"2001" is a cinematic piece of art, not a movie

Rating: 8/10 (6 February 2008)

The best way to describe "2001: A Space Odyssey" is to call it beautiful. It portrays space with an unsettling and exciting quiet and the late Stanley Kubrick proves why he is a film-making legend.
Everything from each angle, the score, to the amount of time you have to sit and think about what the heck is going on appears to be so carefully thought out and brilliantly executed. The special effects for the 60s are stunning. The symbolism and suspense of this excessively long journey into the contemplation of human existence are simply remarkable.
That said, "2001" is something more of a motion picture masterpiece, not a "movie" in the modern sense of the word. With nearly an hour and a half of silent or score-only footage, "2001" is simply not meant to entertain in the modern sense of the word. Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke leave much to be desired and answered and it appears they preferred it that way. It is a visual exploration into human existence and requires very open but deep focus, much like that of a poem, to even scratch the surface. It is difficult to access, but a pleasure to watch.