Under-appreciated - but still a little slow.

Rating: Null/10 (1 November 2008)

I just watched 2001 on TMC (one of many viewings over the past 20 years or more). I've always liked the movie, and I've always appreciated the symbolism and art of the movie, and I've always felt that this movie is largely under-appreciated by most people. But I still have to say that there are places where this movie is just too dog-gone slow. The non-dialogue, artsy-type scenes of this movie could be cut as much as in half or more at times without really affecting the overall mood and communication of symbolism.
For example, the scene where Dave travels through space & time at the end - does it really have to drag on as long as it does? Or is this just a chance to show a 1968 audience some really groovy psychedelic effects? The extended version of this movie has no dialogue for the first 45 minutes! Yes, 45 minutes! OK, we get it. Dawn of man. Monolith appears. Intelligence is sparked in primitive man. Man uses intelligence to fashion tools for hunting, crafting, and killing each other. We get it. Next scene, please.
Well, that's enough comment from me. I have to go take my ritalin now. ;-)