2010 is a good piece of entertainment, while 2001 is a persuasive work of art.
Video:
The DVD picture quality is excellent, as we would expect. I had noticed a few instances of line flutter in "2001," but such distractions are almost completely absent from "2010." The nearly 2.35:1 widescreen ratio allows one to see the picture as it was shown in theaters, a pleasure for me after being forced to live with the truncated, pan-and-scan video tape for the last dozen years.
Audio:
The original Dolby Stereo has been remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1 and makes effective use of the rear speakers. Separation is good in front and front-to-rear distinctions, although it is obviously limited in left-to-right rear channel differences. Deep bass is prodigious; if you have a subwoofer, I pity your neighbors.
Extras:
To complete the package, MGM offer a ten-minute featurette on the making of the film, with interviews with the writer, director, and stars, but little else on the disc itself, not even a theatrical trailer. They put an eight-page booklet with production and trivia notes in the box. It is a little disappointing to see that cost factors are affecting even so stalwart a company as MGM. Remember, they used to offer both a standard and a widescreen format on almost every disc.
Parting Thoughts:
Watch for a couple of cameos by novelist Arthur C. Clarke. He first appears sitting on a park bench feeding pigeons in front of the White House, and again as a face on the cover of "Time" magazine, presumably the face of the President. He seems to have had a good time with the project, and I think viewers will have a good time, too, if they understand beforehand that "2010" is a more traditional, straightforward science-fiction story than "2001." I´m sure the promotional people at MGM feel it´s mandatory for every buyer of "2001" to also purchase "2010." And I see no reason why viewers can´t enjoy both, providing, as I´ve said, they go into it with the knowledge that the two films are very different in style and content--one a preeminent classic, its successor merely a competent follow-up.
The DVD picture quality is excellent, as we would expect. I had noticed a few instances of line flutter in "2001," but such distractions are almost completely absent from "2010." The nearly 2.35:1 widescreen ratio allows one to see the picture as it was shown in theaters, a pleasure for me after being forced to live with the truncated, pan-and-scan video tape for the last dozen years.
Audio:
The original Dolby Stereo has been remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1 and makes effective use of the rear speakers. Separation is good in front and front-to-rear distinctions, although it is obviously limited in left-to-right rear channel differences. Deep bass is prodigious; if you have a subwoofer, I pity your neighbors.
Extras:
To complete the package, MGM offer a ten-minute featurette on the making of the film, with interviews with the writer, director, and stars, but little else on the disc itself, not even a theatrical trailer. They put an eight-page booklet with production and trivia notes in the box. It is a little disappointing to see that cost factors are affecting even so stalwart a company as MGM. Remember, they used to offer both a standard and a widescreen format on almost every disc.
Parting Thoughts:
Watch for a couple of cameos by novelist Arthur C. Clarke. He first appears sitting on a park bench feeding pigeons in front of the White House, and again as a face on the cover of "Time" magazine, presumably the face of the President. He seems to have had a good time with the project, and I think viewers will have a good time, too, if they understand beforehand that "2010" is a more traditional, straightforward science-fiction story than "2001." I´m sure the promotional people at MGM feel it´s mandatory for every buyer of "2001" to also purchase "2010." And I see no reason why viewers can´t enjoy both, providing, as I´ve said, they go into it with the knowledge that the two films are very different in style and content--one a preeminent classic, its successor merely a competent follow-up.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]7[/release]