It's about evolution

Rating: Null/10 (25 May 2004)

The theme of 2001, which eludes so many of the reviewers here, is the interplay between science, technology, and evolution. The monolith is a stand-in for any scientific mystery, the chance discovery that makes us (humans) realize we're nowhere near figuring everything out. The mystery inspires us to explore, to look at our surroundings differently, to see usefulness in things we hadn't noticed before. As we create new tools, we must also develop morally to ensure that the tools do not destroy us. By mastering new tools, humankind is in effect reborn as something it could never have imagined.
Reading the book to understand the film is a huge mistake. Clarke became obsessed with providing literal explanations for the metaphors ("look! aliens!") and in doing so lost the focus. Watching the follow-up 2010, which is based on the book rather than the film, is also a mistake. (To his shame, Clarke produced two more novels to squeeze money out of the brand without adding any substance.)
I don't accept Clarke's after-the-fact explanation of what happened to HAL (i.e. he was instructed to lie). HAL was created with all the knowledge and reasoning capacity of a human, but without the accompanying morality. When he started to malfunction, it was his refusal to accept his own fallibility that made him dangerous.