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
PERFECT! As good as it gets and then some This is, IMO, nearly a reference Blu-Ray disc. Okay, because the movie is 40 years old, it lacks some in the surround audio department, but it's still very good. The Blu-Ray video rendering is absolutely stunning - deep, pure blacks in the star fields, wonderful color and contrast, very little graininess -- perfect. This movie hasn't looked this good since I saw it in the theaters (way back) in 1969. The special features (documentaries) are extensive and easy to access. Also, no "forced"... more info
Honestly ... Didn't Like It Recently I've been on an old-school science fiction kick. Unbelievably, I'd never seen what some critics have called one of the greatest movies of all time--2001: A Space Odyssey. I can honestly tell you it was with great enthusiasm I put it into the DVD player. To say I was unimpressed would be a gross understatement. I found the movie with its lack of dialogue and ambiguous plotline rather dull. Even the score, utilizing the work of classic composers, irritated me as it didn't seem to fit the overall... more info
The First Truly Great Science Fiction Movie! There are few movies that have hooked me as much as this one. It's such a classic that for some reason that I cannot pin down I keep returning to it at least once each year without fail. I feel strangely drawn to it from the eerie opening overture music and pure black screen meant to signify the dawn of creation on earth to the first bars of Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra" to the early humans seque-ing brilliantly to man in space, the trip to Jupiter and the super computer gone mad to the final... more info
Still a fascinating masterpiece! Here is a film which has sparked very little indifference since its release forty years ago. "The critics loved it / The critics hated it" became a familiar tag line to any review or conversation of Stanley Kubrick's innovative science fiction epic. "2001" was either a mind-blowing trip beyond the stars, or a mind-numbing trip to slumberland...depending on each individual moviegoer's point of view. When I first saw this film in 1968, I experienced the conflicting feelings of fascination and utter... more info
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