When Art Attacks

Rating: 1/10 (16 March 2006)

2001 is the perfect movie for a certain group of people. You know who they are. Over the internet, in your college maybe--a student or possibly a philosophy/art/film professor. A person with a passion for avante-garde films with wacky imagery and little else. They're the type of people who find a college thesis' worth of material from the dialogue in the Matrix sequels, they're the ones that boldly declare a film 'art' and anybody else who disagrees with them 'just didn't get it.' 2001 is art alright. The kind of art that I can only liken as being assaulted and nearly beaten to death by an Andy Warhol painting. Yes this movie is art, and you will hate it for that.
This is a shame since normally I like Stanley Kubrick movies, but 2001 is an experiment in film-making and nothing more. The plot is incredibly vague, revolving around monkeys battling a black monolith, a mission to space, and a computer program called Hal going insane since that's what most self-conscious computer programs do. The film is then peppered with other psychedelic imagery that are supposed to convey grand ideas. They'll only convey those types of things if you're pretentious and into that kind of thing, otherwise you'll view it as utterly pointless.
2001 revolves around these whacked-out, LSD-induced images to string together some kind of story that interests you. It does not. A parade of shots that have little to do with one another and randomly show things happen does not a movie make.
There are no doubt going to be people out there who will try to explain 2001's plot and why you should accept it as being a wonderful film. The thing is this: much like if you have to explain a joke then it isn't funny, it's the same thing with movies. If you have to explain to someone the plot and its various interpretations, then it isn't a good movie.
Ultimately I can't change the opinion of the viewers and critics that loved 2001, but if 2001 proves anything it's this: keep your art to yourself.