Sir, you are no "2001." Well, what is? "2010: The Year We Make Contact," based on the book by Arthur C. Clarke, is a respectable attempt to follow up on the spectacular success of Clarke and Stanley Kubrick´s "2001: A Space Odyssey." As it stands, director Peter Hyams created in "2010" a good, well-made, tightly-knit, nicely-acted science-fiction sequel, yet one that clearly lacks the vision and scope of its illustrious predecessor. Be that as it may, however, "2010" may be a more appealing proposition for some viewers. The newer film´s more conventional plot, its greater reliance on human character relationships, and its more matter-of-fact explanations for otherworldly phenomena might make it more accessible than "2001," which relied almost exclusively on images and sound to sustain its ideas. Looked at another way, "2010" is a good piece of entertainment, while "2001" is a persuasive work of art.
"2010" begins nine years after the spaceship U.S.S. Discovery was abandoned near the planet Jupiter, its crew mysteriously dead or gone; and with yet another giant, black monolith standing ominously nearby. The Americans and the Russians, ever at odds with one another, nevertheless agree on a joint mission to investigate the situation, with three Americans going along on a Russian spacecraft. Their explorations again reveal the presence of higher intelligences guiding Mankind´s destiny and even restructuring our universe.
Three familiar characters return to the film: Dr. Heywood Floyd, this time played by Roy Scheider, who becomes the main character in the drama and is given a more well-rounded personality than before; Dave Bowman, reprised by Keir Dullea; and the HAL 9000 computer, once more personified by the familiar voice of Douglas Rain. In addition, the cast includes several other fine actors: John Lithgow as an astronaut-engineer with a fear of heights; Helen Mirren as the captain of the Russian team; and Bob Balaban as HAL´s creator. They make a convincing unit, and together with some stunningly beautiful special effects create an absorbing story. Of course, those introductory strains from Richard Strauss´s "Also Sprach Zarathustra" still open and close the film.
"2010" begins nine years after the spaceship U.S.S. Discovery was abandoned near the planet Jupiter, its crew mysteriously dead or gone; and with yet another giant, black monolith standing ominously nearby. The Americans and the Russians, ever at odds with one another, nevertheless agree on a joint mission to investigate the situation, with three Americans going along on a Russian spacecraft. Their explorations again reveal the presence of higher intelligences guiding Mankind´s destiny and even restructuring our universe.
Three familiar characters return to the film: Dr. Heywood Floyd, this time played by Roy Scheider, who becomes the main character in the drama and is given a more well-rounded personality than before; Dave Bowman, reprised by Keir Dullea; and the HAL 9000 computer, once more personified by the familiar voice of Douglas Rain. In addition, the cast includes several other fine actors: John Lithgow as an astronaut-engineer with a fear of heights; Helen Mirren as the captain of the Russian team; and Bob Balaban as HAL´s creator. They make a convincing unit, and together with some stunningly beautiful special effects create an absorbing story. Of course, those introductory strains from Richard Strauss´s "Also Sprach Zarathustra" still open and close the film.
Sir, you are no "2001." Well, what is? "2010: The Year We Make Contact," based on the book by Arthur C. Clarke, is a respectable attempt to follow up on the spectacular success of Clarke and Stanley Kubrick´s "2001: A Space Odyssey." As it stands, director Peter Hyams created in "2010" a good, well-made, tightly-knit, nicely-acted science-fiction sequel, yet one that clearly lacks the vision and scope of its illustrious predecessor. Be that as it may, however, "2010" may be a more appealing proposition for some viewers. The newer film´s more conventional plot, its greater reliance on human character relationships, and its more matter-of-fact explanations for otherworldly phenomena might make it more accessible than "2001," which relied almost exclusively on images and sound to sustain its ideas. Looked at another way, "2010" is a good piece of entertainment, while "2001" is a persuasive work of art.
"2010" begins nine years after the spaceship U.S.S. Discovery was abandoned near the planet Jupiter, its crew mysteriously dead or gone; and with yet another giant, black monolith standing ominously nearby. The Americans and the Russians, ever at odds with one another, nevertheless agree on a joint mission to investigate the situation, with three Americans going along on a Russian spacecraft. Their explorations again reveal the presence of higher intelligences guiding Mankind´s destiny and even restructuring our universe.
Three familiar characters return to the film: Dr. Heywood Floyd, this time played by Roy Scheider, who becomes the main character in the drama and is given a more well-rounded personality than before; Dave Bowman, reprised by Keir Dullea; and the HAL 9000 computer, once more personified by the familiar voice of Douglas Rain. In addition, the cast includes several other fine actors: John Lithgow as an astronaut-engineer with a fear of heights; Helen Mirren as the captain of the Russian team; and Bob Balaban as HAL´s creator. They make a convincing unit, and together with some stunningly beautiful special effects create an absorbing story. Of course, those introductory strains from Richard Strauss´s "Also Sprach Zarathustra" still open and close the film.
"2010" begins nine years after the spaceship U.S.S. Discovery was abandoned near the planet Jupiter, its crew mysteriously dead or gone; and with yet another giant, black monolith standing ominously nearby. The Americans and the Russians, ever at odds with one another, nevertheless agree on a joint mission to investigate the situation, with three Americans going along on a Russian spacecraft. Their explorations again reveal the presence of higher intelligences guiding Mankind´s destiny and even restructuring our universe.
Three familiar characters return to the film: Dr. Heywood Floyd, this time played by Roy Scheider, who becomes the main character in the drama and is given a more well-rounded personality than before; Dave Bowman, reprised by Keir Dullea; and the HAL 9000 computer, once more personified by the familiar voice of Douglas Rain. In addition, the cast includes several other fine actors: John Lithgow as an astronaut-engineer with a fear of heights; Helen Mirren as the captain of the Russian team; and Bob Balaban as HAL´s creator. They make a convincing unit, and together with some stunningly beautiful special effects create an absorbing story. Of course, those introductory strains from Richard Strauss´s "Also Sprach Zarathustra" still open and close the film.
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