A visually stunning film, told in several distinct yet interconnected parts, with an excellent score ... though the world didn't turn out quite like this, at least not yet;-) Keir Dullea in his career role as Dr. Dave Bowman, and Gary Lockwood as Dr. Frank Poole, travel into deep space to Jupiter, in order to explore the origin of a strange black monolith (the object which connects the film's story-lines), found on the moon by Dr. Frank Lloyd (William Sylvester).

This masterpiece by director-producer Stanley Kubrick earned him his only Oscar, for Best Effects, Special Visual Effects no less, though he also received a Best Director nomination, and shared a Writing nomination with Arthur C. Clarke (his only nomination). The Art Direction-Set Decoration was also nominated. Kubrick had previously received director & producer nominations for Dr. Strangelove (1964) and went on to earn 7 more nominations, in various categories, before his death in 1999 (two years before this film's title;-)

The real star of the film is the HAL 9000 computer (AFI's #13 villain), who at first assists astronauts Bowman & Poole, before something goes wrong and "he" takes over the mission, with tragic results. The film is #22 on AFI’s 100 Greatest Movies list & #40 on AFI's 100 Most Heart-Pounding Movies list. "Open the pod bay doors, HAL." is #78 on AFI's 100 Greatest Movie Quotes list. #47 on AFI's 100 Most Inspiring Movies list.
From the Classic Film Guide

User Comment:
This movie is concerned with intelligence as the division between animal and human, then asks a question; what is the next division? Technology is treated as irrelevant to the quest - literally serving as mere vehicles for the human crew, and as a shell for the immature HAL entity. The story is told as a montage of impressions, music and impressive and careful attention to subliminal detail. A very influential film and still a class act, even after 25 years.
--Written by Robin Kenny {robink@hparc0.aus.hp.com}