A film lacking in stimulation, but nevertheless groundbreaking for SF and cinema in general.

Rating: 6/10 (10 January 2007)

2001: A Space Odyssey is a difficult film to review due to the fact that (even now) it's an unconventional piece of cinema.
The script, written by Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, features little to no dialog (all of which is superfluous) and provides virtually no exposition for the audience. And while the companion novel by Arthur C. Clarke provides more depth and stimulation into the story, the film itself suffers from lacking these things on its own.
The acting is standard fare, if only because the focus of the story is on the odyssey rather than the characters. Douglas Rain stands out as providing the voice of HAL 9000, a chilling supercomputer supervising the progress of the mission.
Where the film gets most of its acclaim is in the visuals, and deservedly so. From the monolith to the starport to the transformation into starchild, the film is stunning. And it is for this reason that masterpieces such as the Star Wars saga and Blade Runner have come to existence. Coincidentally, Douglas Trumbull provided his special effects talent to all three of these films.
The biggest complaint given to 2001: A Space Odyssey is its lethargic pace. Again, this is deservedly so. But to Stanley Kubrick's credit, it was his intent to make the audience truly *use* their senses to appreciate the film. Not on a superficial level, but to truly invest one's self in the film's atmosphere.
In the end, it's perhaps best to classify 2001 in a league of its own. That is, a film that experiments with the laws of cinema and its relationship to the audience.