2001: A Space Odyssey [Blu-ray] [1968]

This is one of the best 4K transfers ever produced. Even though the film is 50 years old it looks like it was recently made. The sound and picture are perfect. It has lots of interesting bonus materials on a second Blu-ray disc as well which includes…. 2001: The Making of a Myth (480i; 43:08) is an interesting retrospective with lots of people discussing the impact of the film. Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001 (480i; 21:25) features people such as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas discussing what the film has meant to them and the art of cinema. Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001 (480i; 21:31) looks at some of the things that seemed futuristic in 1968. 2001: A Space Odyssey: A Look Behind the Future (480p; 23:11) is a longer form archival piece that includes production data and interviews. What Is Out There? (480i; 20:42) 2001: FX and Conceptual Artwork (480i; 9:33) features some interesting comments from Douglas Trumbull. Look: Stanley Kubrick! (480i; 3:15) is a brief piece focusing on Kubrick's work as a magazine photographer. 11/27/1966 Interview with Stanley Kubrick (1:16:31) is an audio interview conducted by Jeremy Bernstein that plays to a still image (1080p) of the Starchild gazing on his new toy (Earth). Theatrical Trailer (480p; 1:51) Also included is a small booklet with production photos and four 5x7 cards. “2001 A Space Odyssey” is a film that belongs in every collection. It is groundbreaking in every possible way and is the the film that has influenced so many countless other films.

"2001" is one of those movies that you're either going to love or hate. I pity those who hate it, as its simply one of the best sci-fi films ever. It starts off with "dawn of time," where humans were still primitive apes, who stumble across a mysterious monolith that aids their evolution to being human. Fast forward to 1999, another monolith is found buried on the moon and the origin is determined from Jupiter. The next evolutionary step is what "2001" focuses on: man and computer. This movie's visuals are nearly poetic in nature. Kubrick's attention to detail is staggering. Keep in mind this was filmed before man landed on the moon in real life. In fact, conspiracy theorists to this day believe unused footage from this movie is what the US gov't used to "fake" the moon landing. Regardless of your own personal beliefs about that, it is a testament to how realistic and believable every aspect of this movie is. Let me come back to my opening statement, that you'll either love or hate this. Though I clearly love it, I can see why some would not. For example, the first bit of dialogue is at 25:38, and up until then the camera and music tell the story. The last 23 minutes are the same way (there's about 88 min of dialogue-free footage total) and the visuals become the narrator. Those looking for fast camera cuts and laser guns and explosions and things of that nature will likely find this boring. The mood is relaxed, almost tranquil. The pace is slow. Take a deep breath and take everything on the screen in. Something else that may be [unfortunately] seen as a negative is how open for interpretation the overall story is, especially the ending. Personally, I believe that's what makes it so great, but I do know some people like their plot spoon-fed to them. "2001" was filmed in 70mm in the 2.2:1 aspect ratio, which means that though it was filmed over 40 years ago, the clarity and crispness of the picture makes it look like something that was filmed recently. For visuals alone, this is a Blu-ray worth owning just to show off your HDTV to friends. This is one of those rare movies you "experience" more than you "watch."

Stanley Kubrick masterpiece creation of the Arthur C Clarke book! Kubrick broke new ground in creating a Sci-Fi that raised the bar for the Genre. It has stood the test of time, which was 50 years ago. The picture quality in 4K Ultra is amazing. The sets and scenes were masterfully shot. Re-watch this movie, and enjoy it even more at home!

If you know it, no commentary necessary. Make sure to get 2010 as the story conclusion ;)

This is a beautiful edition of such a classic film. The steel book looks great. The extras on the disc are fun and go pretty deep. I’m glad I purchased this.

One of the greatest movies of all time, and looks amazing in 4K. The packaging is real nice also.

Visually, 2001 is a tour-de-force, nearly 50 years old now (premiered in 1968) but still alive with imagery that stimulates the mind in many ways. Kubrick's detailed direction keeps it going. The problem is the lack of dialogue (nothing for the first 30 minutes) and a complicated unsaid understory about the slow 4 million year evolution of man vs the rapid rise of computer "intelligence" and the power to make decisions. The final flight through the universe has never been repeated in the history of film. Watch it - and watch it again.

Movies shot on 35mm film or less, like 16mm, reach their ceiling at Blu-Ray 1920x1080, to a max of 2K tops. Even people who own grand spectacle movies from Close Encounters of the Third Kind to Ghostbusters note the obvious, gritty, film grain in Blu-Ray. It only gets worse in 4K. The technology for digitally cleaning up the grain and bringing 35mm movies up to 4K quality isn't there yet as of this 2019 writing. Except for Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. So what made this movie the exception? Stanley Kubrick's mania. He shot this on the best (read expensive) Eastman Kodak film stock available at the time and on a whopping large 65mm negative format. Before IMAX there was Cinerama and it demanded massive screens projecting 70mm positives that overwhelmed the audience beneath it. On top of this, Stanley wanted an auditory spectacle that would match his image, and employed a 6 track separation stereo on the film stock. Few theaters could handle such a tall order but Stanley was a perfectionist and correctly realized that the technology of the theatrical audio and visual of cinema would only get better with time. He wanted to stave off the moment - for as long as possible - when audiences would technically regard his movie as on par with silent black and white cinema. In fact, Kubrick would have shot it in 3D if he felt the technology of his era was up to it. The beauty of all of this is that we can own this classic - Kubrick's first Horror movie* - and enjoy it on a large 4K screen with pristine picture and sound. *Science fiction Horror, he would go on to shoot his first Supernatural Horror, Stephen King's The Shining, over ten years later. For the next 50 years, fans of 2001: A Space Odyssey, had to endure 35mm at arthouse theaters or worse, TV, VHS, or DVD quality. No longer. Kubrick's visionary decision ensures that you can finally enjoy this movie in a way you have likely never seen, even in a theater. Personally speaking, I was not disappointed.