In Case You Missed It #6: 2001 a Space Odyssey Review

This is the segment where I talk about movies pre-2015 that may have escaped the public consciousness in recent years. I'm Logan Tyler Smith, and this is In Case You Missed It.

2001: A Space Odyssey has many different stories of humanity and space that are told in epic scale. From a robot gone mad to the birth of tools at the hands of aliens called “Monoliths” there is very much a throughline of how vast space truly is, something all the characters learn in one form or another. 

2001 is rough on some audiences; the first half and last half of the film are told exclusively without dialogue. That being said, they cram a lot into those minutes - the aliens teaching primitive man-apes to make tools is actually perfectly told without dialogue. 

The film is, as it goes without saying, beautiful and a technical masterclass from Stanley Kubrick. Ambitious and managing to tell a complete story using visual symbols and powerful images, Kubrick did a lot within a grand scale, while simultaneously letting his imagination run wild. 

That being said, some people may criticize the runtime of the film - the film crams a lot in those minutes, and some people may accuse it of being overlong. I personally don’t think that was the case, but can see how other people might feel that way amidst the spectacle. 

2001 is very visual and very powerful because of that - a testament to a gifted filmmaker with a knowledge of visual storytelling language. If you think such visuals may be too much for you though, I once again understand. 

That's my take. I'm Logan Tyler Smith and this has been In Case You Missed It.