Film and TV you might not have checked out but really should…
–
The spacecraft Discovery encounters “something wonderful” in 2010 (image credit: MGM, used for illustrative purposes only).
Year: 1984
Starring: Roy Scheider, John Lithgow, Helen Mirren, Bob Balaban, Keir Dullea, Douglas Rain
Directed and written by: Peter Hyams
What’s it about?
As tensions between the United States and Russia approach boiling point, Dr. Heywood Flloyd joins a Russian expedition to Jupiter in an effort to uncover the mysteries surrounding the ill-fated Discovery mission and the enigmatic object known as the monolith…
In review – why you should see it
2010 is the sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s science fiction classic 2001: A Space Odyssey and based on Arthur C. Clarke’s novel, 2010: Odyssey Two. With the stature of 2001 in mind, 2010 (marketed with the subtitle “The Year We Make Contact”) would seemingly have the odds stacked against it, yet, despite being inferior to Kubrick’s film and Clarke’s novel, Peter Hyams’ (Capricorn One) film is still an overlooked slice of superior, cerebral SF.
Taking 2001 as a launching point, 2010 continues the story in a very entertaining and imaginative way and ably directed by Hyams, who also serves as screenwriter and cinematographer – delivering some striking images that are comparable with those of Kubrick’s. Whilst the screenplay adheres to the overall narrative of the novel there are some departures (undoubtedly for budgetary/creative reasons), the most significant being the conflict between the United States and Russia which was not a theme in Clarke’s story and which, despite some stereotyping and Cold War clichés indicative of the times, is a logical and valid component of Hyams’ adaptation and provides tension and drama whilst delivering some prescient commentary of real world issues. The film’s hopeful conclusion sends an important message that, sadly, still has resonance today but offers a grander perspective of humanity’s place in the universe and leaves the viewer with a sense of optimism and wonder.
The cast portray their characters well, with enjoyable performances from Roy Scheider (whose genre credits to this point included Jaws and Blue Thunder), succeeding William Sylvester in the role of Dr. Flloyd and John Lithgow as the likeable all-American engineer, Walter Curnow as well as the welcome return of Douglas Rain who voices the Discovery’s troubled A.I. computer system, HAL (the reasons for his malfunction revealed with some slight retconning) and a mysterious cameo from Keir Dullea as ‘Bowman’. Rounding out the central cast is Helen Mirren who stars as Tanya Kirbuk, commander of the Russian spacecraft Leonov and Bob Balaban as computer expert Dr. Chandra, both of whom share a number of good scenes with Scheider. Chandra also has memorable interplay with HAL as he reactivates the supercomputer and establishes a trusting relationship with it. Glimpses into Flloyd’s home life during the opening act and the subsequent narrations thread throughout as he transmits messages to his wife and son back on Earth add greatly not just to Scheider’s character but also to the film’s emotional core. It’s to Hyams’ credit that he injects a lot of characterisation into proceedings, something that would not have worked for 2001 but is in harmony with the more human-focused approach taken with 2010, which seeks to provide answers (and establish its own mysteries – the possibility of life on Jupiter’s moon Europa, the status of Bowman and the warning of an incredible event) without detracting from the overall enigma of Kubrick’s masterpiece.
2010 is a highly enjoyable continuation of the Space Odyssey story with some entertaining human drama and edge-of-the-seat tension as the film reaches its climax. If you like imaginative high concept science fiction (or indeed read the novel) then it’s well worth your time.
Geek fact!
David Bowman’s last transmission “My god…it’s full of stars”, utilised in 2010, was never spoken in the film version of 2001 but the line was featured in Arthur C. Clarke’s novel.
Also worth a look…
Interstellar : in a similar vein to 2010, Christopher Nolan’s science fiction epic (which coincidentally also features John Lithgow in its cast) combines scientific theory with speculative fictional concepts, grounded in strong character drama.
GEEK BLOGGER REVIEWS 
I am a big fan of 2010, its a great sequel and continuation of the story from 2001 a Space Odyssey. The story is very exciting and the characters are all memorable and well served by the script. The setting at Jupiter and the probe exploring Europa and the space walk over to Discovery are all standout moments. Roy Scheider is brilliant in this as well. 2010 is a solid Sci-Fi tale blended with tense human drama. A very underrated film I think, and great to read about this movie on your blog 🙂
Thanks for reading Paul and great to hear from another fan of 2010! Whilst it doesn’t surpass 2001 in my opinion, it’s still a really good watch and I love the message of peace we’re left with – something sorely lacking in a lot of SF film and TV these days.
Oh, and Roy Scheider is superb just like he was in everything else he did – he made SeaQuest DSV worth watching!
You’re welcome. Its not often I’ve ever seen many articles or reviews about 2010. I think its message of peace is perhaps even more relevant now than it was then. Ture, it can’t match 2001’s epic nature, but 2010 has a great story to tell as well. Agree, anything with Roy Scheider in is always worth watching 🙂
I love this! So little attention is paid to the sequel to 2001 and it deserves more. As I mentioned in your post about 2001 I actually prefer 2010 for many reasons starting with the characters who are much more developed.
In 2001 the characters take back seat to the visuals and the overall cold aesthetic that it was difficult to feel anything for them. Not so with 2010, even the returning characters of Bowman and HAL have more personality and insight this time around.
Another thing I really enjoyed is how grounded and realistic was the look of the film. All the tech seemed more plausible than Kubrick’s lofty Utopian visions, though they are beautiful to behold. Of course, the actual year 2010 has long since passed us and Hyams’ vision of the future doesn’t gel with reality but the look seemed natural.
Also I appreciate the fact that this film gives us answers to the mystery of the monoliths just as Clarke’s novel did. Of course, this takes away from the mystery of the original film but the explanations were most welcome.
Overall, 2010 is one of those rare 1980s sci-fi films that emphasized the cerebral and thoughtful aspects of sci-fi without resorting to mindless action scenes.
Thanks a lot and it’s great to hear such positive thoughts about 2010 which I’ve always felt has been severely overlooked. Whilst it doesn’t hold up to 2001 for me personally it’s a great continuation (and it doesn’t hurt that it features one of my all time favourite actors – Roy Scheider) and Hyams wisely took a different but still reverential approach to making a sequel to Kubrick and Clarke’s masterpiece.
In fact, Hyams himself was an underrated filmmaker – I’m very fond of Capricorn One as well as this.
His other underrated sci-fi gem was Outland with Sean Connery. Capricorn One was great as well! That score by Jerry Goldsmith was so pounding and memorable as well as the last act with the astronauts being hunted.
Indeed, huge fan of Goldsmith so have the soundtrack for that. I haven’t seen Outland although I have heard of it, I didn’t know Hyams directed it so will definitely have to check it out asap!
I haven’t even heard of this one before, but man it looks really good!
Ash @ JennRenee Read
Well worth a watch if you’re a fan of 2001 or just a good science fiction story.
I didn’t know they dared make a sequel to Kubrick’s movie! But I’m even more astonished by the fact that it received praise from you. That definitely tells me that it really was overlooked and dismissed as unnecessary by fans. It is, however, funny to hear about the modifications brought to the plot to fit the political climate of the period when it was released though. Awesome review as always, good sir! I look forward to the next post you’ll be putting up!
Thanks Lashaan. Yep, it was daring to even attempt it and it’s in no way as near as good as 2001, but I’ve always been fond of 2010 and still enjoy it today. I’ve lots of posts in the pipeline so stay tuned!