The defence The Big-Idea Head
“Form is the argument.”
Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.
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2001: A Space Odyssey
Science Fiction · Mystery · Adventure · 1968
Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world's most advanced super computer.
Movie details
2001: A Space Odyssey
“An epic drama of adventure and exploration.”
1968 Science Fiction · Mystery · Adventure 2h 29m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
8.0 / 10
Community rating
Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world's most advanced super computer.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over 2001: A Space Odyssey?
For the defence
The Big-Idea Head
“You watch with your brain, not your gut.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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Forbidden Planet
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Starship C57D travels to planet Altair 4 in search of the crew of spaceship "Bellerophon," a scientific expedition that has been missing for twenty years. They find themselves unwelcome by the expedition's lone survivor and warned of destruction by an invisible force if they don't turn back immediately.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
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When an unidentified alien destroys three powerful Klingon cruisers, Captain James T. Kirk returns to the newly transformed U.S.S. Enterprise to take command.
Interstellar
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Finch
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Planet of the Apes
Sci-fi · 1968
Astronaut Taylor crash lands on a distant planet ruled by apes who use a primitive race of humans for experimentation and sport. Soon Taylor finds himself among the hunted, his life in the hands of a benevolent chimpanzee scientist.
Mission to Mars
Sci-fi · 2000
When the first manned mission to Mars meets with a catastrophic and mysterious disaster after reporting an unidentified structure, a rescue mission is launched to investigate the tragedy and bring back any survivors.
Solaris
Drama · 2002
A troubled psychologist is sent to investigate the crew of an isolated research station orbiting a bizarre planet.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Action · 1982
The starship Enterprise and its crew is pulled back into action when old nemesis, Khan, steals a top secret device called Project Genesis.
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Stanley Kubrick
Written by
Stanley Kubrick · Arthur C. Clarke
Keir Dullea
Dr. David Bowman
Gary Lockwood
Dr. Frank Poole
William Sylvester
Dr. Heywood Floyd
Douglas Rain
HAL 9000 (voice)
Daniel Richter
Moonwatcher
Leonard Rossiter
Dr. Andrei Smyslov
Margaret Tyzack
Elena
Court is in session
Put 2001: A Space Odyssey on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist
“Technique in search of a pulse.”
Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.