The ape sequence demands reverence. These are our ancestors. Their pre-civilized world is stunning, but fearsome. The bedroom sequence is surreal and mystifying. Kubrick's ending is upbeat, and optimistic.
Life is in embryo.
There is the hope of growth and adventure. Without this ending, Kubrick's intent, or mood, or vision, would be more somber, perhaps depressing. Some have compared the film to opera. When one realizes that this film predates the introduction of personal computers by more than a decade, its achievement is astounding. It presents the inexplicable in beautiful, magical ways.