After Full Metal Jacket, Lolita, Eyes Wide Shut, Spartacus, Barry Lyndon, and The Shining, the final entry in this 'Week of Kubrick is 1968's 2001: A Space Odyssey. This is probably the film most associated with Kubrick, and for a very good reason; it is a masterpiece. You'll find it on just about every 'Best Movies of All-Time' list and it's easily on of the most influential films in the history of sci-fi.
I could heap praise on this movie all day but there are three key aspects of the film I want to mention. First off, the obvious one, this movie is incredibly thought provoking and it begs to be watched numerous times. There are all sorts of theories out there about what the monolith is, where exactly Dave ended up and how he got there, what caused HAL to do what it did, and what message is the movie trying to get across. Some see it as an apocalyptic view of what's to come and others see it in a more optimistic light. It touches on themes of human evolution, the dangers of technology and artificial intelligence, and existentialism.
The next thing is, because it was released in 1968 and all of the visual effects had to be done practically, and because so much thought and care was put into every aspect of the film, it's still visually captivating to watch. There are sci-fi films from ten years ago that look very dated but, over 50 years later and this one still holds up.
Final thing I want to mention is the music and sound design. Whether it's shots of space stations set to classical music or quiet scenes with no sound other than breathing, what you hear in this film perfectly compliments the visuals.
It's probably no surprise but, I give this film a 5 out of 5.
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