age has not withered it; it's as brilliant as ever

Rating: Null/10 (13 May 2001)

Reading a Kubrick bio compelled me to rent and view some of his films and I'm thankful I did. It's interesting to note, by the way, how several of them--including 2001--were initially panned. Even on a small screen, even after the giant steps that have been taken in special effects and optical technology, I still find this film extraordinary. I also am somewhat depressed by the high percentage of moviegoers who regard deliberate pacing in a movie prima facie evidence of mediocrity or worse. The opening sequence is astonishing--maybe the best fifteen minutes of wordless film of all time. I guess the acting in 2001 is not a central aspect of the film as a whole, but it is certainly adequate to the purpose--and as to the meaning of the monolith, or the film's conclusion--suit yourself. I think the notion that our species is simply an evolutionary stage through which we're passing is both a propos and one that I find appealing on a personal level--it would be nice to believe that we're not going to be stuck as we are forever. If you haven't seen it, I hope that you may one day have the chance to see it as it should be seen--on a mammoth Cinerama screen. If you can't see it in that format, then by all means, see it any way you can. If you are bored or irritated by movies that aren't jammed with explosions, bloodshed, and other pyrotechnics, maybe you'd best stay away, but otherwise, enjoy.