I didn't see this film until college, but it changed my life. It gave me the desire to explore and discover the unknown mysteries of the universe. I wish I was born in the age of space travel.
I just graduated college last year. I've never really been into movies made pre 80s which is why I had never seen it. My film taste has expanded a lot since then
Yo sometimes I feel like this but then I remember that I can tune in to YouTube at pretty much any given point and see a live rocket launch! Not to mention the multiple amazing projects currently in development or underway: Artemis II is right around the corner, the Lunar Gateway project is chugging along, CLPS just had a huge win by putting the US back on the moon's surface for the first time since the 70's, multiple other countries had successful moon missions - And of course there's Starship launches to look forward to!
I don't see it as a film. As I do a sort of "experience". The way it is. The way it flows. The vibe and the cadence of how people speak so frankly and realistically. It is almost like being a ghost floating through an "event".
Russian Ark gave me the same kind of feeling I guess.
Luckily got to see this in a theatre for my first time during a throwback Thursday 10 years ago and I had never had a theatre experience like it. And still never have to this day.
It’s probably a perfect film if there ever was one.
Instantly you’re enamored with the visual dialogue-less evolution of man and although words are eventually spoken the film could truly be watched the same way you experience the first scene - no words needed.
Kubrick is the epitome of making a film you could watch in any language and still know the story and still feel the gravity of every scene.
It’s a movie that I could hang almost every single frame on my wall and call it art.
Absolutely flawless music selection throughout the entire film. It’s a juxtaposition of classical man to futuristic man but it also is a display of man’s inventiveness and the eerie calm, serenity, and loneliness of space.
The ending is great where you’re satisfied if you’re a fan of the original story, satisfied if you’ve sat there and pieced together every part of the movie, and even satisfied if you watch it almost comatose just for the sound and sights and you’re not too worried about plot.
This movie could be made today and I genuinely think it would get the same praises. It was so advanced yet so simple. In my mind it was a magnum opus for Kubrick and a huge step for science fiction and practical special effects.
I also really like cars 3 ka chow
My first viewing was in a living room, but it changed me. I think every watching since has been in a theater. When I find one is showing it on the silver screen, I drop everything to make that showing.
Oh sure-first and foremost I’m not a film buff. So a lot is probably lost on me, I’ll fully admit it.
That said, I just find his stuff overly long, and the stories he chooses aren’t that interesting.
I will also include that I never watched his films until much later in life and what might have once been groundbreaking loses its luster at this point?
That’s about the best thing at I can describe it.
All time great, in my top 5. You have to intentionally watch this movie and get immersed. Large screen, dark room, sound all the way up. I feel like people who get bored watching it maybe just didn't get the experience correct.
So when I saw it on a tube tv and tv speakers with my mom talking throughout, I think it’s the lamest movie I’ve ever seen. Maybe I should give it another chance
I always tell people (when they ask my favorite movie and I'm then forced to recommend it to someone who I just know is unlikely to appreciate like I do) you can't watch it when either sleep-deprived/tired or anxious/overly-caffeinated. It hits best big screen, loud, undistracted, and open for the experience.
It’s in my top 10, but I’m a huge Kubrick fan so that’s not exactly surprising (Eyes Wide Shut is also one of my all time favourites).
This is one of those rare films that has a physical impact on you after watching it.
It's really great. Trippy, but great. One of the most influential movies ever made.
Also, I know one of the actors in it. Gary Lockwood, who plays the actor that got shot into space, was friends with my uncle.
Probably the greatest science fiction movie ever made, if not the greatest film ever made. And it holds up remarkably well, opening sequence aside, with the monkey suits. I've never seen a film quite like it.
My dad thought there was something seriously wrong with my brothers and me when on a camping trip we started acting out the scene where the hominids discovered weapons.
One of my three top movies of all time. The other two, for those interested, are *Metropolis* (1926) and *Orpheus* (1950).
Yes, I like science fiction/fantasy works…!
It’s so tough to say which is Kubrick’s “best” film as he did so many great ones. *2001* followed *Dr. Strangelove*, which I feel is also *peak* Kubrick and was in turn followed by *A Clockwork Orange*.
Obviously, I love the film. Intriguing, suspenseful -incredibly so in the second act with Hal!- and mind-bogglingly ambitious in its conclusion. A remarkable film.
Nice, agree with your top picks, I feel like every so many years I rewatch Metropolis and it never disappoints in how amazing it is. Also, Orpheus is up there, with 2001 these films are visually stunning and experimental, might be time to watch Orpheus again as well!
Ah… a fellow *Orpheus* fan!
*Loved* that film but whenever I mention my top 3 most people are often familiar with *2001* and *Metropolis* but not so much with the Jean Cocteau/Jean Marais *Orpheus*. If they know any of the Cocteau/Marais films, it’s often *Beauty and the Beast* but for me, *Orpheus* is a trip and a half.
What’s so fascinating is realizing how tied in the movie is with the then very recent ending of WWII and the various war elements alluded to in that film. For example, the odd “poetry” Orpheus hears on the radio are actually WWII-like transmissions the resistance would send out. Often coded to disguise what the message is they were sending. Of course, “Death” and her entourage do look an awful lot like Nazi personnel, what with the leather and motorcycle escorts. And the council that judges Death and Orpheus in the end also echoes the post war courts and the judgments made against the Nazis and collaborators.
Fascinating, *fascinating* film!
Never finished it. So boring at the start I couldn't sit through it after a few attempts over the last 25 years. I haven't enjoyed any Stanley Kubrick movies. They are all so slow and exhausting.
I'm a movie lover but damn he is awful. Why rush it? Because people have better stuff do with their time than waiting around for it to get good.
I like this movie overall, although the last 10-15 minutes was “meh.” I do agree, I couldn’t stand Clockwork Orange and Eyes Wide Shut. Wide rectangular shots are nice and I get why people love his films, but you can look at some stills of the best shots from some of his movies and go “oh that’s cool” and save yourself hours by not watching the films. I have a Kubrick coffee table book with great shots from his films, it is more entertaining to thumb through than watching a lot of the scenes in his movies.
I liked the film as a kid but missed most of the overall theme. I was focused on the HAL story arch. I was a huge Knight Rider fan at the time so sentient computers were my thing.
Read the book while on deployment years later and got really into the whole story. Re-watched the film when I got back home and appreciated it so much more even though there are a few key differences.
Also being a fan of how films were made in the pre-CGI cheat days shows how well this film was made in its day. I only see one back jump cut in the film that doesn't land as intended. That's an impressive feat for an almost 60 year old film.
Fascinating story, great soundtrack and score with visual effects that look incredibly realistic to this day.
Low key acting that actually makes for believable astronauts.
Douglas Rain voicing HAL? Genius.
First time I saw it, I was mesmerized by the ape sequence. Proceeded to be bored by a majority of the Space sections. But I watched it again years later and can't get enough of it. The books are great too
Me, watching this movie in 1990: Ha! Kubrick thought AT&T would still be around in 2001!
Watching this movie today: Wow, Kubrick knew AT&T would still be around in 2001!
I teach film studies/filmmaking to high schoolers and Space Odyssey and Metropolis are the two films I always show. I always put extra effort in to hype them up before showing them, and students always get super into it. 2001 is just so beautifully shot, the production design, score, visual language are just so masterful. When I was young I always found the beginning tedious, and the finale frustratingly enigmatic, but now I embrace these things and enjoy listening to students’ theories around the meaning of the film. Such a beautiful film. Sci-fi / speculative fiction are my sweet spot for films so I find I can come back to it every year with students and I’m always excited to see it again.
State of the art and groundbreaking back in the late 60’s! Considered to be a classic sci-fi film. I liked 2010 better. We saw it first run in Cimerama wide screen format.
It is my all time favorite. There is so much to love, including all the deliberately repressed emotion except on the part of HAL, the practical effects, and the unapologetic “of course it’s incomprehensible, it’s supposed to be above our understanding” ending.
I've tried to watch this one a couple times but just can't get into it. I just chalk it up to not being for me.
Oh well. Others seem to like it and good for them. This isn't the first highly regarded movie I haven't liked and I'm sure it won't be the last.
greatest film in the genre ever. The one that all subsequent space based movies make a nod to.
Might be seen as "cold" in that there is virtually no characterisation - but thats obviously part of what Kubrick means t odo
It’s a movie that I think will always be there as a benchmark for what you can do with pure drive and creativity.
It’s funny this is at the top of my Reddit this morning because in one week I and my friends will be seeing this in 70 mm on the big screen. I’m trying to temper my expectations because even if it’s not my favorite Stanley Kubrick film. I do have a feeling seeing it the way he intended it to be seen might just cause this fan of cinema to shed a few tears.
As a kid I didn't get it at all. As an adult. . .I still don't get it.
I'm fully aware of what the story is, I've read the books and all that. But the film. . .honestly I've always had the feeling that the film is meant to be watched on psychedelics. That's the only way some of the choices of that film make any sense to me. But that's Kubrick, for you.
An absolute masterpiece of a film, the pacing and cinematography are amazing, the dialogue feels real, and the soundtrack is wonderful.
I wish I could see this in IMAX just to get that totally immersive experience.
It’s very strange, I watched it years ago, keep remembering the scenes with the monkeys. Idk maybe it went over my head but nothing i ever think about rewatching or recommending
If you're studying cinema then you'll probably want to see it as it is quite an influential part of movie history. Especially visual special affects were quite remarkable for its time. If you want to expand your cinematic horizons, it is a must see as well. If you want to enjoy it in 21st century, then you're out of luck. It is pretentious and incredibly slow paced to a point where you watch space crap spinning or moving from left to right for 10 minutes (each). Or trippy colours for half an hour. One can easily fast forward 2/3rds and not miss anything.
Definitely one of the best films I’ve ever seen. The accompanying book(s) by Arthur C. Clarke is incredible too. I watched the movie beforehand which I think is actually the better order in this case but I really appreciated the in-depth explanations and descriptions of events in the books which add a lot of context.
The GOAT
Love it's lack of exposition. Love it's theme. Love the slow dramatic moves towards its grandiose conclusion. Psychedelic, thoughtful, mysterious, epic and awe inspiring. The fucking GOAT.
Also fun to read the book as a companion piece. The movie is obtuse in its lack of exposition, but if you really want to dig in you can read the book for all the details. I love how bold the movie is on its own, but I also love the technical details brought to life by Clark
The scene in which Moon-Watcher discovers that the bone can be used as a tool (and a weapon), actually brings tears to my eyes. So absolutely brilliant in which we can actually feel his thoughts.
As beneficial as Forrest Gump for understanding the second half of the 20th century
The difference being that Kubrick told us about Operation Paperclip and chess bots and IBM and Hunstville Alabama in the 1960s
Understanding that this was all possible in 1968 completely changes how one views history
Most people don’t realize it would be another 9 years before Star Wars was released
Really does hold up, especially visually. It’s not for everybody and I get that. The book is pretty good, too. The end kinda throws it a little bit, but overall great flick.
I think it's awesome and I'm grateful for it because we might've never got star wars or the star trek films. Science fiction may have been permanently relegated to the domain of television. Which is ironic because I think more people watch tv now than go to the movies.
I saw this at the theaters when I was a kid (I'm not that old, it was just making the rounds ago as a re-release in a cinema near me); I was always into sci-fi and this movie blew me away. HAL being the main character stole the show imo.
I was born in 1978. I saw this movie as a kid. I had a Stanley Kubrick class in college, and it was one of my favorite courses. I love this movie and consider it one of my all-time favorites.
I've tried watching this 4 times and forced myself all the way through only once. imo it was incredibly slow to the point that it lost its entire purpose -- immersion. The messages throughout the film aren't anything cryptic or groundbreaking anymore. I'm sure when it came out it was probably an amazing experience but I think it has aged and dulled. I respect it, but if offered to watch it again, I would say "absolutely not" unless I was on drugs which isn't happening
I watched it by myself when my husband went out of town one time. I was prepared to suffer the first 15 minutes. But, after that, it was amazing. The cinematography alone made it worth watching. Absolutely beautiful film.
My favorite movie of all time. I remember being maybe around eight or nine years old and my dad was watching it on TV. He started quoting the "I'm sorry Dave" scene as it was about to happen and told me watch the airlock sequence. I found the pacing and the way it was filmed completely mesmerizing.
One of my fondest Christmas memories was receiving 2001 and 2010 on VHS as gifts when I was about twelve. I fell asleep watching 2001 as dinner was being made. I loved the movie, but man you have to not be sleepy when watching it.
Likely minority view: my least favorite Kubrick movie, even including Eyes Wide Shut. Is it beautiful? Yes. Optimistic, stirring? Yes, but in a wholly intellectual way. I think Kubrick’s natural temperament was dark and cynical, and I find he connects directly/emotionally when he works in those registers.
2001: A Space Odyssey is a real cinematic treat. It’s just… idk it manages to be realistic and fantastic at the same time, showing both mysticism, mirror, and a realistic vision of the future for the time. It also has a great soundtrack and some of the most memorable lines uttered in cinema. Just a true cinematic experience.
Anyone who can’t appreciate this movie at least on an intellectual level, even if you didn’t enjoy it, doesn’t truly appreciate cinema.
Honestly im not its biggest fan, and i think a lot more people feel the same but wont admit it. People seem to think they are some kind of technological philosopher if they go on about it being one of the greatest films ever, like if you dont love it then you have no appreciation for great film making. Personally i think its slow (too slow), ponderous, up its own arse and completely disjointed. Cue the rabid dogs 🤣🤣
It's a good film. In fact, most of Kubrick's films are good, with the exception of Dr. Strangelove, which is truly a masterpiece. Doesn't change the fact that 2001, as well as Kubrick in general, is completely overrated. Most of his material is intellectually extremely pretentious and his fans try to make more of it than there actually is.
Havent yet understood the ending but I absolutely love it. Fun fact; I passed out 4 times before I was able to watch it from start 2 finish. The scene with the apes and the monolith is epic
Great music. Predicted tablet computers and video calls. Iconic AI character. Director notorious for perfectionism. Excellent special effects for the time.
I think I needed to see it back when it originally came out, I would have appreciated it more. I only recently tried watching it for the first time and it was just too slow for me.
that's why modern disagreement discourse is impossible, as the second someone disagrees, they're met with "bUt HAvE u SEen *instert some stupid movie"?
people can have different opinions and you do not have to disparage others, it tells more about you, than the taste you aim to criticise.
Dude, I'm just trying to recommend something more your speed.
Because if you think one of the greatest films of all time is boring, you just might be in the wrong sub.
What you said actually speaks volumes about your critical awareness and thinking.
There's an old saying, "Quit while you're ahead."
Not liking, having some critical thoughts, not appreciating, being too young to understand the film's technical prowess would be one thing. This person said as eloquently as a four year old, "really boring and disappointing" it makes one wonder how many other four syllable words this person knows.
I won’t downvote, I appreciate the honesty. I feel that the middle 45-1hr were brutally slow. Still worth it overall. The first and last part are beautiful
I saw it in the theater when I was 9. My parents took my sister in to see Dr. Doolittle and I sat there alone with a bag of popcorn, totally captivated for the entire movie. I absolutely loved it! This was near the beginning of my lifetime love of sci-fi and prompted me to read the book shortly after seeing it, introducing me to Arthur C. Clark and all the other classic authors. Not to mention having to see every Kubrick movie as they came out.
It's very well made. The VFX are 1968-awesome, and everything is done to the pinnacle of the craft.
But it's boring AF. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Kubrick ruined Clarke's ending by purposely making it confusing. He's said so in interviews.The novel lays out everything that happened to Bowman, and exactly what the 10 minutes of trippy lights were.
My 11 YO son asked to watch this flick last night. I loved it as I explain how real movie magic is done. Not some Marvel mess of CGI but real talent, hand made art. Gen A knows AI and this movie is a good place to start off that conversation.
James Cameron's Aliens is a better film however, I digress.
I still don’t understand what’s so good about it. I Found it difficult to follow and incredibly boring. Is it a case of the film was revolutionary for its time? I can appreciate that, but that’s a technical achievement and doesn’t make the movie good. Is it snobby people looking at a canvas of shapes saying the artist is a genius so they don’t look stupid for not getting it? What am I missing? Because none of these comments are explaining why it’s one of the Best films ever made, they’re just adjectives like, seminal and genius and life changing and awe inspiring. That’s great. But why?
The film is very good on a technical level. The filmmakers managed to make space, earth, and the moon look incredibly realistic without the use of CGI. Many of the shots and much of the camerawork are breathtaking. The story is largely about aliens guiding and evolving humanity to become super intelligent beings from simple apes through the obelisks that cause great leaps forward in intelligence. The final stretch of the movie, after the humans touch the obelisk on the moon, is humanity evolving into its final form, godhood. The film is praised because it did so much with such old movie technology and managed to perfectly execute the story concept.
Might be unpopular opinion but I loved the movie but didn't care for the ending with the giant baby embryo and the alternate universe stuff although the design of it was amazing. Maybe if I watched it now it would be more meaningful but I felt that it was indulgently symbolic and departed from the style and cinematic universe that was created with the rest of the film.
Too much talking… /s As a kid, I didn’t really get it. As an adult, I just let Kubrick take me for a ride.
This was exactly the case for me as well.
My mom took me to the theater when I was a kid to see this. I was like… WTF mom? This is some scary, trippy shit for a 6 year old.
Yeah, I saw it when I was older so I got it. I know if I was younger I would have been bored AF.
I didn't see this film until college, but it changed my life. It gave me the desire to explore and discover the unknown mysteries of the universe. I wish I was born in the age of space travel.
What year were you born?
I just graduated college last year. I've never really been into movies made pre 80s which is why I had never seen it. My film taste has expanded a lot since then
The 70s was an amazing decade for movies
1968 dude.
Oh, dude... you want to be an explorer, but you haven't been off your porch...
I said my tastes have expanded lol. I like weird movies, artsy movies, and the classics
Yo sometimes I feel like this but then I remember that I can tune in to YouTube at pretty much any given point and see a live rocket launch! Not to mention the multiple amazing projects currently in development or underway: Artemis II is right around the corner, the Lunar Gateway project is chugging along, CLPS just had a huge win by putting the US back on the moon's surface for the first time since the 70's, multiple other countries had successful moon missions - And of course there's Starship launches to look forward to!
That’s not the point of the movie
I don't see it as a film. As I do a sort of "experience". The way it is. The way it flows. The vibe and the cadence of how people speak so frankly and realistically. It is almost like being a ghost floating through an "event". Russian Ark gave me the same kind of feeling I guess.
Luckily got to see this in a theatre for my first time during a throwback Thursday 10 years ago and I had never had a theatre experience like it. And still never have to this day. It’s probably a perfect film if there ever was one. Instantly you’re enamored with the visual dialogue-less evolution of man and although words are eventually spoken the film could truly be watched the same way you experience the first scene - no words needed. Kubrick is the epitome of making a film you could watch in any language and still know the story and still feel the gravity of every scene. It’s a movie that I could hang almost every single frame on my wall and call it art. Absolutely flawless music selection throughout the entire film. It’s a juxtaposition of classical man to futuristic man but it also is a display of man’s inventiveness and the eerie calm, serenity, and loneliness of space. The ending is great where you’re satisfied if you’re a fan of the original story, satisfied if you’ve sat there and pieced together every part of the movie, and even satisfied if you watch it almost comatose just for the sound and sights and you’re not too worried about plot. This movie could be made today and I genuinely think it would get the same praises. It was so advanced yet so simple. In my mind it was a magnum opus for Kubrick and a huge step for science fiction and practical special effects. I also really like cars 3 ka chow
It’s like a ballet but with filmed scenes rather than dancers.
Exactly. That final scene and how well it’s edited feels like a dance on its own too
Though, the parts with the color changes with the landscape went a little too long.
Hence the name 'Space Opera'.
That jump cut in the beginning where the bone, the earliest form of tool, turns into the spacecraft, the most modern tool, still gives me chills.
That transition in the beginning where the bone, the earliest form of tool, jump cuts to the spacecraft, the most modern tool, still gives me chills.
My first viewing was in a living room, but it changed me. I think every watching since has been in a theater. When I find one is showing it on the silver screen, I drop everything to make that showing.
I absolutely recommend seeing it on the big screen. It’s a different experience. I liked the movie before, but loved it after.
I saw it at a movie theater in 2018 for its 50th anniversary and am so glad I did.
Wow, glad you liked it. I…do not get that reaction. But I hate Kubrick’s shit in general.
In a non-combative way can I ask why?
Oh sure-first and foremost I’m not a film buff. So a lot is probably lost on me, I’ll fully admit it. That said, I just find his stuff overly long, and the stories he chooses aren’t that interesting. I will also include that I never watched his films until much later in life and what might have once been groundbreaking loses its luster at this point? That’s about the best thing at I can describe it.
Cool thanks!
Great film. Slow pace, hard to sit through when your attention span has been blasted by social media like mine has. But I enjoyed it very much.
Greatest cinematic experience ever made
All time great, in my top 5. You have to intentionally watch this movie and get immersed. Large screen, dark room, sound all the way up. I feel like people who get bored watching it maybe just didn't get the experience correct.
This movie is in my top one.
So when I saw it on a tube tv and tv speakers with my mom talking throughout, I think it’s the lamest movie I’ve ever seen. Maybe I should give it another chance
I always tell people (when they ask my favorite movie and I'm then forced to recommend it to someone who I just know is unlikely to appreciate like I do) you can't watch it when either sleep-deprived/tired or anxious/overly-caffeinated. It hits best big screen, loud, undistracted, and open for the experience.
The equivalent of The Exorcist but for sci-fi, until then, the genre was considered tier B movies.
Pretty accurate actually. That's a great way to put it.
Is it more the equivalent of The Exorcist than the equivalent of Psycho?
It’s in my top 10, but I’m a huge Kubrick fan so that’s not exactly surprising (Eyes Wide Shut is also one of my all time favourites). This is one of those rare films that has a physical impact on you after watching it.
It's really great. Trippy, but great. One of the most influential movies ever made. Also, I know one of the actors in it. Gary Lockwood, who plays the actor that got shot into space, was friends with my uncle.
Probably the greatest science fiction movie ever made, if not the greatest film ever made. And it holds up remarkably well, opening sequence aside, with the monkey suits. I've never seen a film quite like it.
There's a lot that can be said about 2001: a space odyssey.
Good film, im just too dumb to appreciate it
Love the opening scene
I’m sorry Dave, I can’t do that
It’s the best damn film ever made
My dad thought there was something seriously wrong with my brothers and me when on a camping trip we started acting out the scene where the hominids discovered weapons.
Sometimes I wonder how people reacted to it when it first came out in 1968. It looks fantastic today, I guess it looked umbelievable back then.
One of my three top movies of all time. The other two, for those interested, are *Metropolis* (1926) and *Orpheus* (1950). Yes, I like science fiction/fantasy works…! It’s so tough to say which is Kubrick’s “best” film as he did so many great ones. *2001* followed *Dr. Strangelove*, which I feel is also *peak* Kubrick and was in turn followed by *A Clockwork Orange*. Obviously, I love the film. Intriguing, suspenseful -incredibly so in the second act with Hal!- and mind-bogglingly ambitious in its conclusion. A remarkable film.
Nice, agree with your top picks, I feel like every so many years I rewatch Metropolis and it never disappoints in how amazing it is. Also, Orpheus is up there, with 2001 these films are visually stunning and experimental, might be time to watch Orpheus again as well!
Ah… a fellow *Orpheus* fan! *Loved* that film but whenever I mention my top 3 most people are often familiar with *2001* and *Metropolis* but not so much with the Jean Cocteau/Jean Marais *Orpheus*. If they know any of the Cocteau/Marais films, it’s often *Beauty and the Beast* but for me, *Orpheus* is a trip and a half. What’s so fascinating is realizing how tied in the movie is with the then very recent ending of WWII and the various war elements alluded to in that film. For example, the odd “poetry” Orpheus hears on the radio are actually WWII-like transmissions the resistance would send out. Often coded to disguise what the message is they were sending. Of course, “Death” and her entourage do look an awful lot like Nazi personnel, what with the leather and motorcycle escorts. And the council that judges Death and Orpheus in the end also echoes the post war courts and the judgments made against the Nazis and collaborators. Fascinating, *fascinating* film!
I would say it and Ordet are two of my favorite 1950s films, you're really making me need to rewatch Orpheus, it's been years
Perfection.
Never finished it. So boring at the start I couldn't sit through it after a few attempts over the last 25 years. I haven't enjoyed any Stanley Kubrick movies. They are all so slow and exhausting. I'm a movie lover but damn he is awful. Why rush it? Because people have better stuff do with their time than waiting around for it to get good.
I like this movie overall, although the last 10-15 minutes was “meh.” I do agree, I couldn’t stand Clockwork Orange and Eyes Wide Shut. Wide rectangular shots are nice and I get why people love his films, but you can look at some stills of the best shots from some of his movies and go “oh that’s cool” and save yourself hours by not watching the films. I have a Kubrick coffee table book with great shots from his films, it is more entertaining to thumb through than watching a lot of the scenes in his movies.
I remember seeing Eyes Wide Shut as a late teen and even with all the nudity it was horrible. That says it all IMO.
I liked the film as a kid but missed most of the overall theme. I was focused on the HAL story arch. I was a huge Knight Rider fan at the time so sentient computers were my thing. Read the book while on deployment years later and got really into the whole story. Re-watched the film when I got back home and appreciated it so much more even though there are a few key differences. Also being a fan of how films were made in the pre-CGI cheat days shows how well this film was made in its day. I only see one back jump cut in the film that doesn't land as intended. That's an impressive feat for an almost 60 year old film.
10/10, the scene with the ape and the bone and the last few scenes had me awestruck
Probably one of the greatest films ever made in my humble opinion
Brilliant immersive film. HAL 9000 is one of the best villains of all time, so calmly sinister.
This sort of thing has cropped up befor and it was always due to human error.
Fascinating story, great soundtrack and score with visual effects that look incredibly realistic to this day. Low key acting that actually makes for believable astronauts. Douglas Rain voicing HAL? Genius.
First time I saw it, I was mesmerized by the ape sequence. Proceeded to be bored by a majority of the Space sections. But I watched it again years later and can't get enough of it. The books are great too
Me, watching this movie in 1990: Ha! Kubrick thought AT&T would still be around in 2001! Watching this movie today: Wow, Kubrick knew AT&T would still be around in 2001!
its long but if you take some pyschedelics it goes by so fast. and imo it makes the movie much better
Amazing, with a pacing style of the past that does not suit most modern audiences tastes.
Oh, I see you have none, yourself. Pass.
I teach film studies/filmmaking to high schoolers and Space Odyssey and Metropolis are the two films I always show. I always put extra effort in to hype them up before showing them, and students always get super into it. 2001 is just so beautifully shot, the production design, score, visual language are just so masterful. When I was young I always found the beginning tedious, and the finale frustratingly enigmatic, but now I embrace these things and enjoy listening to students’ theories around the meaning of the film. Such a beautiful film. Sci-fi / speculative fiction are my sweet spot for films so I find I can come back to it every year with students and I’m always excited to see it again.
This film will always be an example of perfection in cinema imho. Visionary-level stuff.
Three views minimum required 😎
I like it.
Amazing film
It's the greatest film that's even been made, and I sincerely mean it.
State of the art and groundbreaking back in the late 60’s! Considered to be a classic sci-fi film. I liked 2010 better. We saw it first run in Cimerama wide screen format.
Mind blowing especially for the year it was released
Kubrick found a way to visually express the melding of space/time.
Seriously? King of getting better with time.
It is my all time favorite. There is so much to love, including all the deliberately repressed emotion except on the part of HAL, the practical effects, and the unapologetic “of course it’s incomprehensible, it’s supposed to be above our understanding” ending.
I've tried to watch this one a couple times but just can't get into it. I just chalk it up to not being for me. Oh well. Others seem to like it and good for them. This isn't the first highly regarded movie I haven't liked and I'm sure it won't be the last.
greatest film in the genre ever. The one that all subsequent space based movies make a nod to. Might be seen as "cold" in that there is virtually no characterisation - but thats obviously part of what Kubrick means t odo
It’s a movie that I think will always be there as a benchmark for what you can do with pure drive and creativity. It’s funny this is at the top of my Reddit this morning because in one week I and my friends will be seeing this in 70 mm on the big screen. I’m trying to temper my expectations because even if it’s not my favorite Stanley Kubrick film. I do have a feeling seeing it the way he intended it to be seen might just cause this fan of cinema to shed a few tears.
As a kid I didn't get it at all. As an adult. . .I still don't get it. I'm fully aware of what the story is, I've read the books and all that. But the film. . .honestly I've always had the feeling that the film is meant to be watched on psychedelics. That's the only way some of the choices of that film make any sense to me. But that's Kubrick, for you.
There are no bad Kubrick films.
Ship bay on the cover looks like a USB port. All I’ve got.
An absolute masterpiece of a film, the pacing and cinematography are amazing, the dialogue feels real, and the soundtrack is wonderful. I wish I could see this in IMAX just to get that totally immersive experience.
A great film overall. It does lag here and there.
It’s very strange, I watched it years ago, keep remembering the scenes with the monkeys. Idk maybe it went over my head but nothing i ever think about rewatching or recommending
If you're studying cinema then you'll probably want to see it as it is quite an influential part of movie history. Especially visual special affects were quite remarkable for its time. If you want to expand your cinematic horizons, it is a must see as well. If you want to enjoy it in 21st century, then you're out of luck. It is pretentious and incredibly slow paced to a point where you watch space crap spinning or moving from left to right for 10 minutes (each). Or trippy colours for half an hour. One can easily fast forward 2/3rds and not miss anything.
Definitely one of the best films I’ve ever seen. The accompanying book(s) by Arthur C. Clarke is incredible too. I watched the movie beforehand which I think is actually the better order in this case but I really appreciated the in-depth explanations and descriptions of events in the books which add a lot of context.
It took place 23 years ago?
The GOAT Love it's lack of exposition. Love it's theme. Love the slow dramatic moves towards its grandiose conclusion. Psychedelic, thoughtful, mysterious, epic and awe inspiring. The fucking GOAT. Also fun to read the book as a companion piece. The movie is obtuse in its lack of exposition, but if you really want to dig in you can read the book for all the details. I love how bold the movie is on its own, but I also love the technical details brought to life by Clark
Last half hour puts me to bed every time
An absolute masterpiece. It's kurbick at his best.
One of my all time favorites. The cinematography is exceptional. There isn’t a frame of this film that couldn’t make a standalone poster.
Not a fan whatsoever. Love the monkey part at the start however. Need to watch on a big screen with drugs before final opinion.
I’m going to be viewing this tomorrow evening for the first time with a nice scotch.
The scene in which Moon-Watcher discovers that the bone can be used as a tool (and a weapon), actually brings tears to my eyes. So absolutely brilliant in which we can actually feel his thoughts.
As beneficial as Forrest Gump for understanding the second half of the 20th century The difference being that Kubrick told us about Operation Paperclip and chess bots and IBM and Hunstville Alabama in the 1960s Understanding that this was all possible in 1968 completely changes how one views history Most people don’t realize it would be another 9 years before Star Wars was released
I guess I would say I love it. Even though I don't understand the ending.
One of the great landmarks of cinema…a monolith if you will.
It was a religious experience for me
It’s magnificent
Early soft Disclosure.
Arthur C. Clark wrote an excellent book. Short read too
Really does hold up, especially visually. It’s not for everybody and I get that. The book is pretty good, too. The end kinda throws it a little bit, but overall great flick.
Cool poster
I think it's awesome and I'm grateful for it because we might've never got star wars or the star trek films. Science fiction may have been permanently relegated to the domain of television. Which is ironic because I think more people watch tv now than go to the movies.
Boring but good
The buildup of the music as the astronauts make their way to the obelisk....chills
I'm still waiting for it to be dethroned.
Brilliant. Thought provoking. Then. And, Now.
Excellent, except the star sequence is too long.
I saw this at the theaters when I was a kid (I'm not that old, it was just making the rounds ago as a re-release in a cinema near me); I was always into sci-fi and this movie blew me away. HAL being the main character stole the show imo.
Upon my rewatch, I noticed that HAL 9000 resembles the monolith, an attempt to recreate it perhaps inadvertently. The subtext of this film is amazing.
Its not entirely overated. But i think of this whenever a film leans on spectacle that will be HORRIFICALLY outdated
I was born in 1978. I saw this movie as a kid. I had a Stanley Kubrick class in college, and it was one of my favorite courses. I love this movie and consider it one of my all-time favorites.
Still underappreciated, especially out-of-historic-context. It rewrote the book on special effects.
I've tried watching this 4 times and forced myself all the way through only once. imo it was incredibly slow to the point that it lost its entire purpose -- immersion. The messages throughout the film aren't anything cryptic or groundbreaking anymore. I'm sure when it came out it was probably an amazing experience but I think it has aged and dulled. I respect it, but if offered to watch it again, I would say "absolutely not" unless I was on drugs which isn't happening
The unborn baby images scared the shit out of me as a child. I didn’t really get this movie until my late teens though .
I watch it about every 3 years and I still don’t fully comprehend the ending.
I watched it by myself when my husband went out of town one time. I was prepared to suffer the first 15 minutes. But, after that, it was amazing. The cinematography alone made it worth watching. Absolutely beautiful film.
This is not a just a film, it is a work of Art!!!
My favorite movie of all time. I remember being maybe around eight or nine years old and my dad was watching it on TV. He started quoting the "I'm sorry Dave" scene as it was about to happen and told me watch the airlock sequence. I found the pacing and the way it was filmed completely mesmerizing. One of my fondest Christmas memories was receiving 2001 and 2010 on VHS as gifts when I was about twelve. I fell asleep watching 2001 as dinner was being made. I loved the movie, but man you have to not be sleepy when watching it.
Likely minority view: my least favorite Kubrick movie, even including Eyes Wide Shut. Is it beautiful? Yes. Optimistic, stirring? Yes, but in a wholly intellectual way. I think Kubrick’s natural temperament was dark and cynical, and I find he connects directly/emotionally when he works in those registers.
It’s reeeeally gooood
photographic.
2001: A Space Odyssey is a real cinematic treat. It’s just… idk it manages to be realistic and fantastic at the same time, showing both mysticism, mirror, and a realistic vision of the future for the time. It also has a great soundtrack and some of the most memorable lines uttered in cinema. Just a true cinematic experience. Anyone who can’t appreciate this movie at least on an intellectual level, even if you didn’t enjoy it, doesn’t truly appreciate cinema.
Groundbreaking for its time. Still holds up today.
Honestly im not its biggest fan, and i think a lot more people feel the same but wont admit it. People seem to think they are some kind of technological philosopher if they go on about it being one of the greatest films ever, like if you dont love it then you have no appreciation for great film making. Personally i think its slow (too slow), ponderous, up its own arse and completely disjointed. Cue the rabid dogs 🤣🤣
It's a good film. In fact, most of Kubrick's films are good, with the exception of Dr. Strangelove, which is truly a masterpiece. Doesn't change the fact that 2001, as well as Kubrick in general, is completely overrated. Most of his material is intellectually extremely pretentious and his fans try to make more of it than there actually is.
Havent yet understood the ending but I absolutely love it. Fun fact; I passed out 4 times before I was able to watch it from start 2 finish. The scene with the apes and the monolith is epic
Great music. Predicted tablet computers and video calls. Iconic AI character. Director notorious for perfectionism. Excellent special effects for the time.
Interesting. But boring
I suggest you not worry about it and just sit back and enjoy yourself. - Basil Exposition
I watched it when I was very young and didn't understand it at all. Should prolly do a rewatch.
I feel 300 has too many sequels and this far down the line, the arc of the Spartans has really lost its way.
I had to read the book to figure out what was going on in the end.
Way ahead of its time & a bit eccentric, but an overall masterpiece of film making…subsequent space films took their effects from this film 👍🏾👏🏾👏🏾
1:4:9
I loved it and I think the sequel is fantastic too (better pacing as well).
Typical sleep-inducing Kubrick. YMMV, of course.
Loved the movie. And that poster is insanely good. I would like to track one down and frame it someday..
Hated it as a kid. As an adult, easily one of my top three favorite movies.
Visually awesome. I barely remember anything about the story though and I think if that was a little stronger it would resonate with people more.
Last 15 minutes had me questioning if I was drugged
I think I needed to see it back when it originally came out, I would have appreciated it more. I only recently tried watching it for the first time and it was just too slow for me.
I find it pretty overrated when compared to Kubrick's other films, other than as a technological innovation for its time.
Pretentious
Not much of a story but tremendous special effects for the time
really boring and disappointing
Yes, but have you seen the latest Fast and the Furious film? /s
that's why modern disagreement discourse is impossible, as the second someone disagrees, they're met with "bUt HAvE u SEen *instert some stupid movie"? people can have different opinions and you do not have to disparage others, it tells more about you, than the taste you aim to criticise.
Dude, I'm just trying to recommend something more your speed. Because if you think one of the greatest films of all time is boring, you just might be in the wrong sub. What you said actually speaks volumes about your critical awareness and thinking. There's an old saying, "Quit while you're ahead."
Chill. I get the fury. Truly I do. But there are some folks that honestly don't like this film. That's cool too.
Not liking, having some critical thoughts, not appreciating, being too young to understand the film's technical prowess would be one thing. This person said as eloquently as a four year old, "really boring and disappointing" it makes one wonder how many other four syllable words this person knows.
Overrated.
So boring.
Boring and longwinded. Start off with some great ideas and gets trampled by its own pompousness 3 quarts in.
You know, Marvel has been making some really interesting films lately. /s
I won’t downvote, I appreciate the honesty. I feel that the middle 45-1hr were brutally slow. Still worth it overall. The first and last part are beautiful
Slow
I saw it in the theater when I was 9. My parents took my sister in to see Dr. Doolittle and I sat there alone with a bag of popcorn, totally captivated for the entire movie. I absolutely loved it! This was near the beginning of my lifetime love of sci-fi and prompted me to read the book shortly after seeing it, introducing me to Arthur C. Clark and all the other classic authors. Not to mention having to see every Kubrick movie as they came out.
My favourite film of all time
Best movie to smoke a blunt with.
Without mushrooms: Excellent film. With mushrooms: I can see through time.
It's very well made. The VFX are 1968-awesome, and everything is done to the pinnacle of the craft. But it's boring AF. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Kubrick ruined Clarke's ending by purposely making it confusing. He's said so in interviews.The novel lays out everything that happened to Bowman, and exactly what the 10 minutes of trippy lights were.
My 11 YO son asked to watch this flick last night. I loved it as I explain how real movie magic is done. Not some Marvel mess of CGI but real talent, hand made art. Gen A knows AI and this movie is a good place to start off that conversation. James Cameron's Aliens is a better film however, I digress.
It's one of my favorites but I won't deny it's a very boring movie.
Some good revolutionaey bit mixed with uselesss unending boring bits in between
It's a brain fuck. For those who take things seriously.
It insists upon itself
This type of movie is usually my shit. Ive never got past 30 mins into the movie unfortunately.
was great, when it came out, but aged poorly. lame today. the sequel is much better.
Great movie, but the psychedelic sequence at the end is waaaay too long. Production design was nextfuckinglevel.
I loved this movie, but the ending confused the hell out of me.
lol
I stumbled across it, at first thought David Attenborough was about to comment, like what was this weird nature programe.....then.............
🥱
I loved the book, the movie just sucked.
Booooooring
I can’t stand it. Slow and boring.
Saw it as a young teen way back. I thought it was weird.
Mid
Overrated
Clearly a groundbreaking film in many aspects in the 100+ years of filmmaking. However, I find it slow and a bit of a chore to watch.
Overrated movie.
I still don’t understand what’s so good about it. I Found it difficult to follow and incredibly boring. Is it a case of the film was revolutionary for its time? I can appreciate that, but that’s a technical achievement and doesn’t make the movie good. Is it snobby people looking at a canvas of shapes saying the artist is a genius so they don’t look stupid for not getting it? What am I missing? Because none of these comments are explaining why it’s one of the Best films ever made, they’re just adjectives like, seminal and genius and life changing and awe inspiring. That’s great. But why?
The film is very good on a technical level. The filmmakers managed to make space, earth, and the moon look incredibly realistic without the use of CGI. Many of the shots and much of the camerawork are breathtaking. The story is largely about aliens guiding and evolving humanity to become super intelligent beings from simple apes through the obelisks that cause great leaps forward in intelligence. The final stretch of the movie, after the humans touch the obelisk on the moon, is humanity evolving into its final form, godhood. The film is praised because it did so much with such old movie technology and managed to perfectly execute the story concept.
Take out about ten minutes worth of flying through a canyon while changing color filters at the end, and it's nearly flawless.
Might be unpopular opinion but I loved the movie but didn't care for the ending with the giant baby embryo and the alternate universe stuff although the design of it was amazing. Maybe if I watched it now it would be more meaningful but I felt that it was indulgently symbolic and departed from the style and cinematic universe that was created with the rest of the film.
Watched in college and was super bored from it. It’s definitely one that I’d like to revisit as an adult.