Apothetical.

Rating: 10/10 (30 November 2008)

A stunning, spectacular, psychedelic, intense, and fascinating trip into outer space, "2001: A Space Odyssey" remains not only the greatest science fiction film, but also one of, if not the, greatest films ever to grace our screens. I kid you not.
Every shot is filled with beautiful scenery and effects (that are still impressive today), that will stimulate your mind and make you ask yourself the purpose of life. How? Why? You will have to see it to believe it. The best thing about this movie is that it is daring, DARING, to show such questions off in an abnormal manner towards an unexpected audience. "Why are we here? How did we came to be? Are we creations of God? Are we our own God?". Yes, it is as philosophical as they say.
I am simply stunned at some other people's comments. Bored? BORED?! You say? Shocking. You are one of Hollywood's victims, watching most of their propaganda that either makes people joyfully glee or kicking each others' guts out with stupid comedy or political references shown in their films. No. Get a life. Watch this film. Ask yourself the meaning of life. Repeated viewings are required to get the full message. Each new viewing gives new questions and new answers. The slow pace of the film is necessary for you to absorb these questions and answers. Yes, this is a calling, told visually.
What director Stanley Kubrick has done here is too good for mere words. He and co-creator Arthur C. Clarke became science fiction masters, right after this film, and it is easy to see from here. The film shows visually stunning sequences, mixed in with beautiful, harrowing and haunting music to create a spectacular, exquisite and wondrous event for the senses. This is not just any film, this is film art at its best.
From the lavish set design that is all-too realistic, to the grim realization that it brings forth, this film is magical. A moment not to lose as you find yourself in the deepest chasms of outer space, from a space station to the deep end of Jupiter. Also, man's evolution is made evident with the Dawn of Man sequence, also masterfully interpreting primitive apes who use bones as weapons, then the famous "jump cut" shows a nuclear/laser satellite over the mid-air bone. Showing a "weapon of mass destruction" prophecy. It seems all too real now.
Space exploration. The film was made in 1968, and is set in 2001. Although that time limit has come and pass, some, but not most, of the things shown in the film are not invented yet. It still shows that mankind still has a long way to go even after all those inventions and progresses, both in real-life and on the screen. The Final Frontier, as Star Trek would put it. Man may not conquer it. But we can experience its beauty.
Technically speaking, it ticks all the boxes. The scope is wide. The effects are great. The cinematography is beautiful. The music is haunting. Keir Dullea's makes us feel for his character. The villainous HAL 9000 is cold and chilling to the bone, like the icy cold of space. The direction is mesmerizing. The script sublime. The shocks genuine. The chills up your spine it brings. The majesty of it all. Who am I kidding? Word's simply will not do this piece of art justice.
If this does not gain a position in the Top 20, never mind the Top 250, I urge you movie fans out there to see this film. It's an absolute must. If you don't, consider yourself a liar if you claim that you're a fan of science fiction, movies, or art, whatever the cause. It's a film event that must be behold by all, told by a master filmmaker, who truly is one of, if not the, greatest filmmaker who ever lived.
The film has inspired numerous films, like "Star Wars", "Alien", "Blade Runner", and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". Even it's theme of questioning human existence is explicitly delivered in the almost-equally masterful anime franchise "Neon Genesis Evangelion", which I urge anyone to see if they liked this film. But really, this film is the great-granddaddy of them all. It shows science fiction in a serious light, and eroding any shred of camp value of the '40s and '50s.
Forget George Lucas. Step aside, Steven Spielberg. Move over, Ridley Scott and James Cameron. Stanley Kubrick is The Man and you better believe it.
People, this film is apothetical.
Overall: 10/10