1968 - 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, is probably as good as it gets for science fiction

Watched the Blu-Ray of this film, probably the first time I've seen it in about 15 years or so.  The Blu-Ray did take out some of the grain which was particularly noticeable in the Discovery One spaceship sequences but overall the film looked very good.  

Stanley Kubrick really brought his "A" game to this film.  He wanted to make the best science fiction film possible and he wasn't fooling around.  The special effects still look very sharp and clear.  Kubrick pushed film technology to the limit and it paid off,  the space scenes have an powerful look  to them which no other science fiction film has been able to duplicate.  The musical selections chosen for the film perfectly complement the film and I am not a big fan of adding classical music to films.

When this film came out it confused a lot of the critics.  The chief complaint was that the story was obscure and difficult to understand.  I've never understood their reaction to this film.  Even in my first viewing of this film it was clear that 2001: A Space Odyssey was about evolution and man's encounter with extraterrestrial life.

I have seen a lot of science fiction films and I am of the opinion that 2001: A Space Odyssey is still the best film in the science fiction genre. 

142 minutes, screenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clark.