2001: A Space Odyssey(1968)- User Reviews

As usual, Kubrick demonstrates a somewhat offbeat and hard-to-follow style in this movie, which is why many people are bored by it.
The movie is a companion to the book of the same name, written by Arthur C. Clarke. Kubrick and Clarke collaborated on the book and script, but Kubrick's movie rendition bears subtleties that I doubt Clarke was capable of (I have always respected Clarke as a writer, because of his brilliant piece "Against the Fall of Night," but his work can tend to be shallow and unoriginal), and I think it is easy to dismiss the movie as a load of boring, drawn-out scenes.
The reason for this oddly incomprehensible movie can be found in Kubrick's filmmaking style, which emphasizes the viewer being a passive observer. It is unclear from the movie that a signal is emitted by the monolith on the moon, and that Dave Bowman, HAL, and Frank are on a ship sent to investigate the signal, which was sent toward Jupiter. Instead, we hear an odd noise, and immediately move to a ship floating through space.
The subtleties of this movie make it essential to read the book before viewing in order to understand the plot, so those who are just looking for something to sit down and watch will be disappointed. It's a different movie in every way, and is very interesting; assuming you know what's going on.