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OVERVIEW: The 1968 science-fiction thriller "2001: A Space Odyssey" was produced, directed, and co-written by Stanley Kubric; Arthur C. Clarke also received co-writing credit for the film as it was inspired by his story "The Sentinel." The screenplay centers around the interactions between humans and extraterrestrials, exploring the fantastical mysteries of technology, artificial intelligence, human evolution, and the elusive black monoliths.
Following the 1964 release of "Dr. Strangelove," Kubric set his sights on creating a science-fiction epic that would bridge man and universe. Kubric's approach to the genre was considered non-typical for the time; rather than focus on "monsters and sex," Kubric preferred to explore human vulnerability via man's journey into the unknown--a voyage reminiscent of Homer's "Odyssey," and, thus, lending inspiration for the film's title.
Even though this movie is a bit aged, it's one I believe every sci-fi fan should at least see if not own. Not only is it marvelous in its predictions of the future, it's also a film that investigates the fundamental separation between man and computer. In addition, "2001: A Space Odyssey" has been referenced and parodied for decades, further demonstrating the importance this film retains in science fiction as it exists today.
RECEPTION: "2001: A Space Odyssey" has received almost a half-century's worth of praise for its impeccable foresight, special effects, scientific accuracy, and minimalistic use of dialogue. The film's original debut spawned mixed opinions from critics and audiences; however, over the years, the movie has become a cult-classic and noted among the most influential pictures of all time. Today, "2001: A Space Odyssey" retains a place in the National Film Registry and continues to bear influence on current film icons such as George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Ridley Scott, among countless others.
STARRING ROLES: Danial Richter as Chief Man-Ape, Douglas Rain as voice of HAL 9000, William Sylvester as Dr. Heywood R. Floyd, Keir Dullea as Dr. David Bowman, Gary Lockwood as Dr. Frank Poole, Frank Miller as Mission Controller, Margaret Tyzack as Elena, Leonard Rossiter as Dr. Andrei Smyslov, Sean Sullivan as Dr. Roy Michaels, Edward Bishops as Lunar Shuttle Captain, Robert Beatty as Dr. Ralph Halvorsen, Edwina Carroll as Aries Stewardess, Heather Downham as Stewardess, Penny Brahms as Stewardess, Ann Gillis as Poole's Mother, and Alan Gifford as Poole's Father.
VARIATIONS BETWEEN BOOK AND FILM: Kubric, having selected Arthur C. Clarke as his source-material collaborator, chose the short story "The Sentinel" as the film's preliminary basis. The process of transforming a short story into both a full-length novel and screenplay required years of research, brain-storming, and, of course, fantasizing. Despite their intention to finish the novel first, Kubric and Clarke found that, when paying proper respect to each medium, variations between print and screen were inevitable. In a nut-shell, the differences primarily exist in the degree of descriptions offered by book and film; the book explores phenomena more completely than the movie, as Kubric opted for a more cryptic and inexplicit method of detailing.
DVD SPECIAL FEATURES: (Released 3-29-11 / 1-disc / G-Rated / 148-min. Run-Time / ASIN: B004L9GMBC)
▪ Languages: English and Français
▪ Subtitles: English, Français, and Español (Bonus features excluded)
▪ Commentary by Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood
▪ Theatrical Trailer
SUMMARY: The film is partitioned into four major sections.
(1) "The Dawn of Man" (based on Arthur C. Clarke's short story of the same name)--After a leopard attacks a tribe of early herbivorous hominids, the group takes night's refuge in a rocky crater. They awaken to the presence of a frightening black monolith. The instinct of fear drives the Chief Man-Ape to improvise his resources; he turns a discarded bone into a weapon as a means of protection. Upon success of the bone's use as a tool, the hominids become slaves to innovation as a means of survival in the competition between tribes.
(2) "TMA-1" [Fast-forward approximately 4-million years from Act I]--En route to Clavius Base, a U.S. outpost located on Earth's moon, Dr. Heywood R. Floyd stops for a layover on an Earth-orbiting space station (apparently, with the commercialization of space travel, Pan Am no longer offers direct flights). On the space station, Floyd meets up with two colleague scientists, Elena and Smyslov, each of whom expresses concerned curiosity over the rumor of an epidemic on Clavius Base; Floyd declines to comment on the situation.
Once he reaches the Lunar outpost, Floyd reiterates the confidential nature of the supposed `epidemic'--a cover for the mission which unearths a deliberately planted black monolith (dating back 4-million years). The artifact-recovery team treats the finding of the "Tycho Magnetic Anomaly One" as an intriguing discovery, but is primarily ignorant of its importance... that is, until the TMA-1 begins to transmit a very strong and mysterious segment of radio signals....
(3) "Jupiter Mission" [18 months after Act II]--"Discovery One," a U.S. spacecraft piloted by Dr. David Bowman, Dr. Frank Poole, and the ship's artificially intelligent computer, the HAL 9000, is tasked to carry three cryogenically hibernated research scientists to Jupiter (presumably to investigate the source of the radio signals emitted by the black monolith found at Clavius Base). Dave and Frank appear to be `in-the-dark' concerning the objective of the Jupiter Mission, but distract from their ignorance of the mission's specifications by speculating on the extent of HAL's A.I. abilities; HAL insists he is perfect and incapable of error.
While discussing the nature of the mission with Bowman, HAL quickly redirects attention to a glitch he has detected to affect the ship's main antenna. The astronauts determine that there is no malfunction with the part; their assessment is seconded when Mission Control reports that HAL's initial detection of `fault' was made in error. HAL, insistent that his system is immaculate, demands the `faulty' part be reinstalled so that he may prove the "human error" via impending malfunction.
As Dave and Frank grow weary of HAL's "ego," they attempt to conceal their suspicions from HAL by holding conversation in one of the EVA pods--a place in which the ship's computer cannot detect sound. The astronauts proceed to replace the `faulty' unit, as per HAL's recommendation, but agree that if HAL is found in error, he must be disconnected; unbenounced to Bowman and Poole, HAL can "hear" their scheme by reading lips.
In the process of replacing the `malfunctioning' unit, HAL disengages the oxygen hose to Poole's EVA pod. Bowman immediately sets out in the other pod to retrieve Poole, but during his absence, HAL terminates all life-support to the three cryogenically hibernated scientists. HAL then refuses to permit Dave to reenter the ship, stating that his intention to disconnect HAL is contrary to the interests of the mission.
Dave's ability to manually enter the ship via the emergency airlock represents the separation between man and computer. As he makes his way into HAL's processor core, HAL attempts to defend his actions and change Bowman's mind by using psychology; HAL's pleas quickly turn from rational to emotional. While disconnecting the processor modules, HAL's voice is continuously heard--signifying his descent into death. Once the computer goes completely inert, a hidden video from Floyd comes on-screen, revealing the actual purpose of the Jupiter Mission: after uncovering the Moon's mysterious black monolith, it emitted a single, powerful radio signal directed at Jupiter... but has since remained completely dormant.
(4) "Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite"--Dave, the only member of "Discovery One's" crew to make it to Jupiter, rendezvous with another black monolith in orbit about the planet. As he nears the monolith, he and his EVA pod are sucked into a `wormhole' of sorts that takes him on a high-speed journey through space and time. [The movie's final sequence of events is far better seen than described; every individual will interpret the ending scene differently.]
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Customer reviews
Definitive. A must own whether it is your first copy or your 10th.
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2018
Just received the 50th Anniversary 4K HDR UHD and HD Blu Ray 3 disc set (today is Nov 6). When I ordered last week, Amazon stated this is a pre-order for Nov 20th release and it still says that. You can imagine my surprise when it showed up today. I see this release was set for October 30, then apparently pushed back to Nov 20. Well my copy is here and it's incredible.I have many versions of this on DVD, Blu-Ray and even Laser Disc. Basically every upgraded version that came out along the way. This is it. This is absolutely spectacular. The 4k is absolutely stunning, as expected, but the 1080p BD is also a noticeable improvement over the last HD release. The new transfer did wonders for both formats. The HD version is just the best of what one can expect from the format. The UHD brings out some things we haven't experienced....the colors and detail in some scenes are uncanny for anyome familiar with the film. It may even be jarring to some, but I'm looking forward to multiple viewings to really appreciate the increased details and color.I like both of the DTS-HD surround mixes. I don't hear quite as much difference as I expected, but it's great to hear the original 6 channel theatrical mix. The original seems to have more low end, but also looser and the highs rolled off in areas. The newer mix sounds cleaned up and modern. Makes sense. Great to have options.The actual plastic box for the discs does not match promo shots where it looks the same as the outer sleeve. I like the contrast of the different covers. See pics.
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2018
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