2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Release date: 1968-05-12
Country: USA|UK
Language: English|Russian
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Stanley Kubrick Productions
Genre: Adventure, Science Fiction
Rating: 8.3/10
Length: 2h 29min

Storyline

"2001" is a story of evolution. Sometime in the distant past, someone or something nudged evolution by placing a monolith on Earth (presumably elsewhere throughout the universe as well). Evolution then enabled humankind to reach the moon's surface, where yet another monolith is found, one that signals the monolith placers that humankind has evolved that far. Now a race begins between computers (HAL) and human (Bowman) to reach the monolith placers. The winner will achieve the next step in evolution, whatever that may be.

Plot Keywords

number in title, computer, year 2001, spacecraft, famous line, chess, science runs amok, space travel, man versus machine, super computer, surrealism, ambiguous ending, no opening credits, orchestral music score, future shock, space exploration, spacesuit, outer space, spaceship, spacewalk

Short Review

Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey is the picture which science-fiction enthusiasts of every age and in every corner of the world have prayed (sometimes forlornly) that the industry might one day give them.