- A fascinating point: this is a sequel to 2001 that would not have this production design without coming after Alien (and in other ways too Hyams I think, consciously or not, was influenced by it- Helen Mirren has Ripley hair and arguably her attitude, if Ripley were a Russian officer in space- not to say it was uncommon, but it's what it is), yet it is still very much a sequel to 2001, so I really loved looking at this film for that hybrid aspect. This may also be as a result of having an Alien-like premise, of a rescue mission gone awry. Everything aesthetically, from the costumes to David Shire's peaceful (if not all awe-inspiring) score to Richard Edlund's special effects, are solid gold.
- Everything about when John Lithgow's engineer goes into space to open the other ship is perfect; he brings a terrified human reaction to it that, frankly, was either missing or subverted in Kubrick's film. However...
- Hyams great sin is to over explain things. I dont even mean with the film overall as far as answering things left ambiguous or just open for interpretation (though there is that); I mean liken when Heywood Floyd has narration as if it's Star Trek and his Captain's Log to his wife explains things we can already get without it (ie the explanation, really to the audience more than to her, about the ship flinging around the planet, or the thoughts about Europa). I know Kubrick and I suspect someone like Ridley Scott would leave it wordless and the audience would get it, not to mention it would feel more of a piece with 2001 at least in directing terms.
And yet, this is a good film when looking at it as a straightforward search-and-rescue science fiction film, what Id assume is a faithful (maybe too faithful) adaptation of Clarke's work, it has an inspiring message about Americans and Russians somehow coming together, and maybe some day I will return to it... But I know it won't be like I do 2001, which worked more like a piece of grand philosophical-psychedelic opera than a traditional film.
Oh, and Keir Dullea is terrific here. So is the late Douglas Rain, in particular his performance with Balaban in the climax (that helps to make up for a lot that I had issues with, it's actually a wonderful arc that HAL gets to complete that I didn't even realize was an arc until it happened like it does).
PS: Sure, write off Squirt, Heywood's daughter from 2001, with one line... But what about the Bush Baby damn it?!