Review of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) by Movie1997 — 21 Jul 2015

Stanley Kubrick really likes to throw us for a loop. However, it doesn't work like I would have hoped. First off, there is no denying that this movie is straight up beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous to look at.

The effects still hold up to this day. The musical score is also beautifully orchestrated and unforgettable. I doubt that anyone will deny that. But the biggest problem with "2001: A Space Odyssey" is that it is excruciatingly slow.

It pains me to say it, but this is the first Kubrick movie that got me bored at parts. There are sections in this movie that drag on for so long. And in those moments they really rely on the visual spectacle and beautiful score to cover up the progression of the story (at least I thought).

At one point near the end when it was suppose to be super intense, I was trying to keep my eyes open. This movie could have easily been cut 30-40 minutes shorter.And honestly, you don't care about the characters.

They seem kind of emotionless. The character you care about is the HAL - 9000. It was such an interesting antagonist and it really is what carries the weight of the movie on its shoulders. This is a hard movie to understand on a first viewing.

It's not really a fault of the movie, however with the slow pace, it can distract you from what's going on in the story. Overall, "2001: A Space Odyssey" is a masterpiece on a technical and orchestral level, but sadly nothing more than a painfully slow burn to endure with not so memorable characters.