Groundbreaking and a great film, but overrated...

Rating: 8/10 (18 February 2006)

This is definitely a great film. The special effects in it were groundbreaking for the day and are still impressive even now. The combination of visuals with music works just as beautifully now as it always has.
However, I have heard people call this the greatest sci-fi film ever. I have heard people call this one of the most thought provoking films ever. I have heard people complain about modern films for having nothing to them beyond special effects, but then praise 2001.
The film is overrated. If you really look at it, you'll realise that the film does not really raise any deep thought-provoking issues, it simply suffers from a almost non-existent narrative. If you read the book this will become very clear to you. It was originally considered to include a narration over the top of the film.
For this reason and the fact that there is little to no character development, this cannot be called the greatest sci-fi film ever and it is outmatched by masterpieces like Blade Runner or Brazil. Even David Lynch's Dune could be considered superior, as it succeeds in many of the areas where 2001 fails.
That said, it is still a bloody good film and a visual masterpiece.