MovieChat Forums > 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Discussion > My sweet lord this movie is boring AF

My sweet lord this movie is boring AF


I guess it just didn't age very well but it plods along so dreadfully.

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It is us that has changed, not the movie.

Most psychologist concur that our attention spans are much shorter than adults of 1960.

I have further read that grandmother's are upset that kids can't sit still to watch a movie that they loved as a kid-- Mary Poppins (1964), they watch for a few minutes then want to do something else.

I do agree with you that the pacing is very slow( I fast forward the blue Danube scene), but I love the story.

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I wasn't ever really bored watching it. The psychedelic stuff maybe could use a trim, but that's about it, and I'm not talking a major flaw here.

That's subjective, of course, but my experience was that it wasn't boring. It's music, it's poetry, it's art...you just have to sink into it.

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That's my response as well. From the time I saw it as a 14-year old in 1968, right up to the present day, I find it just as beautifully poetic & mysterious as ever. In some ways, I think of it as a visual tone poem or symphony. Of course, the best way to see it is in a theater, on the biggest screen possible. Those whose only experience of it is from TV, no matter how big & state-of-the-art the set, can't really be expected to appreciate its immersive power & depth. And add to that what a previous poster said about declining attention spans. Personally, I feel that slow, majestic pace is what gives the film such power & depth, conveying as it does the immensity of both Time & Space in a visceral way, a touch of the Infinite. A masterpiece!

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Beyond the cautionary tale of 2001: A Space Odyssey, one cannot help but feel a lingering note of human triumphalism. Kubrick viscerally depicts man reaching the apex of progress, conquering not only the finitude of Earth, but the infinitude of the Universe. In this exultation, where the unfulfilled becomes fulfilled, we see man elevated to status of deity, reminiscent of Roger Bacon’s Scientia Experimantlis: “to build a world oneself, to be oneself God, that is the Faustian inventor’s dream.”

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A wonderful, thoughtful comment!

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I find it one of the most hypnotic movies I have ever seen — not at all boring and hugely rewatch able, but it’s certainly not for everyone.

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I find it one of the most hypnotic movies I have ever seen — not at all boring and hugely rewatch able, but it’s certainly not for everyone.

That's certainly true!!!! Like the OP, I found it to be tedious beyond description.

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Hypnotic is the word. I find nothing slow or tedious or boring about it.

But I agree that it's not for every viewer.

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With respect, I strongly disagree; it was extremely tedious. It was so dull that I couldn't finish it in one sitting.

I'm glad that you enjoyed it, but to me, it was dull, tedious, and extremely boring.

I'll grant that the sets were spectacular, but that was the only thing that I will give to this plodding monstrosity.

We disagree about this film and I respect your viewpoint. I did not care for it.

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Fair enough! My opinion is just that, my opinion, nothing more.

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Thank you for your courtesy. On the IMDb I was called a troll, and stupid, among other things, just for not liking it.

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There are films that are highly acclaimed by many that I personally don't care for myself. In the end, it's whether a film speaks to us & resonates with us that really matters. I can recognize why some films are highly praised, understand the very good reasons that they are, and still I can't connect with them. Nothing wrong or stupid about that.

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Quite so. One of my favorite films is not liked by many and I don't look down on the folks that don't like it. Chalk it up to a film (or book, or whatever) ringing our bells, so to speak.

Some will and some won't. Obviously, you enjoyed 2001: ASO, and I'm happy for you.

Your username looks familiar. Were you on the IMDb message boards?

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Yes, I used to be there on occasion. :)

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You and the OP should go watch Transformers if you dont understand this movie. (Bet you never heard that on IMDB)

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My 6 year old just sat & watched it with me, she found it interesting and it led to several discussions. I can’t believe I’ve never seen it before, we enjoyed it despite not fully understanding it

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You don't have to fully understand it on your first viewing, just simply experience it. Repeated viewings may reveal more to you, as will mulling over it afterward. I sometimes think of it as a great symphonic tone-poem, a sort of visual music that conveys meaning & complexity without words.

But it's also fun & worthwhile to think about it & discuss it with others, too. :)

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Indeed! Hence my coming here. I did say to my daughter how different it would be to experience it in a cinema, the score is obviously amazing. I’ll definitely be watching it again at some point

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I do hope you both get to see it in a theater one day, as it's magnificent that way. (I was lucky enough to see it at age 14 when it came out, as part of a 9th grade field trip to NYC specifically for that purpose, courtesy of our Earth Science teacher. Thank you, Mr. Young!)

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Oh wow I bet that was amazing! Fingers crossed we can see it on the big screen someday

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Boring people post boring shit

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I can understand how some people could find the slow burn pacing of the film to be boring by modern sci fi standards. Personally though, as someone who doesn't even like most older films, I found the film very easy to watch for the score and cinematography alone. I was surprised by how well the visuals held up & didn't feel dated in what is a 50 year old movie. Very much ahead of its time visually and clearly influenced a lot.

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It's not made for a three-second attention span, that's for sure.

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Imagine watching the movie while high.

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I think Kubrick was high when he made it.

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Not high, just visionary.

Although some viewers at the time made us of mind-enhancing/expanding substances while watching the film, to be sure. But those aren't necessary to understand the film, which is complete in itself.

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