2010: The Year We Make Contact (DVD, 1998)

I wondered that when the interior of the Leonov (CCCP ship) was so freegin' dim. Or maybe the Ruskies were trying to save power by keeping all of the lights off! That really piqued my curiosity... On the whole, 2010 is an above average, yet not superior movie. If any fans of AC Clarke's series have read the book "The Odyssey File", which chronicles the making of 2010 (the book is composed of e-mail correspondence between Clarke and director Peter Hyams. They were among the first users of e-mail technology - in 1984!) reveals the director's paranoia and even humility as he hopes his film will even come close as a worthy successor to the peerless original. That peerless original, of course, is 2001.

2010 is dated, somewhat forgotten, and does fall short of the power of Kubrick's vision (how many times have you heard THAT before?). But Stan the Man is a hard act to follow. While 2001 is timeless, 2010 reveals its easily dated personality on a couple of occasions. The Cold War theme is the most obvious. The computers, monitors, and graphics used throughout are instantly identifiable, dressed-up Commodore 64-era tech hardware. Roy Scheider's character, Dr. Floyd, instructs his crew to "listen to your cassettes" to receive updates on their mission. Okay, so that line of dialogue wouldn't fly past 1992, when CDs were on the verge of killing the audio cassette star (*). But 2010 is not without merit. It follows its predecessor's footsteps to a faithful degree, filling in the aftermath of the Bowman-HAL fiasco, and the slew of interesting and dangerous ramifications it created.

Peter Hyams obviously set out to create a cerebral, based-in-reality production, unlike the other sci-fi movies of his day, which gave 2010 a distinct image. Return of the Jedi came out the year before, 1983, and the moviegoing public was probably still hot on heels of the Star Wars depiction of space movies, which I assume hurt the box-office chances of 2010.

It is a dated, yet hidden gem, crafted together with solid intentions and performances. The supporting cast of Helen Mirren, John Lithgow, and Bob Balaban play off each other very well and supply some thought-provoking and entertaining moments. The scenes with Bowman and Floyd are gripping, as is the later dialogue between Bowman and HAL. There are no explosions or corny "director tools" used, and the special effects (well, excluding the interior computer sets of the Leonov) were not revolutionary but get the job done.

2010 hasn't enjoyed the staying power of its contemporary brethren (Blade Runner, 1982; the Star Wars trilogy, 1977-1983; Alien/Aliens, 1979, 1986) and is a circle-square comparison to 2001. But it holds its own in many respects and is worth a few repeated viewings.

I know Stanley Kubrick fans worldwide will probably flame me for this ... but I honestly think 2010: The Year We Make Contact (directed by Peter Hyams) is better than than the original 2001: A Space Oddessy (directed by Stanley Kubrick).

The visuals from both movies are stunning. All modern filmmakers credit Stanley Kubrick's 2001 as one of the foundations of their career.

All of the unique visuals from 2001 obesessive compulsively created by Kubrick fail to match a scene in 2010 for me though. One of my favorite scenes in a movie, is the awesome visual of Jupiter collapsing in the movie 2010.

Peter Hyams, the director of 2010 has been very selective in what he directs - however, the body of his work includes some of my favorite films: Timecop (starring Jeane Claude Van Damme) and A Sound Of Thunder (starring Ben Kingsley) - both movies contain unique twists on time travel. Both were panned so bad by movies critics that it steered people away from seeing them and giving them the box office they deserved.

The movie is also unique in that it is the first documented collaboartion over the internet - in 1982-83 between writer Arthur C. Clarke and Hyams.

A third book, written by Arthur C. Clarke exists for which a 3rd movie could be made titled 2061. The wikipedia page for 2061 indicates interest from Tom Hanks to star.

With the interest in trilogies - I really would like to see this third installment. I'm not sure if the interest is there though.

What a great visit back to pick up where the 1968 epic left off. This film made in 1984, as did the first film, promises the human race we'll already be living in space and visiting the planets. They surely didn't realize that the shuttle accident would change everything, delaying the adventure for decades!
Also, how Soviet/US relations would change, advancing actually faster than the space program itself. I recommend 2010 to any avid scifi buff - watch for the cover of Time Magazine with the "WAR" cover graphic - it happens fast! Both Clarke and Kubrick portraits add a sense of humor!

Great moivie! I bought this product because I am a great fan of reality based science fiction. I found no fault with the DVD that I purchased

2010 is a great sequel because it answers some questions and gives some insight into what the "future world" of A Space Odyessy is like.