Not Boring!

Rating: 9/10 (17 January 2005)

This isn't a movie review as much as a response to those who feel that slow-paced equals bad, where scifi or suspense is concerned. I do think this is one of the classics of cinema, and much that came after is deep in Kubrick's debt. Every student of film should see this.
Admittedly, this is more like reading a novel then watching a film. However, that meditative approach, together with the stunning visuals and the silence of deep space, gives the viewer time to think! The film CERTAINLY raises more questions than it answers, and this is a good thing. Not every film experience has to be neatly tied up at the end of two hours, and if you accept that this film is a metaphor of the human condition, then there is definitely room for loose ends.
What about character development? HAL is one of the best realized villains in all of cinema (example, paraphrased as I don't have the lines in front of me *SPOILER*: "I can tell you're very upset about this, Dave." "Open the airlock, HAL." "I'm sorry, Dave, but I can't do that. You're going to find it very difficult to get back on board without your helmet, Dave." His calm menace is unreal!) I was ten when I first saw this, and couldn't get through it, because as a ten-year-old, I was expecting laser blasts and rockets. I saw it again several years later, and it was more to my liking as a young adult. It grows on you and is worth repeated viewings. I have seen it several times and own the soundtrack as well.
IF you want Star Wars, then by all means, watch Star Wars. But if you want some serious hard science fiction, this is a great film.