Regular Price $19.98

Starring: Keir Dullea,  Gary Lockwood,  William Sylvester,  Daniel Richter,  Leonard Rossiter, 
Directed By: Stanley Kubrick, 
Rated: G (General Audience)
Release Date: 1968-04-06
Studio: Warner Home Video
Format: Anamorphic,  Closed-captioned,  Color,  Dolby,  DVD-Video,  Original recording remastered,  Widescreen,  NTSC, 

Editorial Reviews and DVD Information about 2001 - A Space Odyssey

Amazon.com essential video
When Stanley Kubrick recruited Arthur C. Clarke to collaborate on "the proverbial intelligent science fiction film," it's a safe bet neither the maverick auteur nor the great science fiction writer knew they would virtually redefine the parameters of the cinema experience. A daring experiment in unconventional narrative inspired by Clarke's short story "The Sentinel," 2001 is a visual tone poem (barely 40 minutes of dialogue in a 139-minute film) that charts a phenomenal history of human evolution. From the dawn-of-man discovery of crude but deadly tools in the film's opening sequence to the journey of the spaceship Discovery and metaphysical birth of the "star child" at film's end, Kubrick's vision is meticulous and precise. In keeping with the director's underlying theme of dehumanization by technology, the notorious, seemingly omniscient computer HAL 9000 has more warmth and personality than the human astronauts it supposedly is serving. (The director also leaves the meaning of the black, rectangular alien monoliths open for discussion.) This theme, in part, is what makes 2001 a film like no other, though dated now that its postmillennial space exploration has proven optimistic compared to reality. Still, the film is timelessly provocative in its pioneering exploration of inner- and outer-space consciousness. With spectacular, painstakingly authentic special effects that have stood the test of time, Kubrick's film is nothing less than a cinematic milestone--puzzling, provocative, and perfect. --Jeff Shannon

Amazon.com
When Stanley Kubrick recruited Arthur C. Clarke to collaborate on "the proverbial intelligent science fiction film," it's a safe bet neither the maverick auteur nor the great science fiction writer knew they would virtually redefine the parameters of the cinema experience. A daring experiment in unconventional narrative inspired by Clarke's short story "The Sentinel," 2001 is a visual tone poem (barely 40 minutes of dialogue in a 139-minute film) that charts a phenomenal history of human evolution. From the dawn-of-man discovery of crude but deadly tools in the film's opening sequence to the journey of the spaceship Discovery and metaphysical birth of the "star child" at film's end, Kubrick's vision is meticulous and precise. In keeping with the director's underlying theme of dehumanization by technology, the notorious, seemingly omniscient computer HAL 9000 has more warmth and personality than the human astronauts it supposedly is serving. (The director also leaves the meaning of the black, rectangular alien monoliths open for discussion.) This theme, in part, is what makes 2001 a film like no other, though dated now that its postmillennial space exploration has proven optimistic compared to reality. Still, the film is timelessly provocative in its pioneering exploration of inner- and outer-space consciousness. With spectacular, painstakingly authentic special effects that have stood the test of time, Kubrick's film is nothing less than a cinematic milestone--puzzling, provocative, and perfect. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews for 2001 - A Space Odyssey

Amazing detail!
"2001: A Space Odyssey" has been among my favorite films since it was released. I saw it twice in the theater, and have never been able to thoroughly enjoy it at home... until now. On Blu-Ray disc, viewed on a 40" Samsung LCD HD television (1080p, of course), I can see everything Stanley Kubrick envisioned for this movie, and the details are stunning. For younger viewers who have grown up with the staggering developments in Special FX (ever since the early days of George Lucas' "Industrial Light & Magic"), the "effects" will seem somewhat primitive. To me, this is the second-best viewing ever of this seminal film. Well worth the cost.2001 - A Space Odyssey

A classic
2001 - A Space Odyssey, sets the standard in realism for science fiction films. The physics of the space craft and station, rotating in perfect coordination, illustrates how much attention was payed to keeping the 'science' in science fiction.

Perfectly scored with Copeland's "Fanfare for the Common Man," and filmed with dramatic and yet somehow understated camera work (a halmark of director Kubrick) it combines the hardest of science with the fanciful portrayal of humanity's first (and ultimately meaningless) interaction with intelligence greater than our own.

It also introduces Hal, the murderous, strangely passive super computer, represented by a simple, blinking red light that is able to portray more malice than most human actors.

A triumphant film, boned up on real 'science,' and with one of the most memorable villains in sci-fi film, Kubrick once again demonstrates his dominance as a director. A true classic.2001 - A Space Odyssey

PERFECT! As good as it gets and then some
This is, IMO, nearly a reference Blu-Ray disc.

Okay, because the movie is 40 years old, it lacks some in the surround audio department, but it's still very good. The Blu-Ray video rendering is absolutely stunning - deep, pure blacks in the star fields, wonderful color and contrast, very little graininess -- perfect.

This movie hasn't looked this good since I saw it in the theaters (way back) in 1969.

The special features (documentaries) are extensive and easy to access. Also, no "forced" movie previews when loading the disc; you go right to the main menu (still bummed on my "Pirates of the Caribbean: Black Pearl" experience).

Buy this disc now (you know you want to).
2001 - A Space Odyssey

Honestly ... Didn't Like It
Recently I've been on an old-school science fiction kick. Unbelievably, I'd never seen what some critics have called one of the greatest movies of all time--2001: A Space Odyssey. I can honestly tell you it was with great enthusiasm I put it into the DVD player.

To say I was unimpressed would be a gross understatement. I found the movie with its lack of dialogue and ambiguous plotline rather dull. Even the score, utilizing the work of classic composers, irritated me as it didn't seem to fit the overall mood.

I am rationale enough to recognize that for a film made in 1968, it was probably visionary with its use of frame and special effects. Even the narrative style was probably unlike anything else out there. And, compared to most of the science fiction B-movies that were so popular near that era, it had to be a breath of fresh air. Finally, yes, the storyline was greatly open to interpretation that may lead to immense philosophical debate, but when viewed simply as a self-contained story in and of itself, it left me unsatisfied.

I admire director Kubrick for his experimental genius and dedication to originality, but I'd be lying if I told you I enjoyed 2001: A Space Odyssey.

~Scott William Foley, author of Dr. Nekros: Phantasms and Chicanery (Volume I, Episode II)2001 - A Space Odyssey

The First Truly Great Science Fiction Movie!
There are few movies that have hooked me as much as this one. It's such a classic that for some reason that I cannot pin down I keep returning to it at least once each year without fail. I feel strangely drawn to it from the eerie opening overture music and pure black screen meant to signify the dawn of creation on earth to the first bars of Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra" to the early humans seque-ing brilliantly to man in space, the trip to Jupiter and the super computer gone mad to the final mysterious ending signifying the wonders of the undiscovered and the awesomeness of it which would leave our jaws dropped just as this film does for me each time I watch it.

If you are an intelligent film lover who looks beyond the quick thrill quick fix movie ala "The Mummy" and its countless sequels but look instead at good storytelling and character development as well as innovative, inspired directing so that the whole becomes a work of art to be admired and to stand the test of time, there are really not that many films in existence; this film happens to be one of those that stand the test of time to remain a work of film art to inspire and to entertain serious movie-goers for decades to come.

Directors of note since the film's release such as Spielberg, Lucas among many others have already heralded the genius of this film and copied elements for their own work but you don't have to be a student of film to see just how brilliant this work of art is. You don't simply watch this you experience it and I know each time I do, I take away something new from it and I always look forward to the next installment each year.

Some have claimed that there is no clear story in this film but that is clearly false; there is one constant theme of the monolith and how it affected the various stages of human development suggesting it was the catalyst that got our civilisation going along the path it finally took. There are a few different mini-stories such as the early man, sickness and discovery of the monolith on the moon, the technology gone mad HAL story on the way to Jupiter and the final quest for the still unknown mysteries of space and hence the future of man i.e. the Starchild story at the end. A few mini-stories but all connected by the central theme of the monolith. What is the monolith? The religious among us may suggest that it is an analogy for God, for the atheists maybe some alien force that has an invisible hand in our species' growth and development; for George Lucas, it is The Force and I'm sure many others can substitute their own theories for this as well.

Why are so many younger people so upset at this film? Because in the old days of film, a good film like any good classic book or work of art doesn't tell you what to think but inspires and encourages you to find the meaning to make yourself better than you are by getting you to actually look into yourself and to find out how much potential you have to improve. Films in the last couple of decades don't do this as they tell you what to think and simply give you what you want effectively dumbing down things so that you don't have the chance to improve yourself; the quick sugar fix that dies soon after the 2 or so hours are over.

Some of you may say so what and still think "The David Letterman Show" is the epitome of great television; for you please give this and other films that are artforms such as "Lawrence of Arabia" a miss because you just won't get it. For those who see film as art and the great potential it has to educate and to encourage you to use your full God-given potential to think and grow, this film certainly ranks among the top-10 ever of greats of filmdom.

This dvd is also a real treat for fans as it has been restored very well with the Dolby 5.1 Digital Surround although the picture quality is quite good there are still some imperfections that can be improved upon. I can only imagine just how breathtaking the improved Blu-ray version must be. The Special Features also include excellent footage of the late great Arthur C. Clarke giving a speech and Q&A session at the opening of the film. By the way, widescreen is the only way to view this film and do any justice to it.

Not only is this the best Sci-Fi movie I've ever seen, it is also among the Top-10 works of film art ever made. I cannot recommend this film highly enough and this dvd version is also of good quality although I'm sure the Blu-ray version would have removed the picture quality imperfections.2001 - A Space Odyssey

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