2010: The Year We Make Contact Movie Review

2010: The Year We Make Contact [2010] (1984)

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Written by: Arthur C. Clarke (novel), Peter Hyams (screenplay)
Directed by: Peter Hyams
Starring: Roy Scheider, John Lithgow, Helen Mirren, Bob Balaban, Keir Dullea
Rated: PG
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Plot
A joint USA-Soviet expedition is sent to Jupiter to learn exactly what happened to the "Discovery" and its H.A.L. 9000 computer.

Verdict
This lives in the shadow of 2001, and it's easy to make comparisons. This lacks the focus and aims to be more accessible while increasing the pace and capitalizing on Cold War tensions. It's in the world of 2001, but it's executed very differently. It's more traditional, less lonely, and frequently providing a lot of exposition. It's a great companion piece; something you'll like more if you didn't like 2001 and have mixed feelings if you regard 2001 as a classic. It's the quintessential space movie, opposing countries working together to explore the unknown.
Watch It.

Review
This picks up nine years after the failure of the Discovery in 2001: A Space Odyssey. How do you follow a classic? It's best to consider this as a separate movie. It doesn't have the refinement that's a hallmark of Kubrick films, but it is good in its own right.

This recaps the first movie before setting up a voyage to figure out what happened in 2001. This shows a lot more of Earth which grounds this and takes away imagination. It's difficult to depict a believable future Earth. This does a fair job though.

Roy Scheider plays Dr. Heywood Floyd

This cuts from Earth to Dr. Floyd (Roy Scheider) in space. It's a jump that feels like 2001, managing to capture the confusion of deep sleep. The Soviet Union and America have teamed up for this mission. The Soviets had the ship and the Americans the knowledge. It's an uneasy union as tensions on Earth erode the alliance. The mission is to find out what went wrong, and as with many space movies find out what's out there.

This has a bit too much voice over. It's exposition disguised as letters to Floyd's wife. 2001 felt so lonely with long stretches of quiet. That felt appropriate with the setting and mission. 2010 is unwilling to take a chance. It strives to be more grounded, while maintaining a quicker pace.

John Lithgow plays Dr. Walter Kurnow

Bowman (Keir Dullea) makes a cameo appearance that tries to wrap up loose ends from the first one while inviting a lot of questions. I don't see the point. It keeps the sequel tied to the original, and I would think you'd want to create some space. This movie could have pushed the plot forward without Bowman. It adds a needless complication.

This is a smart sequel that builds on the first movie while also being markedly different. It's a neat movie that does plenty right. While there are some missteps, I like how it ties to 2001. The music and some of the cinematography feel very similar. Instead of a mind bending ending, this opts for tension before one parting shot that I really love. The beings that placed the monolith are starting the cycle all over again. While there are still questions, there's no sufficient answer. I can't imagine a better ending.