What the hell did I just watch?

Rating: 8/10 (27 November 2015)

I'm very confused right now. I definitely did not get what this movie is about. It certainly isn't just another space adventure movie. I'm not sure it would classify as sci-fi either. I see it more as a trip inside Kubrick's mind, perhaps? In any case, it is not necessarily the plot what matters more in this movie.
This movie is definitely a visual masterpiece. It is truly amazing that Kubrick managed to pull out so many visual effects and tricks in 1968, and the spaceship scenes have nothing to envy to those of the latest space blockbuster. Many, many times they seemed a bit too slooow, but I'm guessing Kubrick did it on purpose to give a sense of the immensity of the cosmos. In any case, it is beautiful to see spaceships dancing a waltz, but shortening some scenes wouldn't have hurt. And then there's the prologue with the monkeys, which is a whole different story. Not only it takes twenty minutes to tell something it could have been told in much less, but it is also immensely puzzling. It definitely is there for a reason, I'm sure about it, but right now I can't seem to grasp its meaning. After finishing this review, I'll see what Internet has to say about it.
And then there's the ending. Oh wow. I give this movie 8 stars, but the 8th star goes entirely to the final part: just before it I was thinking this movie deserved 7 stars. The landing on Jupiter is a wonderful example of the psychedelia of the 60s taken to a big screen. That sequence alone probably takes around ten minutes, but it is so enjoyable you don't even notice them. Then the very final scene is the most intriguing piece of cinema I remember right now. What does it mean? In what way is it related to the rest of the movie? I'm guessing Kubrick wanted the public to live the theatre with this questions unanswered. Thankfully, post-2001 viewers have the blessing of Internet, which I now turn to in the hope it clears up my doubts.