6.8/10
44,381
227 user 77 critic

2010 (1984)

A joint U.S.-Soviet expedition is sent to Jupiter to learn what happened to the Discovery.

Director:

Writers:

(novel), (screenplay)
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Popularity
3,717 ( 53)

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at Amazon

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 1 win & 3 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Douglas Rain ...
HAL 9000 (voice)
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Caroline Floyd (as Madolyn Smith)
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Betty Fernandez, Bowman's Wife
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Dr. Vladimir Rudenko (as Savely Kramarov)
Oleg Rudnik ...
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Storyline

In this sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey, a joint American- Soviet expedition is sent to Jupiter to discover what went wrong with the U.S.S. Discovery against a backdrop of growing global tensions. Among the mysteries the expedition must explain are the appearance of a huge black monolith in Jupiter's orbit and the fate of H.A.L., the Discovery's sentient computer. Based on a novel written by Arthur C. Clarke. Written by Keith Loh <loh@sfu.ca>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Is there life beyond the stars? [Australia Theatrical] See more »


Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

Language:

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Release Date:

7 December 1984 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

2010: Odyssey Two  »

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Box Office

Budget:

$28,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,393,361, 11 July 2012, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$40,200,000
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(70 mm prints)| (35 mm prints)

Color:

(Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The futuristic computer that Roy Scheider is using on the beach planning for the mission is an Apple IIc with an LCD screen. The Apple IIc was a full-strength Apple computer with 128k of memory, two serial ports and a mouse in an 11in by 12in box small enough to fit in a briefcase. Impressive stuff at the time. See more »

Goofs

As soon as the astronauts step on the ball-shaped front of the rotating Discovery, Dr. Floyd says they are "under gravity", meaning they could walk on it without safety rope. But the gravity force due to the Discovery being a solid mass is pretty small compared to the centrifugal force created by its circular movement. So upon letting go the safety rope, they should be floating away instead of continuing to walk. (Forces performed by Jupiter and Io could be neglected as in the beginning of the movie, the Discovery is said to be floating at the Lagrange point between Jupiter and Io.) See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Dave Bowman: My God! It's full of stars!
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Connections

Referenced in South Park: Fat Butt and Pancake Head (2003) See more »

Soundtracks

LUX AETERNA
By György Ligeti
Performed by the North German Radio Chorus
Conducted by Helmut Franz
Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon
A division of PolyGram Classics
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Frequently Asked Questions

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User Reviews

 
In the future, there are no lightbulbs
19 December 2003 | by See all my reviews

I wondered that when the interior of the Leonov (CCCP ship) was so freegin' dim. Or maybe the Ruskies were trying to save power by keeping all of the lights off! That really piqued my curiosity... On the whole, 2010 is an above average, yet not superior movie. If any fans of AC Clarke's series have read the book "The Odyssey File", which chronicles the making of 2010 (the book is composed of e-mail correspondence between Clarke and director Peter Hyams. They were among the first users of e-mail technology - in 1984!) reveals the director's paranoia and even humility as he hopes his film will even come close as a worthy successor to the peerless original. That peerless original, of course, is 2001.

2010 is dated, somewhat forgotten, and does fall short of the power of Kubrick's vision (how many times have you heard THAT before?). But Stan the Man is a hard act to follow. While 2001 is timeless, 2010 reveals its easily dated personality on a couple of occasions. The Cold War theme is the most obvious. The computers, monitors, and graphics used throughout are instantly identifiable, dressed-up Commodore 64-era tech hardware. Roy Scheider's character, Dr. Floyd, instructs his crew to "listen to your cassettes" to receive updates on their mission. Okay, so that line of dialogue wouldn't fly past 1992, when CDs were on the verge of killing the audio cassette star (*). But 2010 is not without merit. It follows its predecessor's footsteps to a faithful degree, filling in the aftermath of the Bowman-HAL fiasco, and the slew of interesting and dangerous ramifications it created.

Peter Hyams obviously set out to create a cerebral, based-in-reality production, unlike the other sci-fi movies of his day, which gave 2010 a distinct image. Return of the Jedi came out the year before, 1983, and the moviegoing public was probably still hot on heels of the Star Wars depiction of space movies, which I assume hurt the box-office chances of 2010.

It is a dated, yet hidden gem, crafted together with solid intentions and performances. The supporting cast of Helen Mirren, John Lithgow, and Bob Balaban play off each other very well and supply some thought-provoking and entertaining moments. The scenes with Bowman and Floyd are gripping, as is the later dialogue between Bowman and HAL. There are no explosions or corny "director tools" used, and the special effects (well, excluding the interior computer sets of the Leonov) were not revolutionary but get the job done.

2010 hasn't enjoyed the staying power of its contemporary brethren (Blade Runner, 1982; the Star Wars trilogy, 1977-1983; Alien/Aliens, 1979, 1986) and is a circle-square comparison to 2001. But it holds its own in many respects and is worth a few repeated viewings.


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