2001: A Space Odyssey - WTF?

[krizzz]

Last night, I watched 2001 on BD and am scratching my head. I love a good sci-fi movie. I don't mind a slow paced story (ala Contact), but this movie offered nothing. 20 minutes of chimps???

Sure it had some cool effects for its time. And the 10 or so minutes where HAL took control were intense, but the rest of it just put me to sleep.

Maybe just seeing it out of context (40 years after it was released) has ruined it for me. Or I was expecting more as this movie was heralded as one of "THE GREATS"...

Can somebody set me straight...

[broganreynik]

Trust me, I love to set people straight, but I agree with you actually. In the parlance of our times, 2001 is not as awesome and breath taking. The movie is still beautifully shot, but would you expect any less with a Kubrick movie? The ending was wicked though. I just expected more when I watched it.

[kpkelley]

The film is an exploration of mans obsession with tools. The 20 minute chimp scene is designed to show the revelation that led to man's obsession. The film drags as it establishes the scenario that leads to mans creation of the ultimate tool - HAL. The ending is Man moving beyond using external tools and utilizing the tools with which he was born.

[stockstar1138]

2001 is the greatest example of the Power of Picture.

It isn't there to be an action packed, sci-fi, special effects blow-out spectacular, its a piece of art, a poetic masterpiece using pictures with minimal dialouge to tell a story of man's evolution and to show man the vastness, coldness, and blackness of space.

kubrick2001.com will explain the plot further.

[roopster77]

2001 is a number of things to a number of people. In its day, it was soooo cool; just think back to what the times were when it was released. The first time I watched it I thought the dawn of man was kinda lame. The second time I thought, oh, I get it... The third time I thought they were sure ugly little buggers... Essentially, if you are in a reflective or thinking mood, you can see it in many different ways. It depends on you... One person's art is anothers garbage. My wife, for example, would rather stick an needle in her eye than watch it... Oh, yeah, did I mention I usually get to watch it in peace???

[GORT]

Its a Movie with a story and plot and acting if you were looking for mindless entertainment such as laser fights, attacking aliens and things that explode you picked the wrong movie. 2001 makes you think and use your brain to figure out the story.

[krizzz]

Originally Posted by FEP3108

Its a Movie with a story and plot and acting if you were looking for mindless entertainment such as laser fights, attacking aliens and things that explode you picked the wrong movie. 2001 makes you think and use your brain to figure out the story.

Plot and acting? It's virtually free of any dialog and consists of a series of disjointed vignettes, not coherent story by any definition.

[Mike Z]

Some movies are love it or hate it and this is one of the greatest examples. I, for one, love the movie. It's existential and deep and it has some great sci-fi stuff like the monolith and it leaves things up to your own imagination.

Some people just don't like it, so you're not alone.

Mike

[stockstar1138]

Originally Posted by krizzz

Plot and acting? It's virtually free of any dialog and consists of a series of disjointed vignettes, not coherent story by any definition.

There can be acting without dialogue. Like I said, its a very artistic film.



Series of disjointed vignettes? All 4 vignettes are connected, all connect the dots and reveal the plot.

1. Man struggles on Earth, he is a baby of technology, knowing next to nothing, and finding life on Earth tough. He fights over a water hole, he is killed off by other predators.

Then the Monolith appears. Man is frightened by it, but still catiously approaches it. Man is inquisitive The Monolith has power we don't truly understand, however from this man discovers how to use tools.

Man uses his tools to now kill other beasts, man uses his tools to commit murder.

2. Man's tools have become highly evolved, as has man. He now is capable of space exploartion. However, as the monkey-man struggled with Earth life, now man struggles with life in space. He must learn how to walk again, how to use the toliet again. He has built little in space, but conquered the Earth. Man is a baby in space.

Man is inquistive, curious and explores the moon, where he finds the Monolith. He is no longer afraid, he has confidence, he instead takes a picture of it. He touches it, just like his predessors.

The Monolith sends out a beam to Jupiter, man is curious and explores it.

3. Man's tools have become very much like man, in fact his ultimate tool, the HAL 9000 computer, is described as just like having another man onboard and a 6th man to the mission. As the ape man used a tool to kill off another man, now man's tools are like man so much, that it uses itself to kill off man. HAL is determined and passionate about the mission, just like man is, he is concerned if the men on the ship are as enthusiastic about the mission anymore after having a conversation with Dave. He rationalizes that killing the men gives the highest probablity to competing the mission, as he is the only one who knows what the mission is. He sets up an elaborate scheme to kill them off one by one. However, man is passionate too and overcomes his tools.

4. Man approched the Monolith at Jupiter just like before. The Monolith holds a certain power, as the Monolith transformed the Ape into Man, this time it transforms Man into the Star Child. As the Monolith gave man the ability to use tools to conquor Earth, it now gives him the tools to conuqrer space.

Thats the best I can explain it in 10 min.

[nycomet]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

There can be acting without dialogue. Like I said, its a very artistic film.



Series of disjointed vignettes? All 4 vignettes are connected, all connect the dots and reveal the plot.

1. Man struggles on Earth, he is a baby of technology, knowing next to nothing, and finding life on Earth tough. He fights over a water hole, he is killed off by other predators.

Then the Monolith appears. Man is frightened by it, but still catiously approaches it. Man is inquisitive The Monolith has power we don't truly understand, however from this man discovers how to use tools.

Man uses his tools to now kill other beasts, man uses his tools to commit murder.

2. Man's tools have become highly evolved, as has man. He now is capable of space exploartion. However, as the monkey-man struggled with Earth life, now man struggles with life in space. He must learn how to walk again, how to use the toliet again. He has built little in space, but conquered the Earth. Man is a baby in space.

Man is inquistive, curious and explores the moon, where he finds the Monolith. He is no longer afraid, he has confidence, he instead takes a picture of it. He touches it, just like his predessors.

The Monolith sends out a beam to Jupiter, man is curious and explores it.

3. Man's tools have become very much like man, in fact his ultimate tool, the HAL 9000 computer, is described as just like having another man onboard and a 6th man to the mission. As the ape man used a tool to kill off another man, now man's tools are like man so much, that it uses itself to kill off man. HAL is determined and passionate about the mission, just like man is, he is concerned if the men on the ship are as enthusiastic about the mission anymore after having a conversation with Dave. He rationalizes that killing the men gives the highest probablity to competing the mission, as he is the only one who knows what the mission is. He sets up an elaborate scheme to kill them off one by one. However, man is passionate too and overcomes his tools.

4. Man approched the Monolith at Jupiter just like before. The Monolith holds a certain power, as the Monolith transformed the Ape into Man, this time it transforms Man into the Star Child. As the Monolith gave man the ability to use tools to conquor Earth, it now gives him the tools to conuqrer space.

Thats the best I can explain it in 10 min.

A brilliant assessment. You get a Gold Monolith for your efforts.

[Suntory_Times]

Originally Posted by GORT

Its a Movie with a story and plot and acting if you were looking for mindless entertainment such as laser fights, attacking aliens and things that explode you picked the wrong movie. 2001 makes you think and use your brain to figure out the story.

I wouldn't say 2001: Space Odyssey has a plot, or at the very least very lossely apply that word. It does have a story which only intorconnect via its several themes in my opinion (hence no plot for the entire film). I think this film is a visual masterpiece but otherwise has very little going for it aside from the somewhat ambiguous themes. In any case, it is an example of poor pacing in my opinion (not because it is slow), rather fore example the ape scene simply took longer then I fell it should have for what it was conveying. Some my like this, but excess is usually not a good thing imho, just like if they started of Avatar with nothing but watching the Navi bieng killed for twenty minutes, sure it sets up the story but it isn't necessarilly neaded nor would it have to be so long.

[KubrickFan]

Originally Posted by Suntory_Times

I wouldn't say 2001: Space Odyssey has a plot, or at the very least very lossely apply that word. It does have a story which only intorconnect via its several themes in my opinion (hence no plot for the entire film). I think this film is a visual masterpiece but otherwise has very little going for it aside from the somewhat ambiguous themes. In any case, it is an example of poor pacing in my opinion (not because it is slow), rather fore example the ape scene simply took longer then I fell it should have for what it was conveying. Some my like this, but excess is usually not a good thing imho, just like if they started of Avatar with nothing but watching the Navi bieng killed for twenty minutes, sure it sets up the story but it isn't necessarilly neaded nor would it have to be so long.

What are you talking about? The film most definitely has a plot, you just have to look for it. Just because the makers didn't want to give clear cut answers to the questions asked, doesn't mean the plot isn't there.

[martymagicman]

As with almost all movies, it is always wise to see the movie in the context in which it was made. Sci Fi movies then were mostly low budget. 2001 came along and showed regular men and women actually working and living in space.Things had to make sense.(It's funny and yes slow but look at the scene where he looks at the instructions for the space toilet) We take that "realism" for granted today. And the film is done in a beautiful way, with classical music no less. We can call it an art film today but I don't think it was set up that way. Vew the film as if you are watching a slideshow of wonderful paintings. Enjoy
Believe this:
There would be no Spielberg or Lucas or James Cameron movies without 2001 paving the way.

[canonball]

2001 is a tough pill to swallow for a lot of people and it's been that way since its release. Heck, people walked out on it halfway through its premier and the press raked Kubrick over some pretty hot coals. It was not very well recived initially as most who went to see it were expecting a more coherent and traditional story. That's not what they got.

To appreciate it, you have to just let the movie "happen." Watch the images the way you would look at a painting. It's unlike any other movie ever made.

[RandDawg]

Originally Posted by krizzz

Last night, I watched 2001 on BD and am scratching my head. I love a good sci-fi movie. I don't mind a slow paced story (ala Contact), but this movie offered nothing. 20 minutes of chimps???

Sure it had some cool effects for its time. And the 10 or so minutes where HAL took control were intense, but the rest of it just put me to sleep.

Maybe just seeing it out of context (40 years after it was released) has ruined it for me. Or I was expecting more as this movie was heralded as one of "THE GREATS"...

Can somebody set me straight...

This is more a movie about philosophy than anything Sci-Fi.

[yojoeski]

Interesting about this thread popping up when it did seeing as how Arthur C. Clarke, the writer of the novel from which the movie was based on, passed away yesterday.

[LitmusDragon]

It's an art film. I like it, but I can really only watch it once every few years. It's something you can appreciate because it's visually stunning. It's not really entertainment in the classic sense though, and therefore not my cup of tea most of the time.

[Kristin Simard]

Although it is an art film and not a "story" in a traditional narrative sense, it is actually more realistic than any space adventure George Lucas has dreamed up. Lucas is all about myth, the kind of story that in the past would be represented by the activities of "gods". Actual space travel is not about aliens with laser guns and laser swords. Actual space travel is about long, long periods of time in isolation within a tiny "cocoon" that is all that protects one from a deadly environment, and interacting only with computers and broadcast transmissions to people on the ground who can give no physical assistance should anything go wrong. .

[yojoeski]

Comparing this to any drivel that George Lucas ever came up with is like comparing Olive Garden to Chef Boyardee. There is none.

[Variable]

Originally Posted by yojoeski

Comparing this to any drivel that George Lucas ever came up with is like comparing Olive Garden to Chef Boyardee. There is none.

that's funny, because Olive Garden and Chef Boyardee both suck.

anyway, there is no comparison but that's not like an insult to Lucas and doesn't mean his stuff is drivel. they weren't attempting the same thing and -shocking!- didn't come out with the same type of film.