I can't see why this film is so highly-regarded.

Rating: Null/10 (9 August 2003)

To be honest, since I grew up with Sci-Fi flicks like "Star Wars", "Aliens", and the various "Star Trek" series and movies, I'm afraid I can't say how impressive the special effects were for 1968.
That said, I also can't see what the freakin' big deal is with this movie!
It's extremely slow, the majestic movements through space really don't add anything, the dialogue is extremely bland, and the "trip"......I guess it's one of those "You Had To Be There" moments, in this case, 1968.
The only real noteworthy part of this should be HAL, which emphasized reliance on computers and what happens when one goes rogue, ironically but blindly foreshadowing such things as the defused Y2K problem. But aside from that, this movie is a big artistic dud for me. The only reason I'd recommend it is to see it's sequel, "2010", which makes a lot more sense, is more entertaining, and answers SOME of the questions left by 2001.