Better than Sominex!

Rating: 4/10 (26 September 2005)

This movie has many merits, but I come not to praise Ceasar. There is no doubt that the film has earth shattering effects for its time (1968) Hollywood would not see such space effects again until the 70's with the release of Star Wars. People will tend to fawn and gush over this film. Yes, it's artsy and yes, it has an interesting and thought provoking message buried underneath all the dross and chaff. I once taped this movie and fast-forwarded through the interminably long effects shots to find this 148 minute film had only 45 minutes of dialogue. That's 103 minutes of footage unrelated to story advancement but dedicated to "mood." I'm not saying you shouldn't see "2001," You "ought to" see it if you have an interest in American cinematic history - the film is a landmark. My point being not to fall for the Emperor's new clothes. Just because it is touted as great doesn't mean you'll think so. Watch with your own critical eye - you might think it's the grandest and greatest film of all time - or not. Yes, Hollywood has hailed 2001, but let's not forget that Hollywood is not known for its dense population of highly intelligent people. These are the people that bring you an endless stream of Adam Sandler films.