2001: A Space Oddity

Rating: 10/10 (19 July 2009)

The film is really 3 movies in one, with the connected theme of searching for the origin of man & man's destiny. For the first 30 minutes, you'd think you were watching a Discovery Channel special on apes. There's no dialogue for the first 30 minutes. I fast-forwarded through this part.
The 2nd part of the movie deals with the lunar discovery and space mission. It also delves into the subject or artificial intelligence & Dave & Frank's interaction with Hal (the supercomputer). The section of the movie is about 55 minutes long and the only part where there is dialogue.
The last 30 minutes, Jupiter & infinity is a kind of acid trip. This is Kubrick's artistic expression and philosophy about man's existence and his quest for exploration. This was my interpretation. There is no dialogue in this section either & Kubrick seems to leave the message & conclusion up to the audience.
This movie is typical of Kubrick's efforts to go beyond what's conventional & try to be as atypical as possible. The film can be appreciated for its art, vision & philosophical discussions about man, his origins and artificial intelligence, but don't expect a complete, coherent plot.