2001: A Space Odyssey

[DvChWi]

BIG FAT SPOILERS!! DON'T READ UNLESS YOU'VE SEEN THE FILM!

Just finished watching this film, and I have to say, I thought it was a really boring, pointless film, with a really, really, unbelievably cool thriller movie stuck in the middle.  That's right, the beginning and end did nothing for me, but I thought that everything from the first scene with the monolith to the video after HAL's "death" were really amazing.  Does anybody else feel this way, or is there something I'm not getting here?  The beginning(particularly most of the ape stuff and the spacecraft docking stuff) seemed to move way to slow, without any real purpose.  It almost had the feel of one of those "life in the future" that you might see at Disney World's EPCOT.  Then we get to the middle.  Great thriller stuff, 'nuff said.  Then, as soon as we get to the video, the whole thing seems to devolve into some sort of LSD fueled travel sequence(which was pretty cool for the first two minutes), and some pointlessly surreal scene in which Dave ages and is seemingly transformed into some kind of babylike being.  All I have to say about this part is: What the heck is this!?!  Anybody have some light to shed?

[Josh]

I love the movie, but I haven't seen it in ages. I'll have to rewatch it and then get back to you.

[bloop]

I had the same reaction that you had, Dv.  I know it's very highly regarded, and I'm no film nerd, so I never spoke out against the movie (I try to reserve negativity for things I know), but I don't see much point in the lengthiness of the buildup or ending.

[BigBird]

It's been too long since I've seen the movie as well. I remember it being painfully slow at times. I think in it's time it was just so incredible as far as effects and stuff that it could hold people's attention. Each generation gets less and less patient.

[RokrantheGreat]

Haven't seen the movie, but I felt the same way reading the book.

[Vlad!]