2001 - A Space Odyssey

Rating:
Summary: Is space really that quiet?
Review: plots and sub-plots and aliens and big slow spaceships...okay. plus apes, strange smooth black objects, and an outta the way watering hole...yeah. and a cold calculating killer computer... sounds pretty cool, man. this is not my favorite movie, however, i believe it is the most amazing film i've ever seen. stanley kubrick's vision of the human race as seen on a time line spanning four million years is brilliant, astoundingly beautiful in scope and sound, and perfect in every detail...if you are one of the people who watched this movie and said to yourself: 'huh', then watch it again. and, when you do, ask yourself, "what does this scene mean to the overall picture?" then, if you're still baffled, i'd suspect you of being easily baffled.... OPEN THE POD-BAY DOORS, HAL!...HAL!

Rating:
Summary: What is Kubrick trying to tell us?
Review: Recently I had the immense pleasure of seeing the remastered 70mm version of "2001: A Space Odyssey" on a huge screen in a New York City theater. There may never have been a more awe-inspiring and magnificent movie.

This was my first viewing of Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece since I became familiar with the transhumanist movement and the concept of a technological Singularity

Previously, I'd never known quite what to make of the dreamlike, possibly hallucinatory sequence that comprises the final portion of the film. But this time, for the first time, it made a lot of sense to me. The bizarre psychedelic trip that introduces it can be seen to symbolize the dizzying technological ascent we are soon to experience as we approach the Spike. The surreal aging and eventual rebirth of astronaut Dave Bowman can be viewed as a representation of the time when humans fully merge with machines and break away from all physical, spatial, and biological limits.

As far as I know, Kubrick never claimed this interpretation. Of course, back in 1968 the concept was hardly well known. However, Alan Turing, John Von Neumann, Richard Feynman and a few others had already started speculating in this direction, and it is certainly possible that Arthur C. Clarke (who worked closely with Kubrick in planning the film) was aware of their ideas.

At any rate, I would highly recommend catching this spectacular work of art on the big screen if you get the chance.

Happy viewing!

Rating:
Summary: a film for the ages
Review: I can understand why so many people dislike this film. There is no vulgarity, no sex, no blood and gore and no brain-dead story line. There are also no exploding spaceships or smart-aleck celebrity cast members preening for the screen. People who relish trash like "Dumb and Dumber", "Men in Black" and "Independence Day" had best avoid this film. It will be wasted on you.

However, for those who appreciate visionary cinema, glorious visual effects, great music and an opportunity to employ your thinking processes, this is the film for you! You will be in the hands of a great director who actually respected the intelligence of his audience and demanded something from them. I have seen 2001 many times and each time I come away with new insights and different perspectives. This is a film that can be interpeted on many different levels. Like the music of Beethoven, you can throw a rock into 2001 A Space Oddyssey and never hear it strike bottom. It is, in my opinion, the greatest film ever made and there has been nothng remotely like it before or since.

As for those who find it boring and incomprehensible, fear not! I am sure Adam Sandler, Will Smith, Jim Carrie et al will be coming out with more insulting junk for you to gush over. That stuff is more on your level.

Rating:
Summary: OK so I gave it 5 stars, again!
Review: Almost everybody gives this movie five stars, so it's hard to heap any more praise on it. John Lennon famously wanted this movie played 24 hours a day in a glass pyramid... I assume he intended a projectionist to be present, unlike the last time I saw this at the cinema! With the DVD at least you can set it up properly yourself.

I can't resist gloating at the confused / bored reviews, sorry.

Rating:
Summary: The Archetype for all Outer Space Films
Review: I just returned from a screening of 2001 at Loews Astor Plaza in New York and I was thrilled by it. This is one of a few films that can only be appreciated on a large screen. The other film that instantly comes to mind is Lawrence of Arabia. It is all about scale and long shots that are filled with minute details. It would be impossible to see much of this on the largest TV screen. It is meant to awe and overwhelm the viewer much like grand opera does. Visually the film has not been surpassed in it's depiction of deep space. Star Wars may have finer film stock and faster spacecraft, but the visual vocabulary of monolithic aircraft floating through space was invented in 1968 by Stanley Kubrick.
The plot is very simple for, the earth is visited by an extraterrestrial intelligence in the form of a black monolith. It appears in front of a group of sleeping apes and when they awaken they touch it. The apes become intelligent and learn to kill with a tool. Flash forward to 2001. The monolith turns up on the moon and modern man encounters the monolith again. At this point man has created a computer that is as intelligent as man named HAL. HAL is aboard a ship that is on a mission to Jupiter where the monolith is sending a signal to. HAL, who fancies himself as perfect, becomes human by making a mistake and tries to hide it up by killing the crew of the ship. The one survivor kills HAL and finishes the mission to Jupiter alone. On the way to Jupiter he encounters the monolith and like the apes before him is brought to the next stage of intelligence. He is then transformed into the Space Child. The End.
Ultimately, it is about how the mind evolves when it encounters the unknown.

Rating:
Summary: Huh?
Review: I'm sure there is something worthwhile in this movie but beats me if I can figure out what it was. Fortunately I checked it out from the library and didn't waste any money on it.

Rating:
Summary: I'm only giving it 1 star because I can't give it 0 stars
Review: I am a huge follower of science-fiction film and writing and watching this movie was a complete waste of my time. When it was over I felt dissatisfied and confused.

My husband and I felt let down by all those who have praised this film as a classic. We ended up fast-forwarding through much of the non-dialogue (which is quite a bit of the film).

If you are purely interested in film effects, you will like this movie.

If you are a fan of classical music, you will like this rather long and drawn out "music video."

If, however, you want an engaging story, a comprehensible plot, or a compelling drama you will not find it in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Rating:
Summary: Stanely Kubricks BEST!!
Review: My God was Kubrick a genius! He is just a filmaking visionary! This movie is excellent. It is my favorite movie! The timeless classical music coupled w/ the shots of spacecraft shuttling through space is mind bending. And HAL has got to be one of the most excellent villians ever! I highly reccomend this classic movie to any person intrested in great cinema. Besides it rates #22 in the AFI list!

Rating:
Summary: Good News and Bad News About A Very Famous Film
Review: The Good News: although small screens dim its power and although the special effects seem increasingly dated, 2001 remains just as intriguing as it was when first released. It is still a movie that requires considerable thought, still a movie over which viewers argue--and argue passionately. And that in and of itself is an astonishing accomplishment.

The great debate re 2001 centers upon the "meaning" of the film. Some will tell you, including some of its fans, that 2001 has no "meaning" per se; it is about itself and nothing more. Others will argue that it concerns contact with an alien life form that never actually appears in the film. Still others feel that the film is about man's relationship to mankind in general, technology, and God. The interpretations are endless, and therein we see the true measure of the film as an artistic creation: not only does it support the imposition of numerous interpretations, it also transcends the limits of its interpreters and forces them to debate what they think the film is about.

The Bad News: 2001 is a long film that often seems much longer than it actually is. This is partly due to the nature of Kubric's vision, which shows man as considerably less interesting than his machinery and surroundings; it is also partly due to some self-indulgence on the part of the director, who has a career-long tendency to excessively linger. The first portion of the film (the infamous "ape" sequence) was considered pretty silly even when the film was first released, and time has not improved upon it. The last portion of the film, although visually stunning, is extremely weak in terms of actual content.

These failings might be overlooked but for one thing. 2001 was designed to be seen on an extremely large screen, and since two-story tall movie screens are extremely rare these days, you are very unlikely to ever have that opportunity. When scaled down to a current "standard size" screen, or worse still to the dimensions of your television set, 2001 loses most of its visual impact, and without the visual impact the film's weaknesses seem much more important than its strengths. Simple as that, and no way around it.

Big screen or small screen, not every one likes 2001. (My own feelings are mixed.) If you have never seen the film, I strongly recommend that you rent the film instead of buying it outright. Then, if you are one of those who dislike it, you are only out the cost of a rental and a few hours of your time. On the other hand, if you are one who passionately admires it--and there are many--you will then have the pleasure of purchasing your own copy to enjoy again in the future.

Rating:
Summary: This movie makes me feel stupid...
Review: Alright, I had heard of course of this "amazing" movie. So I picked it up and watched it myself.
I know it must have some meaning and depth.
But I, quite simply, did not see any!
I was sitting there, staring blankly at the screen, with my eyes crusting over, trying to figure out what the heck was going on.
Oh gosh, especially at the end when the credits came on and I actually laughed. I was just thinking "What was that?!"
The part where you saw that rectangular black thingy on that other planet after seeing the apes worshipping it was kind of cool. Even though I didn't get it. I was really hoping someone would explain that because that seemed interesting. Also, there had to be only 25 spoken lines in this movie.
I am giving it two stars, one because it MUST to be good and deep and meaningfull if so many people think so, and another because of how...um....white (?) it was...
Also, can someone explain what was happening when that guy got into the spaceship and there was a lot of close ups of his eye and he got out and was old and then there was a shot of the rectangular thing and a baby and what the heck was that?????
Well, in short, that is all I have to say to this movie..."What the heck was that?" basically sums it up...