were done. The film's only notable mistake was the optimism with which it predicted mankind's technological (and social) development. It is our shame that the year 2001 did not look like the film 2001, not Kubrick's.

Besides the incredible special effects, camera work and set design, Kubrick also presents the viewer with a lot of food for thought about what it means to be human, and where the human race is going. Yes, the ending is weird and hard to comprehend - but that's the nature of the future. Kubrick and Clarke have started the task of envisioning it, now it's up to the audience to continue. There's no neat resolution, no definitive full stop, because then the audience could stop thinking after the final reel. I know that's what most audiences seem to want these days, but Kubrick isn't going to let us off so lightly.

I'm glad to see that this film is in the IMDB top 100 films, and only wish that it were even higher. Stanley Kubrick is one of the very finest film-makers the world has known, and 2001 his finest accomplishment. 10/10.

It's a puzzlement...

[Doylenf · 17 June 2002]

There are two schools of thought about 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. One, is that it is the greatest science-fiction epic ever made. This is supported by those who claim to understand the complexities involved and leading up the Star Child ending. The others, like myself, find it as absorbing as watching paint dry on woodwork.

The musical background is glorious, the colors are dazzling, and there's an interesting use of HAL as a villainous computer. Beyond that, there is nothing the least bit interesting about the human characters (trite dialogue and no personality or warmth to any of the individuals), the pace is unbelievably slow (so the intellectually gifted can philosophize on the mysteries of space), and the payoff at the end leaves you either breathless with enlightenment or convinced that you have watched three hours of nothingness.

I had the same letdown feeling when I watched THE CLOCKWORK ORANGE, so your like or dislike of this movie is purely dependent on personal taste. Intellectuals will take the position that you are a mentally challenged clod if you dare disagree with their elevated opinion of the movie--so be aware that this is not conventional story-telling in any sense whatsoever and only for those who admire Stanley Kubrick's way with unlikely cinematic material.

My god, it's full of stars

[drn5 · 10/10 · 20 April 2003]

For all those bewildered by the length and pace of this film ("like, why does he show spaceships docking for, like, 15 minutes?"), here's a word you might want to think about:

Beauty.

Beauty is an under-rated concept. Sure, you'll often see nice photography and so on in films. But when did you last see a film that contains beauty purely for the sake of it? There is a weird belief among cinemagoers that anything which is not plot or character related must be removed. This is depressing hogwash. There is nothing wrong with creating a beautiful sequence that has nothing to do with the film's plot. A director can show 15 minutes of spaceships for no reason than that they are beautiful, and it is neither illegal nor evil to do so.

'2001' requires you to watch in a different way than you normally watch films. It requires you to relax. It requires you to experience strange and beautiful images without feeling guilty that there is no complex plot or detailed characterization. Don't get me wrong, plots and characters are good, but they're not the be-all and end-all of everything. There are different KINDS of film, and to enjoy '2001' you must tune your brain to a different wavelength and succumb to the pleasure of beauty, PURE beauty, unfettered by the banal conventions of everyday films.

"All art is quite useless" - Oscar Wilde.

Greatest Movie of All Time

[mmt02 · 10/10 · 3 June 1999]

Instead of writing a paragraph, I'll give four good reasons why 2001 is the greatest cinema experience of all time: 1) It is a visual Odyssey that could only be told on the big screen. The special effects that won Kubrick his only Oscar are the most stunning effects before that age of Jurassic Park and T2. They allow Kubrick to give an accurate (or at least are the most accurate) depiction of space travel to date. The silence that fills the space scenes not only serves its purpose as accurate science, but also adds to the mood of the film (to be discussed in a later point with HAL). The fact that Kubrick shot the moon scenes before the Apollo landing is a gutsy yet fulfilling move. Many have said that upon its original release, it was a favorite "trip" movie. I can think of no other movie that has such amazing visuals for its time and even of all time (sorry Phantom Menace fans!) 2) Kubrick's directing style is terrific. As in all his films, Kubrick likes to use his camera as means to delve into the psychology of his characters and plots. His camera is not as mobile as other greats, such as Scorsese, but instead sits and watches the narrative unfold. Faces are the key element of a Kubrick film. Like classic movies, such as M and Touch of Evil, Kubrick focuses on the characters' faces to give the audience a psychological view-point. Even he uses extreme close-ups of HAL's glowing red "eye" to show the coldness and determination of the computerizd villain. I could go on, but in summation Kubrick is at the hieght of his style. 3) HAL 9000 is one of the most villainous characters in film history. I whole-heartedly agree with the late Gene Siskle's opinion of HAL 9000. Most of this film takes place in space. Through the use of silence and the darkness of space itself, a mood of isolation is created. Dave and his crewmen are isolated between earth and jupiter, with nowhere to escape. Combine this mood with the cold, calculated actions of HAL 9000 and you have the most fearful villain imaginable. I still, although having see this film several times, feel my chest tighten in a particular scene. 4) The controversial ending of 2001 always turns people away from this film. Instead of trying to give my opinion of the what it means and what my idea of 2001's meaning in general is, I'd like to discuss the fact that the ending serves to leave the movie open-ended. Kubrick has stated that he inteded to make 2001 open for discussion. He left its meaning in the hands of the viewer. By respecting the audience's intelligence, Kubrick allowed his movie to be the beginning, not the end, of a meaningful discussion on man's past, present, and future. The beauty of 2001 is that the ending need not mean anything deep, it can just be a purely plot driven explanation and the entire movie can be viewed as an entertaining journey through space. No other movie, save the great Citizen Kane, leaves itself open to discussion like 2001. It is truly meant to be a surreal journey that involves not only the eye but the mind. Instead of waiting in long lines for the Phantom Menace, rent a widescreen edition of 2001 and enjoy the greatest cinematic experience.

A film of monolithic proportions.

[Manthorpe · 10/10 · 5 January 2005]

A review I have put off for far too long....

Bluntly, 2001 is one of the best science-fiction films made to date, if not the very best. Stanley Kubrick was a genius of a film maker and this is one of his very best works. And although it is misunderstood by many, and respectively underrated, it is considered one of the best films of all time and I'll have to agree. Back in 1968, no one had done anything like this before, and no one has since. It was a marvel of a special effects breakthrough back then, and seeing how the effects hold up today, it is no wonder as to why. The film still looks marvelous after almost forty years! Take note CGI people. Through the use of large miniatures and realistic lighting, Kubrick created some of the best special effects ever put on celluloid. This aspect alone almost single-handedly created the chilling void of the space atmosphere which is also attributed to the music and realistic sound effects. I can't think of another film where you can't here anything in space, like it is in reality. Not only is the absence of sound effects in space realistic, it is used cleverly as a tool to establish mood, and it works flawlessly.

Aside from the magnificent display of ingenious special effects, there are other factors that play a part in establishing the feel of the film. The music played, all classical, compliment what the eyes are seeing and make you feel the significance of man's journey through his evolution from ape to space traveler.

The story, while seemingly simple, is profound. Sequentially, several mysterious black monoliths are discovered and basically trigger certain events integral to the film. What are they? Where did they come from? What do they do? These are all questions one asks oneself while watching the story develop and is asked to find his own way. While most come away with a general idea of what took place in the story, each individual will have to decide what it means to them. Any way one decides to answer these question results in profound solutions. It's not left entirely up to interpretation, but in some aspects it is. Experience it for more clarification. The end result is quite chilling, no matter your personal solution.

While it is a long film, and sometimes slows down, it has to be in order to accurately portray the journey of man. It's not a subject that would have faired well in a shorter film, faster paced feature. Those with short attention spans need not apply.

Last but not least, is the epitome of a remorseless antagonist, HAL 9000, the computer. Never has a machine held such a chilling screen presence. Which reminds me, for a film with such profound ambition and execution, there is surprisingly little dialogue. Another sign of Kubrick's genius.

All in all, one of the best films made to date and one of the very best science fiction films made. A personal favorite. Everyone must see this film at least once.

Very highly recommended.

I don't get it

[briancham1994 · 6/10 · 10 August 2020]

Count me as one of the philistines who is too simple-minded to appreciate this so-called masterpiece. Actually, I have a degree in media studies and a great interest in science, science fiction and anything thought-provoking (the technical term is "need for cognition"). But I am just baffled by this film and why it is so esteemed. It is simply slow, empty and lifeless. When absolutely nothing is happening on screen, am I supposed to feel or think something profound? Even when my professor explicitly explained to me why this film is so great, I still cannot convince myself that it is so.

Nietzsche and 2001

[Cain47 · 10/10 · 16 November 2001]

I'm always surprised, given that the famous title track of 2001 is called "Also sprach Zarathustra", that nobody (nobody I've read, anyway) has noted the parallels between the movie and Nietzsche's famous work, "Also sprach Zarathustra". The idea of man's rebirth into a star child; an infant form of an indescribably more advanced being, is an explicit part of N.'s "Zarathustra"; there is a prominent passage called "On how a camel becomes a lion, and a lion becomes a child", in which N. describes the first incarnation of the overman as a child, transcending both the ascetic, altruistic side of man (the camel; always asking to bear more weight) and the rapacious, brutish, will-to-power side of man (the lion). The fact that the song plays during the star child sequence can hardly be coincidence. And also, Zarathustra said that "man is a rope tied between beasts and the overman." The structure of the movie fits that description: a brief history of man as beast, until we become truly man by mastering weapons and acquiring reason, then a long sequence about man (the rope, as it were), and then a brief glimpse of the overman. The inscrutability of how these transformations occurred, and the suggestion that an external force caused them, is also Nietzschean; in "Zarathustra", he makes it pretty clear that he doesn't have a clue how people are going to be able to enact these changes themselves and suggests that we will have to depend on an outsider (Zarathustra) to show us how to "go under". Bowman's psychedelic sequence at the near-end could be seen as Kubrick's best 1960's-style attempt at depicting the mystical "going under".

I know these parallels are pretty broad, and almost certainly have been noted elsewhere despite the fact that I have not personally seen it. But I just wanted to mention them, if for no other reason than to try to dispel the myth that Nietzsche was ultimately a gloomy philosopher. Few people find the ending of 2001 to be gloomy, and it is in my opinion, explicitly and unmistakeably Nietzschean. The case could certainly be made that 2001 is above all a dramatization of "Zarathustra" updated for the modern age. Feel free to disregard the outright snobbishness of my tying everything to Nietzsche.

Visually Stunning, But Perhaps Overrated

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 1 December 2014]

Humanity finds a mysterious, obviously artificial, object buried beneath the Lunar surface and, with the intelligent computer H.A.L. 9000, sets off on a quest.

Saying that "2001" is overrated is the sort of statement that can bring down hatred and vitriol from science fiction fans, Kubrick fans and more. Of course, it is possible to be a Kubrick fan and still generally dislike this film.

Nobody can deny that this film is visually stunning, and a landmark in imagery. It also has the advantage of being the last film about space travel to be released before the moon landing, making it somewhat prescient in a way.

But yet, does it need to be so long, so grand, with the music and long shots? Perhaps not quite "pretentious", but the film presents itself as being more important than it really is. Critics at the time (1968) denounced the film, and perhaps they were right. At the very least, two cuts could be made: a longer one for die-hard fans, and a shorter one for casual viewers.

Visually stunning, agonizingly boring and overrated

[aaronjohn-caudill · 5/10 · 19 August 2022]

I decided to give this movie a shot since it's supposed to be an amazing piece of filmmaking and a classic. If you've read any other negative reviews then you've heard other people complain about how boring, slow paced and pretentious it is. The plot is a big question mark and there are scenes that draw on for an eternity. Add in numerous scenes with ear piercing noice and sound effects, it's just a really unenjoyable movie. Isn't the point of watching a movie to be entertained and enjoy ourselves?? I forced myself to sit through this and it felt like work, like I should be getting paid.

I can't completely trash it though. It's incredibly beautiful visually. I can't believe a movie this old has such good effects and looks this good. The sets are also very impressive.

All in all though, I can't ever recommend this to anyone. I wish I hadn't wasted 2+ hours on it. The first 15 minutes is either black screen, silence, or apes screeching at each other for god sakes. This is a movie that "deep" people claim to like to make themselves seem more cultured. Deuce Bigalo is 100 times more enjoyable. But to each their own I guess.

The Sci-Fi That Put The Science In Science Fiction

[CinemaClown · 2 September 2013]

Putting the science in science-fiction, 2001: A Space Odyssey is an unprecedented, undisputed & unparalleled achievement, and a landmark moment in cinema history, for it nearly killed its genre by setting the bar so high that it hasn't been equalled or challenged ever since. Universally & unanimously hailed as one of the greatest & most influential films ever made, it is without a doubt Stanley Kubrick's magnum opus.

Tribute to one of the top 5 filmmakers of our time...

[Don-102 · 10/10 · 7 March 1999]

I write this review just after hearing of Stanley Kubrick's death. It's a great loss, and I write about 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, because I feel it is the consummate Kubrick film, the one he will be most remembered for. It is a picture like no other, not only revolutionizing science fiction, but changing the way films are conceptualized. It was probably America's first 'art' film and has inspired the likes of George Lucas and countless other writers and directors.

Aside from its visual greatness, the reason the film spawns so much discussion and analysis is because so many people have so many different interpretations of it. Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, his co-writer, had a vision, but we have never really found out what was going through their minds. Of course, the skinny on its 'message' is how technology of the future will take over humanity and decide the course of our lives unless we are careful. 2001's ending is one of hope, a version of our rebirth through the star-child's flight back to earth. It is meaningless to many, but discerning filmgoers will understand.

Although 2001 does not have the wicked, dark humor of DR. STRANGELOVE or CLOCKWORK ORANGE, or contain strong, eccentric characters that filled his earlier works like PATHS OF GLORY or SPARTACUS, I still feel he would've liked to be remembered most for this. If anything, HAL will be his most memorable character, dangerous, murderous, and artificial. It was a half-decade in the making at a time when Hollywood was still churning out dull musicals and just waking up to the New Wave of French and Italian cinema. Kubrick was a maverick director who made great films on his own terms, his own time, and for everyone else to marvel at. He will be missed.

Leaves the Viewer Thinking for Weeks on End

[alexcole10 · 10/10 · 13 June 2020]

2001: A Space Odyssey is my favourite film of all time for simply one reason: the ending. Kubrick's ambiguous finish to this suspenseful trip will leave you debating and theorising its purpose for a long time.

Further positive aspects include its eerie score and music throughout (notably at the beginning), the visually pleasing aesthetic, and contrastingly the use of silence to truly prove that "no one can hear you scream in space."

I strongly recommend watching this film in a dark room with no distractions in order to achieve the full cinematic experience, and hopefully it will not disappoint.

The Order of the Universe

[tapioylinen · 10/10 · 7 February 2000]

I spent many a sleepless night after watching 2001. Not only because of the psychological horror (of which 2001 is a masterpiece) but also because of the way it brought me (a restless soul) some clarity to the way I observe the universe. It changed my way of thinking in a very profound way. And after reading the novel (by Arthur C. Clarke) I found myself once again inspired (a writer as I am) by the level of imagination.

The Space Odyssey is not something one can just "go and see". One has to be ready for it, or it cannot be understood. In fact I don't think it can be understood at all, at least not all of it at once. It is a philosophical journey to the infinite and beyond, a masterpiece of it's genre and still after 32 years technically quite impressive all the way to the powerful musical soundtrack featuring 'Also spracht Zarathustra' by Richard Strauss and 'Blue Danube' by Johann Strauss.

Take all the time you want, but eventually you are going to have to see this film. If it can bring some order and understanding to the universe of a struggling artist like me, it can certainly do it for you as well.

Or maybe I'm just plain crazy...

Cosmic Art

[Lechuguilla · 10/10 · 6 February 2005]

Mankind's Self awakening is the theme of "2001: A Space Odyssey", a process that unfolds along a space-time continuum. We "see" our primordial past, and we "infer" a cosmic future. The powers of intuition thus become the doors of perception, in our ongoing collective journey.

From this transcendental perspective, a conventional, egocentric plot seems superfluous. Our frenzied conflicts and self-important dialogue are consumed in evolutionary change, and are irrelevant in a cosmos that is vast beyond comprehension. It's a tough lesson for a vain and aggressive species. Not surprising then that some of us huff and puff about the film's slowness and minimal story. For perceptive viewers, the remuneration is an inspirational sense of wonder and awe.

In this film, which is mostly visual, geometric symbols guide our intuition. Circles and arcs represent nature. Right angles represent conscious intelligence. Some people think the sleek, black monolith is a Von Neumann probe. Maybe. Without doubt, the monolith is a visual metaphor for an extraterrestrial intelligence whose physical form is never shown. Mystery is more profound than explanation.

"2001 ... " is unique among films in content and scope. The cinematography is out-of-this-world, the special and visual effects are breathtaking, and the classical music is sublime. I rarely use the word "masterpiece" to describe a movie. But Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" is art in the highest sense, like Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa", or Vincent Van Gogh's "The Starry Night".

film is a poetical contemplation of most exciting eternal questions

[indraya · 10/10 · 29 August 2002]

This movie is certainly one of the greatest films ever made. It is a story told in a steady pace, told mostly not by words but by cinematic means of expression. Perfect blend of spectacular special effects and classical music bring to life creations of human imagination in both realistic and poetical way. The story itself is quite simple at a first glance. As the title implies, there is an archetypal journey, a motive repeated for thousands of years. This motive was always used not only to depict a trip in space and time, and beyond, but also had rich philosophic meaning. The film is a poetical contemplation of most exciting eternal questions. It is not just an odyssey of a person; it is an odyssey of our species. The film is great by itself, yet, in my case, the impression from it will always be mingled with that from the book. I've read it at the age of 10, really not thinking about problems like 'what is the relationship between evolution of humankind and development of human morality'. But the impression was great enough to make me fall for entire genre of science fiction.

The day I learned '2001' got only special effects Oscar and was not even nominated for the Best Picture was the day when 'Academy Award' completely became two words meaning nothing to me.

A film about everything

[diamond-31 · 10/10 · 3 March 2001]

Like a Circle around the human condition, 2001 starts at the beginning, skips the middle, and proceeds to the ending, right back where we started. Noting the weakness of words compared to image(s), Kubrick wisely dispenses with dialogue, preferring the power and essence of the scenery, and allowing the intelligence of the audience to do the deciphering. Or not, depending on the audience.

A monolith in cinematic history, 2001 is a high water mark of direction, execution, and achievement. If one considers the ambition of the film (a film about everything), and the measure of success the film achieved to that end, a very sound argument for this being the greatest of all films can be made.

Worst Kubrick film

[Willtur · 6/10 · 11 August 2009]

I'm sorry for the lopsided rating but this movie needs to be dropped down a peg from it's absurd status on the IMDb 250. How this ever got lumped in the other great Kubrick movies I will never know. In Dr. Strangelove you had an awesome dialog about war and with A Clockwork you had a look at violence and rehabilitation as well as many other things.

In 2001 you have a look at monkeys for 12 or so minutes. Everyone gets it. It's not hard to get, it's pretty, it has some smart writing but the lack of editing is like watching someones life from beginning to end. 2001: An Eternity would be more fitting. I know some people will say you know what it's perfect, every minute had to be there. That's fine I wouldn't want to rob you of your monkey action or your ship docking sequences but I swear you could do this movie in a short and not lose the message.

Maybe that was the point, To do a movie with space imagery and a ton of sunrise images that you can play you're enigma CD with the lights dimmed low as you try and woe some woman with your impressive movie watching resume. Whatever the case this movie shouldn't be uttered in the same breath as his other movies, they actually have content.

Knowing his work and picking this one over the rest would be like picking Bad Boys 2 over The Third Man, Eye candy over substance.

Ahead of its time

[masonsaul · 10/10 · 6 April 2024]

2001: A Space Odyssey is an ethereal experience. What it covers in its 2 and a half hour run time makes all other films pacing seem bad by comparison. It's timeless and timely whilst offering a complex journey that tells so much of its story visually in a way that really trusts the audience.

Keir Dullea is the ideal protagonist for a slow burning film like this. Since the film is light on exposition and answers a lot of his performance is internalised with his Kubrick stares saying everything. Douglas Rain as HAL 9000 is so unsettling from the first words spoken. His calm tone is perfect as it turns everything he says into a threat.

Stanley Kubrick's direction is so confident, completely unafraid to take its time by letting the sound announce itself well before any image appears. The film not only holds up but also looks younger than it is with visual effects that feel ahead of the time and it contains the greatest match cut in cinema.

By serenading the space travel with classical music it's never felt more serene in those early moments. When the music isn't present the reliance on diegetic sound or none at all for large stretches is immensely effective in maintaining tension. The sets are staggeringly good, watching the actors move around them and the sets themselves rotate never gets old.

The special effects are better than CGI in most movies today

[Chance_Boudreaux19 · 7/10 · 7 April 2016]

I neither love nor hate this movie which is rare, most people seem to have pretty strong feelings towards it either way. The best thing about this movie is that it looks fantastic, the special effects look better than most movies today which again proves that practical effects will always be better than CGI which can look fake at time. A lot of work went into those effects and I can appreciate them and think about how they made it all look so real in the 60s. Where the movie falters is the plot because what is the plot of this movie? The characters have almost no personality and are just tools in the movie, the best character and the only one which has an arc is of course HAL-9000 which is an AI. HAL is menacing and creepy and all the scenes with him were great. I wish the movie followed Dr Floyd and had him go to Jupiter and beyond because his personality was being established and he could have been more developed, instead we get two astronauts who we are supposed to care about but we don't because we just met them and don't know much about them. Furthermore the music is great but really the ritualistic sounds that start playing when the monolith appears would have made any scene creepy, I could have filmed myself looking in the mirror and put that music over the video and it would have been creepy. The space travel scene scared me more than many horror scenes probably because of the subliminal messages combined with the music, Stanley Kubrick is a master of creating creepy scenes that scare me even though they are technically not scary, the way he combines music and visuals to create atmosphere is perfect. All in all the movie is a special effects showcase and the effects do look great but that is not enough for this movie to be one of my favorites. People complain about the Transformers movies being just a showcase of special effects but this movie is exactly that. Now I am not saying the Transformers movies are better because they are not, they are so visually loud they are bound to give anyone a headache but I am just saying that both Transfomers and 2001 are made to showcase special effects and of course 2001 does it much better. It is however a dish that looks like the best thing in the world but the taste doesn't live up to it. Still I enjoyed it despite being bored in a few sections of ships docking and other things and I kind of dig the weird ending, it is definitely a movie I can appreciate on many levels but I just think it could have been so much more.

Don't believe the hype-

[Nessy_Gliana · 1/10 · 12 August 2006]

I did and I lost two and a half hours of my life that I can never regain again.

I honestly have no idea what the critics and fans see in this movie. And that's not because I can't appreciate "art". I love a good film with profound messages, brilliant cinematography, and great directing.

This film just isn't one of them.

My main complaint about this film is that it's so horribly slow-paced, to the point of boring its audience to death. On the other hand, sequences of dialog go by too quickly and there's not enough exposition to let people who haven't read the book know what's going on (My mother had mercy on me and explained everything before I watched it). Would it have killed them to hire a narrator? At least for the beginning and the end?

Let me break it down for you: (Spoilers throughout)

For the first two minutes you are treated to a black screen with no music, waiting for the actual movie to begin.

For the following minute and a half, you see several pictures of sunrises and savanna landscapes. Like the audience couldn't figure out how to set the scene unless they saw the establishing shot three or four times.

The next eleven minutes are occupied with the grunting monkeys. They fight, see the monolith, fight some more, pommel things with a bone. Supposedly they are prehistoric men whose evolution is being influenced by the monolith's singing. Not that you could tell if you hadn't read the book.

*Finally* we get into space. Only to be subjected to twelve minutes of ships slowly spinning to the Blue Danube Waltz (A pretty quick-tempo-ed waltz as I understand, yet here it feels absolutely agonizing). At last we get some innocuous dialog and rather cryptic exposition about the government not letting people land on the moon. We are left to wonder about this for fourteen more minutes of Blue Danube and spinning ships and neat camera tricks with anti-gravity.

Next comes four minutes of watching a ship travel over the surface of the moon and dock at a space station. We get a little more exposition in a board room scene that follows. Then we're back outside traveling at a snail's pace over the moon. A second monolith is revealed, again filling our ears with that horrible ringing (I had no idea that was an actual piece of music!). The monolith does its little light show and then the plot jumps forward.

*Seven* minutes of watching the ship to Jupiter travel. By this point in time my brains had turned into mush. Could it be moving any slower? Maybe it's "realistic" to portray it as such, but we still don't need to see five or six different shots of the same thing to grasp the concept of its "realism". Let me tell you about this "realism" thing; I cheered when the secondary astronaut character died. Not because I'm a sadist and like watching people die, but because after five minutes I was just so annoyed at the sound of his darn breathing! I'm supposed to care about this character, feel when he dies! Instead I found myself waiting for blissful silence whatever way it came.

Anyway, now we get to the most interesting part of the film-the part with HAL. Forget Dave the stick-of-wood protagonist. The real star of the show is that coldly impersonal, chillingly villainous, ruthlessly merciless bad guy of a computer. He's great. And the "Open the pod bay doors" sequence is wonderful. But it's too short. And it's not long before the director once again lapses into too-long goings on.

Four minutes for HAL to die. And die he does. Slowly, painfully, losing intelligence with every minute, voice getting lower and slower, singing "Daisy, Daisy", all with a low and constant hissing that becomes just as annoying as the heavy breathing.

Seven minutes of flying colors as Dave enters the monolith. Seven. I could FEEL my brains melting and dripping out of my ears! Seven full minutes of absolutely nothing but some guy's whacked out psychedelic version of space travel, again with that thrice-cursed chorus! We got the idea at the beginning of the sequence! Why drag it out so long? Unless he wanted to make LSD users go psychotic and have flashbacks.

I'm not even going to try to explain the ending, mostly because I don't quite get it myself. Supposedly he's in an alien research laboratory and they're teaching him deep and profound things while he watches himself getting older and older and then they send him back to earth as some kind of cosmic celestial space baby. None of this comes across in the film. For all you know, it's just a sequence of images with no purpose or plot whatsoever. A lot of the movie felt that way.

The first time I tried watching this movie I gave up halfway through. The second time I suffered through this sore excuse for a film, it was to help my sister time the sequences to see how long they lasted. It's that boring.

Call this crummy film "art" if you wish. I wouldn't. I've seen more interesting "art" in the local museum. And I am never subjecting myself to this kind of suffering ever again.

My brief review of the film

[sol- · 10/10 · 3 January 2005]

A whimsical, often spectacular view of a future in which advances in technology dominate the world. It is well shot and although slow-moving it is intense and enjoyable throughout. The featuring of classical music to establish atmosphere works brilliantly; it provides a feeling of awe, mystery and intrigue – the same aura that Walt Disney worked in creating 'Fantasia'. The special effects, both sound and visual, are still spellbinding by the standards of today's technology. Aside from the technical pluses of the film, it stands strong as it is one of not many films out there that has something important to say about humankind, and where the human race is heading in terms of our increasing reliance on machines and our unquenchable thirst to discover. Despite an ending that is hard to understand, it is even harder to overlook this film a true cinema classic.