Rating: 
Summary: Kubrick Was Inspired by Angels
Review: 2001 is a film that has affected me in a profound way, and I've recently realized that I don't know, nor do I want to know why. Before the words your reading now this review was a jargonous attempt at making sense of a film that had changed my perception in a radical way. But recently, and for no apparent reason, I was hit with a series of questions. One,... why? Two,... did it matter? And three,... were all those ridiculous interpretations really responsible for the emotion and awe this film inspired in me?
And so, as I can not delete my previous review, I write this now. As an example of pure cinema as possibility, I really feel that 2001 should not be limited, but expanded. Perhaps the larger and greater we make it, the closer we come to why and how it effects us so. Is it merely the symbolic shape of a space ship, or the vast wonder of not knowing, not being able to explain or control the feelings invoked? 2001 has raised film, ART, to heights far greater than anything achieved before or since. It is film as a visual, aural, and emotional expirience that transcends verbal thought. It captures the wonder man must have felt when he first looked up to the stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Innovative and visionary... yet slow and surreal
Review: I purchased the recently remastered [this version of] 2001: A Space Odyssey DVD only days after it's release, without ever having seen this movie before. While I most defineately don't regret my decision, I can't give it five stars. I shall explain my reasons below.The production is first rate. Stanley Kubrick depiction of space is timeless... and considering the release date of this movie, it is quite probably the first movie to offer a believeable depiction of space. Innovative camera and set tricks aid a perfect depiction of zero gravity. In fact, I'd say nearly half of this movie's appeal is the incredible eye candy. Save for the psychedelic journey beyond the infinites at the end, it's impossible to tell that this movie was made in the 1960's. The story is sparce, and isn't meant to be taken out of the movie. The plot is the setting for the eye candy and the issues which Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick present to us. Many of the ideas in this movie share a basis with those presented in a later Kubrick project A.I. They are issues which have only become more relevant with the passage of three decades. 2001 and A.I. are really the same idea, told from opposing viewpoints. In A.I., Kubrick and Spielberg speak in favor of the machines. In 2001, Kubrick and Clarke speak in favor of humanity. The humanity of 2001 also relies on machines. When the H.A.L. 9000 fails and turns homicidal, the main character David disables the computer which activates a message containing information known only to the computer. Humanity has begun to trust it's creations more than itself. As this revelation dawns upon us, we are taken upon a surreal journey to the next evolution of humanity, where my only critism of the film resides. Once Dave reaches Jupiter, he is sent on a journey "Beyond the Infinites", represented by color altered obsure photography, and bizzarre camera action. Dave finishes his journey and finds himself... in a Victorian-style room. The camera takes on the view from David's eyes as he watches an old man. Then takes the view to the old man's eyes as he watches an old man. And so on until the person being watched is taking his last breathes, when he dies and is reborn as the star child, greater than the machines it once greated. The sequence is powerful, yet is limit by how obscure it's presentation is... The victorian room seems out of place, in a movie thus far dedicated to the most realistic possible depiction of things, we are given an odd representation of the aliens land. The progression of David (he is watching himself) will be lost on much of the audience, and it's intended meaning will be lost as well. On top of that, the journey from beginning to end is a slow and dull one. It is a movie greater than itself, but as it's soul is in it's ideas, rather than it's story, it doesn't make very good repeat viewing.
Rating:
Summary: New DVD release MUCH higher quality than first one...
Review: If you have a widescreen home theater setup, then like me, you were probably very disappointed with the original DVD version of 2001 which wasn't anamorphic and had muffled sound. This new version looks a THOUSAND times better, and the sound is incredible, especially considering that the movie is 32 years old now. I only give it 4 stars because it doesn't have the Arthur C Clarke interview of the original DVD, nor any other materials. Now if they could just redo 2010, which looks like crap on a widescreen setup.
Rating:
Summary: was kubrick god?
Review: like others, i saw the movie years and years ago and had no appreciation for the film, but recently, a friend turned me on to the film again, even though the sterility of kubrick's films are sometimes so painstaking that it is painful, 2001 is an amazing film that could be and has been discussed for a looooooong time. i think that the one things in the movie that i loved the very most is the mystery of the film, i know if you read the book it tells you concrete ideas about what items are or what they represent, but i like to leave everything open to interpretation.
Rating:
Summary: 2001: A Space Odyssey Deserves 10 Stars
Review: There aren't enough superlatives in the dictionary to describe this masterpiece. The evolutionary journey from the dawn of man to the birth of the Star Child is breathtaking. The picture quality of the DVD is superb and the best I've ever seen. The special effects - cutting edge for its time - hold up well and compliment rather than overwhelm the plot. (George Lucas, pay attention!) The choice of classical music and contemporary choral passages in the film was inspired. The Collector's Edition includes a remastered CD of the soundtrack, which has several bonus tracks not found in the original vinyl version. Granted, this movie is not to everyone's liking. For those who "get" the movie, get the Limited Edition Collector's Set today!
Rating: 
Summary: Don't be another follower, the movie isn't good
Review: Be an individual for gods sake people. I can understand how some people would like this movie since they have grown up with people hailing the movie as a classic but really, come on, the movie is very poor. To beging with none of the concepts are original, evolution and space travel were alredy ideas, all this movie is is putting it into visual form, and in a very poor manner. It is a very empty movie, i feel that if people want good science-fiction watch starwars, if you want to learn about evolution, read darwins book, and if you are into space travel, well.. there is a alot of better documentations on space travel out there. The problem i raise about this movie is that in all three catagories it can be beat out! So why watch this movie which does a poor job of explaining all three! Don't just like it because people call it a classic, its really not that great
Rating:
Summary: Epoch making film
Review: 2001 is an extraordinary piece of film making, representing an extraordinary vision. While the actors dressed as chimps at the beginning of the film don't make the grade in respect to contemporary make-up or special effects, in my view, this is a superficial and retrospective failing in a film that soars beyond almost all others in ambition and originality. 2001 is nothing less than a vision of the origins and destiny of humanity - and an encounter with a projected future (much of which is yet, of course, to really arrive) where humans are themselves forging intelligence in a God-like fashion, and troubled by the human-like failings therein reproduced. The stillness and starkness of Kubrick's vision has a truly epic splendour about it. Humanity is framed against eternity and the unknown as the fragile creature that we really are, and yet, we are perhaps ready, suggests the film, for a leap into a previously uncomprehended world. While the ending of the film will probably forever remain contentious and lampooned in many circles as it struggles to represent the unknown, the transcedent, it does succeed in conveying the sense of a change on a scale as epic as that first experienced by the introspecting ape discovering tools at the begining of the film. This film, while as fanciful as any sci-fi film in some of its details, has to be admired for its scope and bravery. Few other films have ever tackled anything like it, and few other stay in the mind as clearly and as powerfully as this one.
Rating: 
Summary: I've found a cure for insomnia...
Review: I cannot understand why people rave about this movie! I was extremely keen to see it, and I was thoroughly disappointed. I totally agree with Joshua Hoppock. I gave it 1 star because I couldn't give it zero. Don't waste what will seem like 10 hours of your life watching this rubbish. College grads with too much time on their hands will probably love it. Give me a Bruckheimer thriller anyday.
Rating:
Summary: A great transfer of a classic film
Review: This movie gets better with every viewing for me, and this was no exception. I also come up with a different take every time. I read the film as a comment on the problems of the creation process this time. I doubt Kubrick and Clarke looked at it like that, but they made the film in such a way that you could read that into it. It does make you think, which is one of the things great art does. I have read some comments that this isn't a good transfer. That is definitely not the case. It looked great on my TV and every professional review I've read also stated it was a great transfer. Every one. There were complaints about previous DVD releases, so perhaps they meant those. This one is fantastic, especially for such an old movie.
Rating:
Summary: a stunning achievement in filmaking
Review: Stanley Kubrick's visual masterpiece may possibly be the best film ever produced. Visually stunning and brilliantly edited, this film embodies all of Mr. Kubrick's incredible talent. Encompassing the human timeline, Kubrick and co-writer Aurthur C. Clark explore the development of the human race at three points in time. The earliest humaniods, to what Kubrick would paint as our near future, to contact with non-human intelligent life. The "Dawn of Man" sequence is possibly the strangest begining in film history. There is not a word spoken for the first 20+ minutes. The story follows a group of "pre-humans" coping with survival. Their thoughts and fears are all played out without a single word of dialog, but the story is so clear. From dealings with predators, to food shortages, and even the human feelings of paranoia and self doubt. A shift in human development occurs when a "monolith" appears before our group of "pre-humans." The monolith is extra-terestrial and there is a transfurance of knowledge, or the ability for knowledge. This is Kubrick's masterstroke. THE UNDERLYING SUGGESTION OF THIS MOVIE IS THAT AN ALIEN RACE WOULD WAIT MILLIONS OF YEARS TO COMPLETE A TASK, WHICH IS TO SPUR INTELLEGENCE IN HUMANIODS, THEREFORE ALLOWING CONTACT. The change occurs immediately. Enlightened by the monolith, one of the humaniods discovers the use of bones as weapons and an amazing change ensues. The tribe is no longer hungry, their paranoia subsides as they sleep soundly. As the group prepares to take back their old watering hole, they are all carrying weapons. Furthermore, the are begining to stand more upright. The beating is fast and brutal, there is no doubt this group of "tool users" are the beginings of the human race. Fast forward 4 million years to the year 1999. The moon is being colonized, and buried "deliberately" under the moon's surface is the second piece of the puzzle, another monolith. Needless to say the object, and it's meaning is very sensetive information. Regarded as top priorty, a team of scientists is dipatched to study the monolith. When they arrive at the site, a loud transmission is sent from the monolith to Jupiter, allowing more exploration. The jupiter phaze of the film is terrific. Amazing special effects along with an eerie and tense story line combine for some thrilling movie moments. Here, as in the begining, Kubrick is a master of the sublime: DAVE: " OPEN THE POD BAY DOORS, HAL." HAL; "THIS CONVERSATION CAN SERVE NO FURTHER PURPOSE, GOOD-BYE DAVE." Shot with a 70mm camera, this film is a visual masterpice. Futhermore, the story is probably the most ambitious and imaginative in film history. Kukrick master direction is undeniable, allowing the viewer to interperate their own meaning. A STUNNING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMAKING, 2001: A SPACE ODDYSEY IS LIKELY TO BE WATCHED AND DISCUSSED FOR YEARS.
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