You haven't experienced dullness untill you have seen this movie.

Rating: Null/10 (9 September 2000)

Unbelievable... the dullness... the so-called philosophical journey... it's all a bunch of crap. The lack of dialog doesn't make a movie more profound. Not giving all the answers doesn't necesary mean philosophy comes jumping around the corner. Shooting a scene longer than really necessary doesn't mean you're an artist. If it's possible to know the point of a scene after 3 seconds .. you don't want need to see 8 different angles of the same scene for 3 minutes long!! (and I can't even begin to describe the scene where the scientist (Floyd) travels from the earth-orbiter to the moon... ooh my God.. the boredom!!!)
So why should I care what the true meaning is of the monoliths, if the story is told in such a boring way? Why should I care what the ending means to the movie, myself or mankind, if the scenes themselves are a big question mark?

I don't need to be spoon-fed all the clues, I don't need the blasters, bloodthirsty aliens and one-liners to enjoy sci-fi's AND I love a good philosophical discussion, but please give me a reason to discuss! I know what Kubrick and Clarke hoped to make us ponder about (I won't spoil it.. if that's even possible), but this is not the way to do it.
The comments about this movie remind me of the monkeypaintings that were hung in a museum and reviewed by "art-experts": true meaning is in the eye of the beholder, but the meaning doesn't have to be there in the first place. Kubrick tried this, even said so in his interviews, but still the movie itself is flawed. Not the special-effects, not the makers intentions, not the ideas that are presented.. they are excellent, genuine and truly visionary, but the flaw was simply in the way the story was told.
And as for the notion that you should read the book to "understand" the movie: That is another example of why the movie failed. A movie should tell it's tale by itself and should not need any outside assistance!
1 star for the special effects (1968!), 1 star for Kubrick's and Clarke's intentions:
**/*****