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2001: A Space Odyssey

  • 1968
  • G
  • 2h 29m
IMDb RATING
8.3/10
754K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
531
30
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Humanity finds a mysterious, obviously artificial object buried beneath the Lunar surface and, with the intelligent computer H.A.L. 9000, sets off on a quest.
Play trailer2:24
9 Videos
99+ Photos
Adventure EpicArtificial IntelligenceEpicPsychological DramaSci-Fi EpicSpace Sci-FiAdventureSci-Fi

When a mysterious artifact is uncovered on the Moon, a spacecraft manned by two humans and one supercomputer is sent to Jupiter to find its origins.When a mysterious artifact is uncovered on the Moon, a spacecraft manned by two humans and one supercomputer is sent to Jupiter to find its origins.When a mysterious artifact is uncovered on the Moon, a spacecraft manned by two humans and one supercomputer is sent to Jupiter to find its origins.

  • Director
    • Stanley Kubrick
  • Writers
    • Stanley Kubrick
    • Arthur C. Clarke
  • Stars
    • Keir Dullea
    • Gary Lockwood
    • William Sylvester
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.3/10
    754K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    531
    30
    • Director
      • Stanley Kubrick
    • Writers
      • Stanley Kubrick
      • Arthur C. Clarke
    • Stars
      • Keir Dullea
      • Gary Lockwood
      • William Sylvester
    • 2.7KUser reviews
    • 260Critic reviews
    • 84Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #98
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 18 wins & 14 nominations total

    Videos9

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    2001: A Space Odyssey
    Trailer 3:32
    2001: A Space Odyssey
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    Photos400

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    Top cast72

    Edit
    Keir Dullea
    Keir Dullea
    • Dr. Dave Bowman
    Gary Lockwood
    Gary Lockwood
    • Dr. Frank Poole
    William Sylvester
    William Sylvester
    • Dr. Heywood R. Floyd
    Daniel Richter
    Daniel Richter
    • Moon-Watcher
    Leonard Rossiter
    Leonard Rossiter
    • Dr. Andrei Smyslov
    Margaret Tyzack
    Margaret Tyzack
    • Elena
    Robert Beatty
    Robert Beatty
    • Dr. Ralph Halvorsen
    Sean Sullivan
    Sean Sullivan
    • Dr. Bill Michaels
    Douglas Rain
    Douglas Rain
    • HAL 9000
    • (voice)
    Frank W. Miller
    • Mission Controller
    • (voice)
    Bill Weston
    Bill Weston
    • Astronaut
    Ed Bishop
    Ed Bishop
    • Aries-1B Lunar Shuttle Captain
    • (as Edward Bishop)
    Glenn Beck
    Glenn Beck
    • Astronaut
    Alan Gifford
    Alan Gifford
    • Poole's Father
    Ann Gillis
    Ann Gillis
    • Poole's Mother
    Edwina Carroll
    Edwina Carroll
    • Aries-1B Stewardess
    Penny Brahms
    Penny Brahms
    • Stewardess
    Heather Downham
    Heather Downham
    • Stewardess
    • Director
      • Stanley Kubrick
    • Writers
      • Stanley Kubrick
      • Arthur C. Clarke
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews2.7K

    8.3754K
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    Summary

    Reviewers say '2001: A Space Odyssey' is acclaimed for its pioneering visual effects, classical music integration, and profound themes on humanity and technology. It explores human evolution, man-machine relationships, and cosmic mysteries. Critics note its slow pace, abstract plot, and minimal character development. Some find its ambiguity frustrating, while others value its philosophical depth and artistic vision. Its impact on science fiction and cinematic mastery is recognized, though views on its accessibility and entertainment differ.
    AI-generated from the text of user reviews

    Featured reviews

    Doylenf

    It's a puzzlement...

    There are two schools of thought about 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. One, is that it is the greatest science-fiction epic ever made. This is supported by those who claim to understand the complexities involved and leading up the Star Child ending. The others, like myself, find it as absorbing as watching paint dry on woodwork.

    The musical background is glorious, the colors are dazzling, and there's an interesting use of HAL as a villainous computer. Beyond that, there is nothing the least bit interesting about the human characters (trite dialogue and no personality or warmth to any of the individuals), the pace is unbelievably slow (so the intellectually gifted can philosophize on the mysteries of space), and the payoff at the end leaves you either breathless with enlightenment or convinced that you have watched three hours of nothingness.

    I had the same letdown feeling when I watched THE CLOCKWORK ORANGE, so your like or dislike of this movie is purely dependent on personal taste. Intellectuals will take the position that you are a mentally challenged clod if you dare disagree with their elevated opinion of the movie--so be aware that this is not conventional story-telling in any sense whatsoever and only for those who admire Stanley Kubrick's way with unlikely cinematic material.
    8doomedmac

    Darn-near unwatchable; classic

    I'm EXTREMELY conflicted about this movie. I hate it, but it's amazing. I won't ever watch it again, but it's groundbreaking. I can't recommend it, but you have to see it.
    10Cain47

    Nietzsche and 2001

    I'm always surprised, given that the famous title track of 2001 is called "Also sprach Zarathustra", that nobody (nobody I've read, anyway) has noted the parallels between the movie and Nietzsche's famous work, "Also sprach Zarathustra". The idea of man's rebirth into a star child; an infant form of an indescribably more advanced being, is an explicit part of N.'s "Zarathustra"; there is a prominent passage called "On how a camel becomes a lion, and a lion becomes a child", in which N. describes the first incarnation of the overman as a child, transcending both the ascetic, altruistic side of man (the camel; always asking to bear more weight) and the rapacious, brutish, will-to-power side of man (the lion). The fact that the song plays during the star child sequence can hardly be coincidence. And also, Zarathustra said that "man is a rope tied between beasts and the overman." The structure of the movie fits that description: a brief history of man as beast, until we become truly man by mastering weapons and acquiring reason, then a long sequence about man (the rope, as it were), and then a brief glimpse of the overman. The inscrutability of how these transformations occurred, and the suggestion that an external force caused them, is also Nietzschean; in "Zarathustra", he makes it pretty clear that he doesn't have a clue how people are going to be able to enact these changes themselves and suggests that we will have to depend on an outsider (Zarathustra) to show us how to "go under". Bowman's psychedelic sequence at the near-end could be seen as Kubrick's best 1960's-style attempt at depicting the mystical "going under".

    I know these parallels are pretty broad, and almost certainly have been noted elsewhere despite the fact that I have not personally seen it. But I just wanted to mention them, if for no other reason than to try to dispel the myth that Nietzsche was ultimately a gloomy philosopher. Few people find the ending of 2001 to be gloomy, and it is in my opinion, explicitly and unmistakeably Nietzschean. The case could certainly be made that 2001 is above all a dramatization of "Zarathustra" updated for the modern age. Feel free to disregard the outright snobbishness of my tying everything to Nietzsche.
    10mmt02

    Greatest Movie of All Time

    Instead of writing a paragraph, I'll give four good reasons why 2001 is the greatest cinema experience of all time: 1) It is a visual Odyssey that could only be told on the big screen. The special effects that won Kubrick his only Oscar are the most stunning effects before that age of Jurassic Park and T2. They allow Kubrick to give an accurate (or at least are the most accurate) depiction of space travel to date. The silence that fills the space scenes not only serves its purpose as accurate science, but also adds to the mood of the film (to be discussed in a later point with HAL). The fact that Kubrick shot the moon scenes before the Apollo landing is a gutsy yet fulfilling move. Many have said that upon its original release, it was a favorite "trip" movie. I can think of no other movie that has such amazing visuals for its time and even of all time (sorry Phantom Menace fans!) 2) Kubrick's directing style is terrific. As in all his films, Kubrick likes to use his camera as means to delve into the psychology of his characters and plots. His camera is not as mobile as other greats, such as Scorsese, but instead sits and watches the narrative unfold. Faces are the key element of a Kubrick film. Like classic movies, such as M and Touch of Evil, Kubrick focuses on the characters' faces to give the audience a psychological view-point. Even he uses extreme close-ups of HAL's glowing red "eye" to show the coldness and determination of the computerizd villain. I could go on, but in summation Kubrick is at the hieght of his style. 3) HAL 9000 is one of the most villainous characters in film history. I whole-heartedly agree with the late Gene Siskle's opinion of HAL 9000. Most of this film takes place in space. Through the use of silence and the darkness of space itself, a mood of isolation is created. Dave and his crewmen are isolated between earth and jupiter, with nowhere to escape. Combine this mood with the cold, calculated actions of HAL 9000 and you have the most fearful villain imaginable. I still, although having see this film several times, feel my chest tighten in a particular scene. 4) The controversial ending of 2001 always turns people away from this film. Instead of trying to give my opinion of the what it means and what my idea of 2001's meaning in general is, I'd like to discuss the fact that the ending serves to leave the movie open-ended. Kubrick has stated that he inteded to make 2001 open for discussion. He left its meaning in the hands of the viewer. By respecting the audience's intelligence, Kubrick allowed his movie to be the beginning, not the end, of a meaningful discussion on man's past, present, and future. The beauty of 2001 is that the ending need not mean anything deep, it can just be a purely plot driven explanation and the entire movie can be viewed as an entertaining journey through space. No other movie, save the great Citizen Kane, leaves itself open to discussion like 2001. It is truly meant to be a surreal journey that involves not only the eye but the mind. Instead of waiting in long lines for the Phantom Menace, rent a widescreen edition of 2001 and enjoy the greatest cinematic experience.
    8Xstal

    Planet of the Hominins...

    There's a monolith that seeks to influence, the evolution of the simian confluence, teaching apes how to compete, how to kill to get their meat, all leading to, a lunar revolution. On the moon, another block has been discovered, the apes now have the means to open wings and smother, it's to Jupiter they go, what they'll find nobody knows, but it doesn't seem to fill primates with dread. To protect they have a powerful A. I., it misses nothing, and nothing passes by, everything will not be fine, if you rely on an airline, as it watches with satanic, evil eye. At Jupiter, Darwin gets dispatched, down kaleidoscopic, psychedelic hatch, death brings birth and birth brings earth, a giant foetus wants to berth, I'm not sure hominins will make much of a match.

    A perpetually engrossing film that offers more conundrums than conclusions, your interpretations uniquely your own, but the scale, cinematography and concepts are truly out of this world.

    Director's Trademarks: A Guide to Stanley Kubrick's Films

    Director's Trademarks: A Guide to Stanley Kubrick's Films

    2001: A Space Odyssey and Eyes Wide Shut are just the beginning of Stanley Kubrick's legacy. Are you up to speed on the film icon's style?
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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to Douglas Trumbull, the total footage shot was some 200 times the final length of the film.
    • Goofs
      Bowman inhales deeply before attempting to re-enter the ship from the pod. Arthur C. Clarke in an interview later noted that this is incorrect. Bowman should have exhaled, as the vacuum of space would have damaged his lungs had they been full of air.
    • Quotes

      HAL: I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do.

    • Crazy credits
      No opening credits for actors, writers, producer, director, etc. are shown, with the story beginning right after the title. Although by the 1990s it had become quite common for major films to not have opening credits, it was still unusual in 1968.
    • Alternate versions
      To create the 35mm general release prints, the Super Panavision image was slightly truncated on the top and bottom to achieve the standard 2.35:1 aspect ratio of 35mm anamorphic ("scope") prints.
    • Connections
      Edited into C'è musica & musica: Nuovo mondo (1972)
    • Soundtracks
      Gayane Ballet Suite -- Gayane's Adagio
      (1941-2)

      Music by Aram Khachaturyan

      Performed by Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra (as the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra)

      Conductor Gennadi Rozhdestvensky

      Courtesy Deutsche Grammophon

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    FAQ63

    • How long is 2001: A Space Odyssey?Powered by Alexa
    • Why did we see 7 "stars" during David's travel into the wormhole and what is the meaning behind it?
    • What became of the hominid monolith?
    • When we see HAL reading the lips of the two men, we don't hear what they are saying. What were they saying to each other, when we couldn't hear them?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 12, 1968 (United Kingdom)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Facebook
    • Languages
      • English
      • Russian
      • French
    • Also known as
      • 2001: Odisea del espacio
    • Filming locations
      • Isle of Harris, Western Isles, Scotland, UK(alien planet surface)
    • Production companies
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
      • Stanley Kubrick Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $12,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $60,481,243
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $202,759
      • May 20, 2018
    • Gross worldwide
      • $66,852,029
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 29 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.20 : 1

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