Possibly The Greatest Film of All-Time

Rating: 10/10 (25 September 2008)

*******The following is a review*******
The film deals with thematic elements of human evolution, technology, artificial intelligence, and extraterrestrial life, and is notable for its scientific realism, pioneering special effects, ambiguous and often surreal imagery, sound in place of traditional narrative techniques, and minimal use of dialogue.
Despite receiving mixed reviews upon release, 2001: A Space Odyssey is today recognized by many critics and audiences as one of the greatest films ever made; the 2002 Sight & Sound poll of critics ranked it among the top ten films of all time.
Director of Photography Geoffrey Unsworth did not want the film to be complicated with printing effects such as blue screen, so most of the special effects were done as in-camera effects.
This film pioneered retro-reflective matting (front projection) in mainstream movie production. The technique was selected to produce the backdrops for the African scenes where apes learn to use tools, as traditional techniques using backdrops or back-projection did not produce a realistic looking result. Existing techniques using painted backdrops for stills or back-projection for moving scenes simply didn't produce the realistic effects Kubrick demanded. The technique was also used for a number of shots during the spacecraft scenes, notably to produce the images seen through windows. The technique has been used widely in the film industry since 2001 pioneered its use, although starting in the 1990s it has been increasingly replaced by green screen systems.
Due to the magnificence of this piece, I've found myself watching multiple times within a week. It truly is groundbreaking; in my mind, the most visually groundbreaking film in history. The thought of this film being "boring" or (as I've heard) "pointless" is like saying The Mona Lisa is pathetic. This movie is far from boring, it is the most interesting, and visually masterful film I've ever seen. The term "pointless" towards 2001, is a reaction that you'd find in the mind of a 15-year-old jock.
If THIS movie is pointless, then what films aren't?