A masterpiece... undying relevancy

Rating: 9/10 (17 December 2002)

SPOILERS
Kubrick is perhaps the only director in the history of film that never made a mediocre film. Even his early work (The Killing and Paths of Glory) were incredible; his career seemed as carefully planned as his films. 2001 was an excellent example of a finely tuned vehicle to express concern about the adverse effects of technology. Although 2001 was slow in parts, the film should be viewed as a whole. The beginning made me think I accidentally rented planet of the apes, but as the film progressed Kubrick's message becomes more and more apparent and early scenes soon made perfect sense. The themes in the film are several, and will continue to make 2001 relevant for generations.
Also, HAL is one of the greatest screen villains of all time because he does not have a physical presence and is omnipresent on that ship. It was definitely man vs. technology, but it also could have been a man vs. god sequence as well. HAL, HAL, HAL. The film is also worth seeing for the theme music. Seldom does music fit a film so perfectly and tightly. That's Kubrick for you. See this one, and everything else Kubrick directed.