Surprised? Remember what forums you're on... :xD:

Hehe - yeah that was a diversion with the volcanoes.
Anyways - back OT - I find it interesting that the movie holds two seemingly contradictory ideas. One is obviously a criticism of too much technology that threatens to overtake humans as a species. I know some members of this forum and people like Kevin Kelly think that this is actually a good thing, but in 2001 it was obviously not so and the attempts of Hal9000 to "take over" were stopped, symbolically standing for a general takeover of the machines (though in reality probably people would just built a Hal9001 that is "inherently safe" just to discover that that was not so later :P ).
2001 seems to favour a human evolution that does not involve a technological singularity or humans becoming cyborgs or even AIs as the next step in evolution. For that reason Hal9000 is stopped and the human keeps going to evolve into some sort of "light beeing" (following the New-Age ideas of ascension and spiritual shedding of the physical).
On the other hand, the story leading to this conflict tell a different story. In that story, a technological develoopment, a high tech world, flying to the moon and to Jupiter are depicted as required steps to reach that enlightenment which in the end however shows humans that they do not need all of this in the end at all. This is a bit puzzling. I guess the view behind that is, that humans only learn from mistakes or that the setting for this enlightenment/ascension requires a technological development as a prerequisite - if only to int he end point to the dangers of it. So I think in a way it is contraditory, but within the general story it makes sense of course.

To use alien beings setting up monoliths as basically the driving force behind all of this development is something I find a bit weakening. It implies that humans could not do it themselves and by that it denies humans the capabilities to do this. Of course that could be meant as a symbol rather than actual alien artefacts though.

So why do people like 2001? I think it is exactly because one can see basically several of the narratives people tell themselves in it. People hoping for human ascension get their share, people critical about technology get theirs and technology enthusiasts also get theirs. And this is what makes this movie actually a lot like Avatar in a way, because there also a storyline and setting was created that includes a multitude of stories and cultural narratives in it. Also people critical of technology are adressed who then dream about being Na'Vi and people dreaming of spaceships and biotechnology also get their share and a number of other narratives are included - there are too many to list them now.
Powerful movies that are liked by many do have this in common. They are masterpieces in that they manage to fit all of these narratives, stories, symbols and myths into one movie even if some of them contradict others. That way almost all viewers can find their own way of seeing the world represented, can identify with the movie and can like it, ignoring or accepting the aspects of the movie that do not adress them.

Often this is achieved by not explaining a number of things, like in 2001 and of course also in Matrix - some things are left open, that is the easiest method of allowing all sorts of people to like that movie, because each can use the own fantasy and imagination to fill in the blanks in a way that suit his own personal narrative. Avatar managed somehow to not leave too much open but still capture many people, that is interesting, though of course fans do not give up on still using their own fantasy and make fanfiction even though there are no major point left open :D

I'm just going to wade in here not having read the rest of the thread and state that I believe that as science fiction films go 2001 is visually, thematically and scientifically almost without parallel. It's just that good.
Kubrick and Clarke set out to make 'the proverbial good science fiction movie' and they really succeeded. Those interested in concept/themes had plenty to muse upon. The visual effects heads got some the greatest and most stunning images ever presented in a science fiction film. The hard-SF fans got one of the most accurate depictions of spaceflight ever put to celluloid. I particularly enjoy the beautiful, touching and (most significantly) physically plausible paean to the technological progress of man that is the docking with the orbiting Space Station. Allegedly Patrick Moore was the guy who suggested using The Blue Danube!

I would disagree with the idea that people in the 60’s were super intelligent puzzle crackers based on all of the drug induced products of that time. Besides, if today in the “information age” we can have such a broad overcastting of simpletons I would imagine that a movie of such “depth” back in those days would have been viewed as groundbreaking only in terms of the concept of space inhabitance and the “special” effects. As far as the “story” goes it’s a real snooze. If there were ever a film that would make a suicidal person actually do it this would be the film to do it. Now for me when I first saw it on DVD a decade ago I actually fell out of my chair into the floor in hysterical laughter because of that last bit where it’s flashing up all sorts of random things. My first thought after viewing it was that the maker of this movie was either stoned out of his mind or entering the final stages of psychosis.

I have no idea why this movie is held in such high regard or how anyone could enjoy it. I eventually just threw the movie in the trash because I couldn’t find anyone who would take it. It’s pretty bad when at the end of the day at a yard sale this is the only item left and you had it marked as “free.”

I would imagine that if 2001: A Space Odyssey was to play in theaters right now the numbers would show how insignificant it is. Fans would have their choice of seats though. Hell, they could probably fit all the fans in one theater.

2001 did not make much money on its original release. However, a certain Mr. J Cameron of Canada saw it 14 times...

One of the reasons why I don't totally agree with Cameron concerning certain topics. ;)

I liked it. XD

Really? People love it?

I mean, sure it looks good for something in that time, but it drones on for ages. I found the most interesting part was the apes at the start. :/

It was mysterious. And I think it had great atmosphere.