Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey is (like Star Wars) hailed as one of the great contenders in the sci-fi genre - with so many references in pop culture and a countless number of parodies.
I had heard so much about the film and had high expectations already before viewing it. I sadly found the beginning of the film a bit of a let down. It had some awesome shots and a brilliant standard of effects and use of technology considering its age, but I felt that was its only merit, that was the only aspect that kept me interested enough to continue. (I also think it is fantastic that Kubrick appreciated science enough to know there is no sound in the vacuum of space)
When I past that rather uneventful beginning the real story began to materialize on the voyager to Jupiter along with the introduction to HAL 9000. From there on the sheer brilliance of the film emerged leading to on almighty piece of visually stunning cinema as Bowman approaches Jupiter. This is a thrilling ending and a spectacular piece of directing genius leading to the question - is there any genre Kubrick cannot master?
So if you buy this DVD and you like I find the beginning a bit of a drag, I urge you to continue you, I promise, will not be disappointed!

Though I saw it at the cinema on release, for some long-forgotten reason I didn't buy this film when it came out on VHS many, many years ago. For the same long-forgotten reason I didn't buy it when it first came out on DVD either.

When I saw the 2-disc edition going cheap recently I wondered why I hadn't bought it before and decided that, bearing in mind the excellent reviews, I must have it. When I watched it I remembered why I hadn't bought it before - it's not only one of the most boring films I've ever seen, it's also quite simply a most pretentious load of rubbish.

I truly could not recommend anyone wasting their money on this film no matter how cheap it is, unless you simply have trouble sleeping. Whist it won't instantly cure your insomnia, it will cure it within about 15 minutes. It took me 3 days to watch it between lengthy periods of knocking out the Zs (which frankly was infinitely more enjoyable than the periods I spent awake watching it). Avoid at all costs.

I hope the editors let this review in because strictly speaking I am reviewing an item that Play don't sell (yet)...the HD DVD version of this movie. However I was so moved by the quality of the HD treatment this classic movie received I felt compelled to write about it. I hope that Play are able to get hold of a few copies of the HD DVD version and if so then I trust you may get chance to read this review at some point in the future.
So...hold onto your hats. It's a breathtaking ride.
2001 ASO was a pivotal sci fi movie upon it's release in 1968 (remember this was 1 year before man set foot on the moon) and there is little doubt that Kubricks version of Arthur C Clarkes novel set the tone for many movies of similar genre that followed.
The plot of this movie has been discussed before, the evolution of man from the apes into space and beyond, but never before has Kubricks masterpiece been so sumptuously recreated for the home viewer.
This is a faultless, spotless and magical transfer to HD. All I can say is that the original print must have been in very good order because there isn't a blemish in sight.
The first scenes of the movie are landscapes of a barren wilderness, but are beautifully rendered with superb reds (sunsets) and blues (sky). Later on when the actors appear skin tones are pure and natural (note the detail on Leonard Rossiters face during his role as a russian scientist), detail I had never seen before emerges (the cut of the clothing worn on the space station, and the detail of the Moon when seen from space.)
Of course with this being a sci fi movie many of the scenes are in space and I am glad to report that blacks are the deepest of deep and the star fields clear and precise.
I know this movie very well, or so I thought, but I was caught out several times by scenes that I thought were additions when in fact it was just new detail I had never noticed before. Look out particularly for small details of the Jupiter mission space craft "Discovery", numbers and lettering on computer screens, little technical details of hardware...stuff that Kubrick went to great pains to add but would never have been picked up on celluloid or SD DVD versions of this movie.
The audio transfer is just as good boasting a Dolby True HD soundtrack as well as a 5.1 mix which fully brings to life the classical theme that 2001 ASO employs. I swear that Strauss's waltz never sounded so good on film, and although this is not a vocal film (many scenes are silent) when the actors speak the dialogue is very clear.
There is a virtual Pandoras box of extras and the beautiful pop up menus that seem to accompany all Warners HD discs these days.
I hope that this review sees the light of day eventually, even if it has to wait until the HD version is available.
A truly superb transfer and a labour of love by Warner.

This film still looks fab after 40 years, even if it does start to show its age ever so slightly in places (PAN-AM!). This dvd was originally sourced from a then brand new 70mm print made in 2000 for the arthouse cinema circuit in the UK so the picture quality is superb, not a scratch on it. It even has the 'Intermission' marker in the middle, showing how it was originally intended to be shown.

My only criticism is the lack of extras. Seeing as the original cut of the film was longer it would have been nice to see some of the cut footage (if it still exists), or perhaps a commentary with either Gary Lockwod or Keir Dullea. Or how about an option to view the film ith the originally comissioned score (which Kubrick dumped in favour of the classical recordings).

Still, for £5 the price is a steal.

At the dawn of time, apes learn how to use tools to work and kill with. Thousands of years later, two astronauts are sent on a mission to investigate radio signals being sent out from Jupiter. Their computer decides it can do the job better than they can and tries to kill them. At the end, the spaceship falls into a black hole and, at the end of it, one of the astronaut discovers... what does he discover?

Such is the "plot" of "2001; A Space Odyssey", Kubrick's immensely long, meditative and maddeningly enigmatic sci-fi masterpiece. Not so much a story as a visual symphony, it's an amazing cinematic experience if you can stick with it. Who knows what it really means? That's part of what makes it so fascinating.

A wonderful transfer for DVD makes this an indispensible purchase for all Kubrick fans.