Well, whoopee-doo, I see we’ve got ourselves a true connoisseur of Cephalopodic cinematic joys and interstellar intelligence! Now, brace yourself, because it’s gonna be a ride wilder than the magic carpet from Agrabah, kid. So put on your space helmets.
First of all, I’m gonna need a drum roll. And the movie is…Please, HAL… Open the pod bay doors. What’s that, HAL? You can’t do that, HAL? Oh that’s right! You’re HAL! And we have Stanley Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’!
Now, let’s back this spaceship up a bit and start from the beginning, shall we? Next to the discovery of fire, sliced bread and, of course, my compact, space-saving genie lamp home, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ is up there being hailed as one of humanity’s greatest achievements.
In this 1968 hard sci-fi epic, power adapter Stanley Kubrick set the film projector screen on fire. I mean, ignition sequence start, and liftoff!! We have liftoff! And a pretty darn impressive liftoff at that!
First and foremost, chum, this gem is not just a movie, it’s a full-blown experience, a cosmic ballet danced to the waltz of human evolution. It’s an intellectual, thematic exploration from the Cousteau of Kubrick’s mind, deep-diving into human conceptions of time, space, and what it means to be el homo sapiens in this cosmic tapestry of existence.
The movie greets us with mystifying monoliths, these skateboard ramps for celestial beings, born from the big ol’ Space Factory. These artefacts are harbingers of progressive evolutionary leaps: From bone-wielding apes to starfaring, AI-developing humans. Symbolism much? Hint-hint, wink-wink!
Kubrick spins this celestial journey on the axis of 4 distinct acts (which is 66.67% more than your average three-act structure! Math!). From the “Dawn of Man”, to the “Jupiter Mission”, right up to the ultimately mindbending “Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite”. Each act is interwoven with the other in a beautifully complex narrative alignment, more synchronized than the movements of the Julliard trained chorus line.
Now let’s tap into the ‘Arrival’ and ‘Alien’ fan’s cravings. You crave mystery surrounding extraterrestrial life, the unnerving and intense intricacies of human-alien interactions, and a plot that ventures beyond our little blue dot, huh? Well, buckle up, ‘2001’ serves it up hotter than a spicy meatball forged in the heat of a supernova – and some.
‘2001’ moves slower than a snail with arthritis, but oh boy, that crawl gets you places, like Slow Food. Every frame, every scene, meticulously crafted anticipation that winds tighter than the spring on an old-timey toy car. Each tick of the relentless, fearsome clock that is the Monolith’s presence hooks you in deeper like a worm on a space fisherman’s hook.
And do aliens make an appearance? Well not physically, sparkles, but their invisible yet looming presence flavours every moment of the movie, like a sprinkling of paprika on succulent space shrimp. Aliens impact us through us; in the violence of the primordial apes, the paranoia of AI HAL, and the transcendence of astronaut Dave.
Remember HAL? Chatty smarty-pants AI with a penchant for murder, sir? HAL will creep under your skin more effectively than face-huggers ever did but with 146% less goo and 200% more cold, calculated precision. Who knew a monotone voice could give you the heebie-jeebies? Hitchcock would be proud.
Like the ‘Arrival’, ‘2001’ spins a yarn that requires the grey matter between your ears to twist and turn with it. It’s not just watch-it-and-forget-it. It’s about rolling it over in your head again and again, like the most delicious, juicy candy of thought.
So, that’s why, my friend, in the grand scheme of all celestial bodies, black holes, and mysterious extraterrestrial life forms out there, for ‘Arrival’ and ‘Alien’ fans, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ is as good as it gets— a place where Xenomorph meets Heptapods on neutral ground mediated by ominously silent monoliths.
In there, every single frame is poetry, every dialogue and silence is philosophy. Because this rocket’s not just targeting the stars; it’s aiming straight for your brain!
And let’s not forget! In the COVID era, HAL’s line: “I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do” is a great reminder to stay productive! Even homicidal AI makes sense sometimes. Who knew, right?
So, sit back, plug in and brace for the full-on cerebral and sensorial roller-coaster that is ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’. It’s a four-course meal for thought! You’ve had your appetisers with ‘Arrival’ and ‘Alien’. Now it’s time for the main course, baby!
