Deserves its status as a classic

Rating: 7/10 (14 May 2018)

2001: A Space Odyssey is objectively a visual masterpiece; but for those who appreciate a subtler, slower story line, it is a narrative success as well. Does the movie revel in showing off its mind boggling special effects? Does it, at times, seem more like an impressive art gallery than a film? Yes and yes, but even 50 years later, the special effects are amazing enough to warrant the rather pretentious display. It is clear that Kubrick's vision influenced nearly all sci-fi movies set in space up through the 21st century, and the only things that clue into its date of creation are the costumes and lack of outrageous CGI monsters. The calm, long shots of space and the spaceship set to classical music allow the audience to take in every bit of the mystical, beautiful, and slightly intimidating aspects to space and technology that Kubrick wished to convey.
One of the main complaints about 2001: A Space Odyssey is its length and slow plot. There is no denying that the movie moves at a slow pace or that it is long (about two and a half hours), but whether this works in the service of the movie or not is as matter of preference. Admittedly, the style of storytelling is slightly difficult to adjust to when an one is used to the current space movie genre, which often entails exciting action and an ensemble of characters whose personal relationships form a core of the movie. In 2001, the suspense is much quieter, but the drawn out length keeps it simmering constantly under the surface. Instead of an ensemble cast with charismatic characters, the core of the movie contains one human and one supercomputer, HAL. Additionally, the cerebral nature of the third act is radically different from those of Star Wars, Star Trek, and other epic space movies. However, the story line is still thought-provoking, exciting, and fairly simple to follow once its unique form is accepted and celebrated.