Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" still absolutely Visionary, Mesmerizing and Eternally forward-looking even after half a Century!

Rating: 10/10 (2 December 2019)

Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" (produced in 1968) was one of those films that I did not fully appreciate when I was younger = it seemed exceedingly slow-moving, and excessively enigmatic (i.e. did not have the kinetic energy of 'Star Wars' or charismatic character interaction, and comprehensible futuristic 'insights' of 'Star Trek'!).
But what "2001 A Space Odyssey" certainly contained were incredibly serene-hypnotic (even sublime) Visuals, along with amazingly powerful (and equally sublime) Music (particularly "Also sprach Zarathustra" which opens the film, by Richard Strauss, but also the 'Blue Danube Waltz' by Johann Strauss (no relation) and especially the heavenly 'abstract modernist' "Atmosphères" by György Ligeti, played during the final colorfully-transmogrified 'trip' at the End).
It's interesting that as I re-watched this Film recently, I realized that it has actually grown even more impressive with the passage of Time - and I absolutely cannot believe this was made by Kubrick over 50 Years ago?! (I think he actually began developing this even earlier, with Arthur C. Clarke in 1964/1965, right after the phenomenal success of Kubrick's other ground-breaking Cold-War Classic "Dr. Strangelove"). The space-travel/ ship designs and amazing special-effects by Douglass Trumbull have not lost one iota of 'realism' during that half Century in fact they seem more tangibly impactful than a lot of current CGI seen in modern 'space' films.
I certainly don't claim to understand the (multiple) messages wrapped in enigmas presented in Kubrick's visionary film '2001 A Space Odyssey' it still remains maddeningly esoteric and ultimately undecipherable (I'm sure that was Kubrick's authentic-intention) but especially now, when the multiple tenuous uncertainties of our Globe loom so large ----> Kubrick's film seems to put everything in 'proper' perspective i.e. Our Earth is actually quite tiny, and our 'civilization' still at infancy....... there are so many (virtually countless) mysteries 'out-there' waiting to be discovered and possibly even revealed thru human ingenuity & our potential ability to actually reach those celestial stars.
As a species we have already beaten the odds considerably ...... humanity has made it miraculously far, up to this point considering our inherently destructive natures.
All this was brilliantly communicated in Kubrick's opening segment: transitioning literally from Stone-Age to Space-Age in one fell swoop ..... there is something truly timeless about Kubrick's Cinematic vision evoking humanity's eternal yearning to exceed the limitations of our physical Earth and finally begin a journey thru the 'next phase' (of childhood?) traversing the celestial stars and beyond........