Snoozefest!

Rating: 2/10 (5 October 2012)

This film is the very definition of pretentious. It insists upon itself in a manner that is not consistent with the story. The story moves along awkwardly. I assume the actual story is only about 15-20 minutes and for some ungodly reason Kubrik decided long, slow, distanced shots of spaceships flying and docking on spaceports would make good filler.
Maybe in 1968 this was an astounding film that inspired awe in audiences, but anyone who can look at this film in modern times and say it is a masterpiece is speaking purely from nostalgia. In 1968 no one had ever seen spaceships in this great of detail on a big screen, so I imagine the reaction was similar to folks who saw The Wizard of OZ, when everything went color.
Was the film extremely influential in shaping the SciFi genre we know today? Of course. But today, most would feel like the movie is hallow and lacking substance. We just expect more these days and this film is far too simplistic by today's standards. If you want to see Star Wars' older more boring cousin, or just like seeing long shots of spacecraft lofting through space for an hour, this is the movie for you. The film is respectable for what it did in early cinema, but it is simply dated.