A Kubrick masterpiece that spans from the dawn of man to it's title year when an alien artifact is found on the moon. An expedition is launched to Jupiter to track it's origins.
When Stanley Kubrick recruited Arthur C. Clarke to collaborate on "the proverbial intelligent science fiction film," it's a safe bet neither the maverick auteur nor the great science fiction writer knew they would virtually redefine the parameters of the cinema experience. A daring experiment in unconventional narrative inspired by Clarke's short story "The Sentinel," 2001 is a visual tone poem (barely 40 minutes of dialogue in a 139-minute film) that charts a phenomenal history of human evolution. From the dawn-of-man discovery of crude but deadly tools in the film's opening sequence to the journey of the spaceship Discovery and metaphysical birth of the "star child" at film's end, Kubrick's vision is meticulous and precise. In keeping with the director's underlying theme of dehumanization by technology, the notorious, seemingly omniscient computer HAL 9000 has more warmth and personality than the human astronauts it supposedly is serving. (The director also leaves the meaning of the black, rectangular alien monoliths open for discussion.) This theme, in part, is what makes 2001 a film like no other, though dated now that its postmillennial space exploration has proven optimistic compared to reality. Still, the film is timelessly provocative in its pioneering exploration of inner- and outer-space consciousness. With spectacular, painstakingly authentic special effects that have stood the test of time, Kubrick's film is nothing less than a cinematic milestone--puzzling, provocative, and perfect. --Jeff Shannon
When Stanley Kubrick recruited Arthur C. Clarke to collaborate on "the proverbial intelligent science fiction film," it's a safe bet neither the maverick auteur nor the great science fiction writer knew they would virtually redefine the parameters of the cinema experience. A daring experiment in unconventional narrative inspired by Clarke's short story "The Sentinel," 2001 is a visual tone poem (barely 40 minutes of dialogue in a 139-minute film) that charts a phenomenal history of human evolution. From the dawn-of-man discovery of crude but deadly tools in the film's opening sequence to the journey of the spaceship Discovery and metaphysical birth of the "star child" at film's end, Kubrick's vision is meticulous and precise. In keeping with the director's underlying theme of dehumanization by technology, the notorious, seemingly omniscient computer HAL 9000 has more warmth and personality than the human astronauts it supposedly is serving. (The director also leaves the meaning of the black, rectangular alien monoliths open for discussion.) This theme, in part, is what makes 2001 a film like no other, though dated now that its postmillennial space exploration has proven optimistic compared to reality. Still, the film is timelessly provocative in its pioneering exploration of inner- and outer-space consciousness. With spectacular, painstakingly authentic special effects that have stood the test of time, Kubrick's film is nothing less than a cinematic milestone--puzzling, provocative, and perfect. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
three quarters of a very good film just saw the film (again) and some special features yesterday . what happened ? i'll tell you what happened . they ran out of money . they say so over and over in the features . that's why we get the 20 minute PINK FLOYD interlude culminating in the "interpret it youself" B.S. ending . what a shame . they put so much effort into such a spectacular story that probably should have faded to black when HAL was disabled and the message played . unforgivable pretension . if you assert you "GET IT" , ask 20 other... more info
Favourite movie, favourite blu-ray Seen this countless times and in 70mm, this film is why I bought a blu-ray player and is pretty much the only one that I watch repeatedly. Best picture quality and sound out of all the releases, including the DVD limited box set with the film strip. It looks so much better here, as it clearly should. High Recommendations for this one, and Keir Dullea is prime cool here
Once you get past the first 30 minutes or so... That first half-hour is very long and very boring, but having said that, it is an essential part of the storyline, with the proto-humans discovering the Monolith and not understanding what it stands for. Once you get past that, it is a well-paced film, with special effects that are nothing short of incredible for the time that the movie was made. The effects look even better on the blu-ray version! You can't go wrong with this sci-fi classic...
2001 Blu-ray: reawakens the awe and majesty In my opinion, the best motion picture ever made. The epic sweep of the story, the framing of images, the poetry of motion, the long moments of silence, the vastness of the heavens, the beautifully posed and unanswered questions...all captured in original glory. Some of the behind-the-scenes extras spoil my suspension of disbelief, but still enjoyable. This is the reason I bought my LG 55LH90 HDTV.
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