Wow!
Presented in 2.20:1 widescreen and mastered with the VC-1 codec, there is not a single flaw with the Blu-ray release of "2001: A Space Oddesy." This is perfection in motion and detail ranks among the strongest I have yet to see on either Blu-ray or HD-DVD. You can see any texture or minute detail through this entire film. Buttons and lights on consoles are bright and you can make out each sharp corner. The highly detailed space suits look amazing with the detail provided by this release. Color is also as good as it gets. From the reds and oranges featured in the space suits and on HAL 9000´s console, the colors seemingly jump from the television they are so bright and finely colored. Black levels are out of this world and whereas most older science fiction films don´t have true black spacescapes, "2001" is as good as it gets and the starfield shows how well blacks and whites are in this picture. I honestly can say that I´m still just amazed at how great this film looked.
Sound:
Alex North´s all-too-familiar score of "2001: A Space Odyssey" and the Richard Strauss Also Sprach Zarathustra have never sounded as good as it does on the Blu-ray release with its Dolby Uncompressed PCM 5.1 soundtrack. I imagine this release is identical to the HD-DVD´s Dolby TrueHD soundtrack and I can hardly imagine the film getting any better sounding. The musical score sounds so good it tingled my heart. The first scene with the apes instantly showed how well sound effects were goint to sound. The crickets were all encompassing. The cheetah and fearful cries of the apes were sharp and detailed sounding. The remaining sound effects are also strongly delivered and in the grand scheme of things, the sound effects are the best aspect of the mix. For even in all of its glory, "2001: A Space Odyssey" does show some limitations of the source materials. As John pointed out in his review, there is a definite tape hiss present in the soundtrack and although you need to turn up the volume some to hear it, it is hard to miss. It doesn´t take much away from the soundtrack and the quality of how it sounds, but it does prevent "2001" from being perfect.
Extras:
I enjoyed the look of the pop-up menu for "2001: A Space Odyssey" and thankfully there is more than a spiffy menu in terms of special features. I had previously owned the large box set on LaserDisc, but have long since parted with it. I´m not sure of how well this compares to that pricey $125 set in features, but I´m more than happy with the value added content provided on the Blu-ray and HD-DVD release of the film. A lot of credit needs to be pointed in Warner Bros. direction for providing this fine Blu-ray release. There is 148 minutes of film and they still found a way to squeeze all of this wonderful bonus materials on a BD-50 platter. I must say that the extras contained on this Blu-ray are very good, although I do miss one or two that were present on the LaserDisc.
A Commentary by Actors Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood is the first selection under "Special Features" and finds a Criterion-styled commentary track that dives into the history of the film and their experiences in making the picture. There were times when the commentary felt a bit dry, but I thought it was nicely done and this is one of those films where any further information you can dig up is always an added bonus. The 2001: The Making of a Myth (43:08) finds the King of the World James Cameron hosting a recent documentary on the making of this landmark film. Cameron is a good orator and with Keir Dullea, Sir Arthur C. Clarke and others lending their time, this is a very good making of feature that is educational and not promotional.
After the top notch commentary and lengthy documentary, six more features are included. The second documentary, Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001 (21:25) finds George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and others discussing how this movie influenced their own careers. There was an unexpected strong bass track with this feature. This is another very nicely done supplement. Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001 (21:31) look at how close the film was to the real 2001 and how its warning of technology fared when the turn of the century occurred. Another nice feature, but not as strong as the others thus far. The fourth documentary is 2001: A Space Odyssey: A Look Behind the Future (23:11) is a vintage feature that spends time looking at some of the film´s shooting locations.
Next up is What is Out There? (20:42) is unusual in that it looks at philosophical, theological and scientific arguments. There were some moments I was intrigued with, while others were forgettable. This is mixed with film footage. Still, I remain impressed with the lengthy and numerous supplements. The 2001: FX and Early Conceptual Artwork (9:28) is another retro feature and looks at how some of the film´s visual effects were achieved a decade before George Lucas and his "Star Wars" rewrote the rules on special effects. Interestingly, most of the effects still hold up nicely today. Look: Stanley Kubrick! (3:15) is a quick look at Kubrick´s early career as a photographer at Taft High School and how he had photographs in Look magazine. The 11/27/1966 Interview with Stanley Kubrick (1:16:30) is a very long interview with the late director and a very strong feature. This is audio only and features a quick shot of the Star Child looking towards Earth while the audio is played. The interview was handled by writer Jeremy Bernstein and is an excellent listen if you have the time. Finally, the Theatrical Trailer is the last supplement contained on the disc.
Closing Comments by John J. Puccio:
I can hardly think of a movie that benefits more from high-definition processing than this new HD DVD release of "2001." I mean, take any frame at random from the film and you could hang it on your wall. It's that beautiful, that visionary. Few movies can make such a boast.
Warner Bros. have made "2001: A Space Odyssey" available in HD DVD, Blu-ray, and standard-definition. All three formats are available separately, and the SD versions are also available in the big "Stanley Kubrick Director's Series" box, which includes "2001," "A Clockwork Orange," "The Shining," "Full Metal Jacket," "Eyes Wide Shut," and the documentary "Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures." Most of the films in SD come in two-disc special editions, with the exception of the single-disc "Full Metal Jacket" and the Kubrick documentary.
"In an infinite and eternal universe, the point is, anything is possible." --Stanley Kubrick
Sound:
Alex North´s all-too-familiar score of "2001: A Space Odyssey" and the Richard Strauss Also Sprach Zarathustra have never sounded as good as it does on the Blu-ray release with its Dolby Uncompressed PCM 5.1 soundtrack. I imagine this release is identical to the HD-DVD´s Dolby TrueHD soundtrack and I can hardly imagine the film getting any better sounding. The musical score sounds so good it tingled my heart. The first scene with the apes instantly showed how well sound effects were goint to sound. The crickets were all encompassing. The cheetah and fearful cries of the apes were sharp and detailed sounding. The remaining sound effects are also strongly delivered and in the grand scheme of things, the sound effects are the best aspect of the mix. For even in all of its glory, "2001: A Space Odyssey" does show some limitations of the source materials. As John pointed out in his review, there is a definite tape hiss present in the soundtrack and although you need to turn up the volume some to hear it, it is hard to miss. It doesn´t take much away from the soundtrack and the quality of how it sounds, but it does prevent "2001" from being perfect.
Extras:
I enjoyed the look of the pop-up menu for "2001: A Space Odyssey" and thankfully there is more than a spiffy menu in terms of special features. I had previously owned the large box set on LaserDisc, but have long since parted with it. I´m not sure of how well this compares to that pricey $125 set in features, but I´m more than happy with the value added content provided on the Blu-ray and HD-DVD release of the film. A lot of credit needs to be pointed in Warner Bros. direction for providing this fine Blu-ray release. There is 148 minutes of film and they still found a way to squeeze all of this wonderful bonus materials on a BD-50 platter. I must say that the extras contained on this Blu-ray are very good, although I do miss one or two that were present on the LaserDisc.
A Commentary by Actors Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood is the first selection under "Special Features" and finds a Criterion-styled commentary track that dives into the history of the film and their experiences in making the picture. There were times when the commentary felt a bit dry, but I thought it was nicely done and this is one of those films where any further information you can dig up is always an added bonus. The 2001: The Making of a Myth (43:08) finds the King of the World James Cameron hosting a recent documentary on the making of this landmark film. Cameron is a good orator and with Keir Dullea, Sir Arthur C. Clarke and others lending their time, this is a very good making of feature that is educational and not promotional.
After the top notch commentary and lengthy documentary, six more features are included. The second documentary, Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001 (21:25) finds George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and others discussing how this movie influenced their own careers. There was an unexpected strong bass track with this feature. This is another very nicely done supplement. Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001 (21:31) look at how close the film was to the real 2001 and how its warning of technology fared when the turn of the century occurred. Another nice feature, but not as strong as the others thus far. The fourth documentary is 2001: A Space Odyssey: A Look Behind the Future (23:11) is a vintage feature that spends time looking at some of the film´s shooting locations.
Next up is What is Out There? (20:42) is unusual in that it looks at philosophical, theological and scientific arguments. There were some moments I was intrigued with, while others were forgettable. This is mixed with film footage. Still, I remain impressed with the lengthy and numerous supplements. The 2001: FX and Early Conceptual Artwork (9:28) is another retro feature and looks at how some of the film´s visual effects were achieved a decade before George Lucas and his "Star Wars" rewrote the rules on special effects. Interestingly, most of the effects still hold up nicely today. Look: Stanley Kubrick! (3:15) is a quick look at Kubrick´s early career as a photographer at Taft High School and how he had photographs in Look magazine. The 11/27/1966 Interview with Stanley Kubrick (1:16:30) is a very long interview with the late director and a very strong feature. This is audio only and features a quick shot of the Star Child looking towards Earth while the audio is played. The interview was handled by writer Jeremy Bernstein and is an excellent listen if you have the time. Finally, the Theatrical Trailer is the last supplement contained on the disc.
Closing Comments by John J. Puccio:
I can hardly think of a movie that benefits more from high-definition processing than this new HD DVD release of "2001." I mean, take any frame at random from the film and you could hang it on your wall. It's that beautiful, that visionary. Few movies can make such a boast.
Warner Bros. have made "2001: A Space Odyssey" available in HD DVD, Blu-ray, and standard-definition. All three formats are available separately, and the SD versions are also available in the big "Stanley Kubrick Director's Series" box, which includes "2001," "A Clockwork Orange," "The Shining," "Full Metal Jacket," "Eyes Wide Shut," and the documentary "Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures." Most of the films in SD come in two-disc special editions, with the exception of the single-disc "Full Metal Jacket" and the Kubrick documentary.
"In an infinite and eternal universe, the point is, anything is possible." --Stanley Kubrick
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