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Review Summaries
"4 million years ago... a tribe of man-apes are on the verge of extinction. Starving, frail and at the mercy of glowy-eyed leopards, they are chased from a muddy water hole by a tribe of stronger man-apes. One day a tall, black, slab-like monolith appears in their midst. It "teaches" them to use a thighbone as a tool and with this tool the lead man-ape kills the leader of the other tribe and takes back the water hole. In triumph he tosses the bone into the air. As it falls it becomes... an orbiting spacecraft. The year is 2001.
During the two-week long lunar night, scientists on the moon dig up another monolith. At sunrise, when the monolith is exposed to sunlight, it emits a powerful radio emission toward the planet Jupiter.
Six months later the American spacecarft Discovery One embarks on a half-billion mile voyage to Jupiter. Enroute the ship's onboard computer, Hal 9000, malfunctions killing all but one member of the crew, David Bowman. He alone encounters yet a third monolith and the disembodied voices of its makers."
David Lyttle, Resident Scholar
"Monkeys discover, in prehistoric times, a monolith of rock. Soon after they discover weapons and their once showy displays of anger become deadly. An eon later, the delicate music of Strauss plays as spaceships dock and travel in the expanse of space. We are introduced to this futuristic world and learn that leaders are sending a spaceship towards a beacon from space. As the ship eventually approaches its target, the astronauts are killed by the onboard computer, HAL. A battle wages between the remaining astronaut and HAL. The astronaut enters a different time/space consciousness continuum and then something unclear happens next."
Damon LaBarbera, Resident 2001: A Space Odyssey Scholar
"After astronauts find a big retangular structure on Jupiter, they start a mission to find its origins. Two famous astronauts, and the computer HAL take on the mission. Circling around the big planet, they start working. One day, one of them tells the other astronaut, he doesn't trust HAL. So, the red eye is killing the astronauts in hyper-sleep. The main boss shut down HAL, and continues the mission by himself."
Estefan Ellison, Resident Scholar
"In "The Dawn of Man" sequence, primitive creatures encounter an object of great mystery; after this, present-day mankind again encounters this same mystery. Being that this is the basic plot of the story, there is no ultimate understanding of this even by the last scene. To be honest, the viewer is left with a sense of awe which is beyond comprehension."
Mark D. Schneider, Resident Scholar
"A masterpiece, 2001 remains the greatest TRUE science fiction film ever made. Breaking molds set before with 20 years of cold-war "Evil alien" movies, Kubrick and Clarke fashion a ballet of music and special effects that captivate people still more than 30 years since its release. The film's three act story begins with a black Monolith "jumpstarting" apes ultimate evolution into man and leaps ahead when that same ebony hulk is found buried on Tycho on the moon at the end of the 20th century. This leads to the third and most recocnized act, that of the fateful journey of the Discovery to the orbit of Jupiter for reasons that only become clear near the end.
2001 stood decades ahead of its time for its effects and storytelling) and still resonates with beleivability, even though obviously many decades from when Kubrick dreamed. To this day, there remains no film that matches its wonder and hope for a better future."
Chris Dias, Resident Scholar
"Stanley Kubrick's visually sumptuous space epic has not worn entirely well. With a prologue at "The Dawn of Man," then a deep-space exploratory voyage to find and follow a mysterious black monolith which seems to be destiny's calling card, the movie is stately and slow. Though thought-provoking and beautifully filmed, it does not feature interesting human characters or particularly memorable acting. (The most fascinating character in the film is a computer.) Nevertheless, a groundbreaking work and a feast for the senses."
David Loftus, Resident 2001: A Space Odyssey Scholar
"Early, "dawn of man" occurs with intervention of aliens manifested by a monolith. Man gets more technological but does little growing beyond that. While trying to solve mystery, man again is intervened on by alien manifestation."
Timothy Scanlon, Resident Scholar
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Overall Review
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzle - 50% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 50%
**Fantasy or Science Fiction?**
- science fiction story
Explore/1st contact
Yes
Explore plotlet:
- dimension travel
- exploring a wondrous planet or phenomenon
Robots & Computers & VR
Yes
Plotlet:
- fighting an evil computer
Generally friendly 1st contact with aliens?
Yes
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- explorer
- astronaut
Age:
- 20's-30's
- 40's-50's
Hair color?
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (man) short/medium straight
Body type
- average (man)
Events of movie makes character more...
- introspective
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
How much in movie?
- 40%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Computer
Eccentric:
Yes
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 60%
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Physical condition
- average physique
Setting
Which planet?
- Jupiter
Spaceship setting:
- futuristic human freighter/transport
Takes place in spaceship?
Yes
Not Earth, but in Solar System?
Yes
In Space?
- in spacesuit
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Non-American film?
Yes
What language?
- English
Any profanity?
- None
- Occasional swearing
Kinds of F/X
- exotic spaceships
If Soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Orchestra/classical
Is this movie based on a
- book
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