A totally unique cinema experience

Rating: 10/10 (1 July 2002)

Over the years 2001 has gained a lofty position as one of the best and most influential sci-fi films ever made. While it is certainly a well made and unique film, it's an acquired taste that will take multiple viewings to appreciate. Many people see it as a mind boggling one-of-a-kind movie that remains among the best American films, others see it as a boring, confusing ego trip on the part of Kubrick. Seeing as how Stanley Kubrick is one of my favorite directors, I has grown accustomed to his directorial style. I feel that Kubrick made this film the way he did to convey the empty, vast feeling of space with long sustained periods of slow moving objects and silence. 2001 is definitely not a film for casual viewing. Although it is rather slow moving, you really need to watch every second of this film to soak in the environment and atmosphere that Kubrick creates. It is far ahead of it's time in content and effects, but the effects do not replace plot as is the case of most adventure movies churned out today at a regular pace. He really leaves the film open to induvidual interpretation, which is something all great films should do. I gave up several times on 2001 before I finally saw it all the way through. After two viewings, I now feel that it is indeed one of the great sci-fi films and it is not for all viewers. Once you have seen it all the way through, you will probably never see sci-fi films the same way again.