2010: The Year We Make Contact - The Best Sequel You Never Saw 

I really loved this movie as a kid (and continue to enjoy it). "All these worlds are yours, except Europa. Attempt no landing there. Use them together. Use them in peace."

Dr Chandra trying to convince HAL to sacrifice himself is a masterful suspense scene, and in the end, unexpectedly moving.

When 2001 debuted some critics dismissed it as an art-house science fiction film, but when Hyams very grounded film came out, some critics then dismissed it for not being an art-house science fiction film. Go figure.

Dr. Chandra's explanation of why HAL went rogue is probably the best pure dialogue scene in the entire movie. It explores both the advantages & the limits of AI.

This is one of my all-time favorites. Totally underrated, and a genuinely good sci-fi film on its own merits. Also, it had a lot of early CGI for 1984. Its particle-simulation Jupiter is so good most people don't even realize it was CGI, and its rendered Monoliths look pretty decent too. Not to mention being a rare sci-fi (especially for the time) to have reasonably hard science going on.

I got to say, for a sequel to such a beloved film, I actually do a pretty good job of honoring the original, while also feeling like their own thing

I remember Stanley Kubrick had ordered all the props, the sketches and the blueprints the spaceships destroyed, because he didn't want to make a sequel to the movie, but the only thing that survived were the photos. The effects team had to painstakingly put the model ships together by looking at the photos.

“HAL, tell him how do I know if that’s really Commander Bowman talking to me” “Dr Floyd, Commander Bowman says “I thought you might say that. Look behind you”” Apologies as I’m quoting that from memory but damn what an incredible moment from an incredible film

It's a beautiful movie that doesn't pretend to be like 2001, but does make sense as a sequel to the story. Very elegant visually,

I have been turning people onto this film for years. It's an utter gem of a science fiction film and in many ways even outdoes it's legendary predecessor. The scene where Dr. Chandra says goodbye to HAL is utterly heartbreaking. HAL-9000: "Will I dream"? Dr. Chandra: "I don't know".

I'm old enough that I saw it in the theater. I loved it and I was shocked for thirty years that no one talked about it. 2010 started to get more press in the last decade as people have started to realize it's damned good. It's much more of a popcorn movie than 2001 but it's very entertaining and tight.

Yeah, finally! Thanks for bringing "2010" up! Having seen it on the big screen back then, it shall always stay in my heart for its impressive visuals and a great cast.

Showing my age here, but there was one summer in the 80’s when 2010 was on HBO all summer long so I pretty much memorized it. After all these years I can finally say: that was Helen Mirren? Holy shit that woman is a chameleon.

Saw it at the cinema in 1984 and loved it ever since. Great movie.

I didn't enjoy 2001, found it incredibly slow, so I passed on 2010 for a while until rentals. Finally gave it a chance and absolutely loved it. I loved how it avoided clichés, gave life to all the characters, which enhanced the bonds that formed between them. The pacing was perfect. Great film!

Great movie, 2001 was groundbreaking especially with its special effects but 2010 has far more interesting characters and is way more rewatchable. I still love both movies.

I agree with you. This is a very good film. "My god, its full of stars" One of the most haunting and foreboding pieces of dialogue ever.

There’s a reason TBS and TNT used to run this movie every few weeks on the weekends. It holds up incredibly well, the acting is superb (especially Discount Morgan Freeman at the White House scene). If you watch “Outland”, it’s quite obvious he was the perfect person to do “2010”. Hyams doesn’t get enough credit for being the “medium budget thriller” director. “The Presidio” is another great example of his cinematography style.

i saw them in reverse order. i absolutely LOVED 2010. 2001 confused me until i read the book. eventually i read them all. i think everyone should read the set.

2010 is, was, and will always be one of me favorite movies / sequels. Excellent everything... script, acting, sfx, storyline, evolution of story arc. For many of the performers in it, this movie is far and away my favorite production with them. Quoting the narrator, this movie was a masterpiece.

For me, 2010 is a better movie, while 2001 is a better work of art to be admired.

Watching 2010 makes me appreciate 2001 even more... What a masterclass of film making.

Fun Fact: Most of the footage of Jupiter is real NASA footage from the Voyager 1 space probe, which was truly state-of-the-art film making for the time and totally underplayed. One thinks it would've made for great marketing, especially back then.

I love 2001, and 2010. They have such a different feel, but still tell great stories in the same timeline. I read both of the novels and really enjoyed them as well, along with 2063 and 3001. Wish those could be filmed one day.

It may be worth noting that David Shire's "electronic" score changes to a full (London Symphony) orchestral score for the finale, signaling the change from "war" to "peace". It's a wonderful score that is woefully underrated, full of Shire's trademark harmonic twists and turns, and a pinnacle for electronic scoring.

“Will I dream?” “I don’t know.” I actually cried for a computer. 😭

I had a copy of this on VHS, I cannot count how many times I watched it, and surprised how so many people did not know it exists.

I love this movie. I like it better than 2001 which feels like an art film to me. You could condense it down to a half hour if you just wanted the story. The cast of 2010 was amazing, the story and visual effects are great and the concepting by Syd Mead helped to inspire me to make drawing environments more believable. I liked how they redeemed HAL and had more weirdness of the Monoliths doing stuff. Highly underrated indeed.

Love the Keir Dullea cameo and waited many years to see it as the Original is still my all-time favourite movie

I saw this on the big screen when I was young and returned to the cinema to watch it more times that summer. Great underrated sequel

I remember seeing this movie in my teens , it was good. Blows most sequels out of the water with originality and tact.

As a teen, it took me watching 2010 several times for me to go back and appreciate 2001. I like both to this day.

Great video. I watched 2001 and 2010 when I was around 14. I thought 2010 was the better of the two movies because it had way more levels to it. You could get deep into it or you could enjoy it for the story it presented on the surface. Now that I'm MUCH older I've been wanting to rewatch these movies, and your video helped remind me of this.

Shout out to Outland. Cracking bit of sci-fi Sean Connery!

Two easter eggs you might have missed - the TIME cover - yes, Kubrick on the right but Clarke was the US president on the left. Arthur C Clarke was also on a park bench feeding pigeons in front of the white house.

I was 12 when "2010" released in theaters. I had seen "2001: A Space Odyssey", but being as young as I was, I didn't fully appreciate all that I have come to value about the original film, not least the absolutely groundbreaking visual effects that were pioneered by Kubrick and Co. in 1968. When I first saw "2001: ASO", I didn't get just how extraordinary it all truly was, what they accomplished with in-camera effects, models, matte paintings, lighting, and miniatures. Also, I found the story of "2001" to be a bit elliptical (especially at the end), seeming as if it either didn't want to answer my questions, or perhaps not knowing how. When I saw "2010", I enjoyed it because it did answer some of those lingering questions. I felt it completed the story begun in "2001".

Just watched again this on a projector a couple of months ago, still looks great and you can feel the 80s hard sci fi vibes better than ever these days. Nice epilogue to 2001, very different feeling to both movies.

Thanks for covering this feature film on your series; it truly is one the best made films out there; the special effects and minimalist approach to then future clothing styles still stand up today. While it is a sequel, it has a sense of being a standalone film due to its uniqueness, as you laid out in your video essay. It would be nice to see the follow-up books 2061 and 3001 made into films. One tiny thing I noticed in your delivery: back in 1984, the 2000s still seemed “futuristic” and “Sci-Fi”, so most of us wouldn’t have called it “twenty-ten”, rather we said “two-thousand-and-ten” (the dropping of the “and” is also a more modern linguistic adoption).

Peter Hyams' 2010 was an amazing sci fi film when it released in theaters on Friday, December 14, 1984 for Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Communications Company. In fact, he's wearing four hats as a director, producer, writer and cinematographer. It was one of the most acclaimed films ever made, 2010 has received five Oscar nominations: art direction, costumes, make-up, sound and visual effects in 1985.

I was born in 82, so this movie popped up on afternoon television a lot in my country. I watched like 3 times as a child before I watched 2001 as an adolescent. At first I wasnt hyped by 2001 and considered 2010 the better movie. Of course over the years I learned to appreciate Kubrik, and "001 as well. But i still have a soft spot for 2010. I know it worked for me as a standalone movie, because I hadnt seen its predecessor. And as you said, it works as a sequel too.

I like both 2001 & 2010, I think each movie stands on its own and could be watched without having seen the other. And Helen Mirren is gorgeous even in military coveralls. She was and has remained one of the most beautiful actresses ever.

Loved this movie when I saw it in the theater, and I'm also a fan of Capricorn One. Hyams had a gift for snappy dialogue that pre-dates Sorkin, frankly.

I saw this in the theater when it came out and loved it. It's one of my "must watch once a year" films. Answers some questions left open from the original, but asks new ones. I highly recommend the book to as a companion. There's some additional content in the novel (as there usually) is, but follows the main story pretty closely.

I've aways liked this movie. I think it's better than 2001; it has tighter pacing, an overall more interesting story, a very exciting finale, it answers many of the ambiguities left unanswered by the first movie and you have to appreciate the star power of Roy Scheider, John Lithgow, Bob Balaban and Helen Freakin' Mirren. I also like HAL's redemption arc. The scene between him and Chandra right before the climax really gets to me.

A great review! 2001 is my favorite movie, but I agree with your assessment that 2010 takes its own path, and as such can be quite entertaining. And Hyams is underrated, well deserving of more attention.

I have always enjoyed and appreciated 2010, ever since I saw it when it first came out. I am not sure I agree that it is a better movie than 2001, as some have said, but I believe it is a much more watchable and approachable movie....definitely much underrated.

Chris, I must say I find this is the best produced thought out and presented piece I’ve seen you do yet! Nice job keep it up!

Saw it in the theater when it was originally released and had already read the novel. Really enjoyed it. The vfx were so good it looked as if they had shot it on location in space. Watched the blu ray recently and it holds up vey well.

I liked this movie! There was even behind the scenes showing Peter Hyams th director and Sci Fi novelist Arthur C. Clarke showing each notes for the script VIA computer emails which was very rare back in the 1980's.

I actually saw 2010 first and it immediately sucked me in. I really really like this movie, and it definitely stands well on its own. It's also interesting that for the Russian cosmonauts they hired actual Russian actors who speak actual Russian. Yes, I know, I know, Helen Mirren is British but she is actually of Russian origin, her grandfather being a diplomat to the UK for the Russian tsar, IIRC. I also think this is Elya Bashkin's first American movie and he ended up in a lot of things after this, so that's cool. The visual FXs hold up really well. I take a bit of issue with you calling the soundtrack "dated" as a synth music lover but hey, opinions be opinions, eh. But yeah, thanks for talking about this movie which is a favourite of mine.

Not only is that Stanley on the magazine cover, but so is Clark.

I think Peter Hyams is underrated. He made 4 of my favorite movies, "Hanover Street", "Capricorn One", "2010", and "Running Scared".

No mention that that’s clearly Arthur c Clarke next to Kubrick on that magazine cover

Thank you for covering this movie. I love it. I can’t say it’s better than 2001 but for me it is more rewatchable and I actually enjoy it more.

I thought I was the only person to enjoy this film. All the people I know and recommend this to have never even heard of it. I loved how they moved the story forward and stood on it's own feet.

One of my all time favs and as a sequel to one of the greatest movies ever, it definitely stands on its own and that’s what I love about it. Thanks for the upload and the mention of the “cameo” Easter egg from Kubrick I didn’t notice before!

This brilliant movie deserves more love. Hollywood its time make 2061 and 3001 happen

2001 was a masterpiece, but not one of those movies you feel inspired to watch over and over. Nice to see some love for 2010 which indeed is very underrated. I was always a fan of Roy Scheider, who died too soon.

I was a projectionist when this movie came out. Played it 5 times a day ,, lol. Loved this movie, and have the DVD. Was a great movie in itself as stand alone, as much a sequel.

The last shot of the monolith with the setting-rising sun behind it and the organ music kicking in...just marvellous.

I remember when Richard Franklin did a sequel to Psycho. The same things were being said about that, but actually he ended up making a really neat thriller. Peter Hyams is an inspired choice to do 2010. He is a great writer / director & cinematographer. One of my favorite genre filmmakers. Like Richard Franklin, I wish he was still making films today. Their talent is sorely missed in Hollywood.

So very glad you covered this. Awesome film.

I've been wanting to introduce my son to 2010. I think it's about right time to do it...

LOved this movie when finally watched in my 20's, always heard bad things, but am a huge sci fi fan, and was blown away by it 20+ years after it was released

The best parts of 2010 are the scenes with HAL and Chandra and when Bowman returns is chilling to me…: I got to visit the “Very Large Array” in New Mexico a few months after they filmed there….

Loved 2010 as a kid. I had one of those movie on vinyl record of it. I watched 2010 as an adult and loved it even more.

I was about 9 years old and it was Christmas time when my dad took me to see this in a theater somewhere around downtown Los Angeles. I don't know the specific theater but it was a night showing and at the time a very high end theater sound system, we were in the back and the rear speakers just shook you to the core with the low frequency sound effects (rumbling ships, etc). Very immersive just from the audio experience alone. As far as the film itself, I was only ambiently aware of 2001: Space Odyssey, having seen bits and pieces of its various TV airings. And not quite getting it, but getting the basic vibe that space travel was not fun but dangerous, serious business. 2010 was straightforward enough in the circumstantial setup, so even though I didn't totally get how its ending picked up where 2001 left off, it was still quite spooky and fascinating for this kid. Of course the director over-explained almost everything (I get it, the mid 80s was not an era for auteurs who avoided straightforward narrative films), but he still kept to a solid format of scifi-technical realism bleeding into the mystical atmosphere dealing with contact with the unknown. Thanks for jogging my childhood memory. After becoming obsessed with all things Kubrick in my young adult years, I had no interest in ever revisiting 2010. But after watching this I'll give it a fresh viewing.

I'm surprised you didn't touch on the way the movie attempts to explain the previous movie, which I enjoyed, though I can see how others might think it dumbed down. Good job

I loved this movie as a kid. Later I loved it for the explanation of what happened to HAL and for the dialog amongst the different characters. This one is in my personal rotation of nostalgic sci fi movies

2010 is a fantastic film while 2001 is a work of art. The world has room for both.

Nicely done. I would point out that part of the 'middling' box office was probably due to it opening 2 days after "Beverley Hills Cop". That film was a hit and probably siphoned off some movie going dollars. Have a good afternoon.

it's probably been mentioned already, but yeah, having Kubrick and Arthur C Clarke's portraits on that Time magazine cover was a nice subtle touch

You guys should do Richochet as the best movie you never saw. Directed by Russell Mulkehy, produced by Joel Silver, starring Denzel Washington, John Lithgow, Ice-T, Kevin Pollack.

A worthy sequel. Very good follow up to 2001 A Space Odyssey.

Saw 2010 in theater as a teen and it became my favorite space movie, and still is to this day. I know it’s artsy to admire 2001, but the movie never did much for me.

I forgotten all about this movie until this video popped up. I do remember there was a giant fiery comet flying through space. I do remember that scene from his movie.

In addition to the great cast already mentioned, would like to mention Madolyn Smith who plays Caroline. She was in 2010, Urban Cowboy,and Funny Farm before dropping off the big screen. Shame bc she was on the rise...

Incredibly underrated movie. Cinematography alone makes it worth watching.

$40m Domestic gross in 1984. While not a blockbuster this movie did really well in its release. Terrific movie.

I've always liked it, too. 2001 was Arthur C. Clarke's well before Kubrick basically took ownership of it - and Clarke deserved the chance to see his story continue on the big screen. 2010 serves the story without trying to extend Kubrick's legacy.

I saw this movie as a teen on cable before I ever had a chance to see 2001. And I always like this movie. The spacewalk to the Odyssey was one of my favorite scenes. There's a lot of tension as Lithgow's character starts to panic, and some character building with him and the Russian. We end up liking the Russian by the end of the scene. It's the kind of scene I look for in a good Sci-Fi movie set in space.

Last year I did my own review on my channel. It is a lost gem thoroughly enjoyed this film even more so than the original. That's saying a lot and the score to this film was absolutely amazing.

I love this movie. It's nothing like 2001, but it definitely has its own strengths. One of the stand-out scenes is when they perform the flaming aero-braking maneuver in the sky above Jupiter - there's just something mythic about the bold audacity of these fragile mortals daring to risk their lives tens of millions of miles from Earth, and right on the edge of fiery destruction in order to achieve the most efficient method of inserting their space craft into orbit at their destination, fully trusting in their judgement and careful calculations to preserve their lives. I think Homer would have understood this grand gesture in the story and fully approved of it - it's a deeply poetic expression of the courage and intelligence required of the human adventure!

I completely agree on all points. Despite its many references to the events in the original film, I didn't think of it as a sequel but a good film on its own. I loved the use of Europa.

I loved this movie, as a kid it blew me away. I was always a huge fan. It had a fantastic cast, many at the time were A-listers

I actually liked this better than 2001 , seeing both when i was a kid, and this one in the theater.. When i was a kid , 2001 was too slow. 2010 was just fast enough in pacing to keep me interested.

One of my favourite films that I have watched regularly for the last 35 years

The RU-vid algorithm keeps sending me 2010 videos. I think it’s a sign that I need to revisit this film.

Please turn down the background music. It's way too loud and distracting.

Outland was a really good movie, High Noon in space and Sean Connery was perfect as the grizzled tough nut head of security. I think even the actor who played Lester Freeman in 'The Wire' was in it too. This was a good sequel but I think Saturn would have been better suited, since the ancients named it the 1st Sun during a Golden Age and it would have fit better with the story and history. Maybe the book did? Good film but a little over-rated here considering it was The Cold War days and to see Russians and Americans work together was unique to me since I was still young when I watched it, but it was no masterpiece. Plus not enough answers, just black obelisk's increasing the planets mass, without even the subliminal hints given by Kubrick. A good movie but over-rated here.

Oh hell yeah. I love 2010. One thing this film does great is give me more than just one goosebump moment. Those are those moments where, while watching a film, you just go "Oh geeze!" Examples being the "I was David Bowman." moment. Or "It's shrinking!!" And even today the visuals are top-notch. Displaying that it is not just the technology, but how you use it.

As a Scifi fan and loved the thought and details of 2001 I thank you for this info. Never heard of it before ! Now have ordered the dvd.

I thought 2010 was meh when I first saw it in the theaters, but I've really grown to appreciate it in recent years. In many ways I think it surpasses 2001 especially in entertainment value.

I noticed a lot of RU-vid channels say this is the movie “you never saw”. But this movie was always on cable TV in the mid- to late-80s!

On the Time magazine cover its Stanley Kubrick as a Soviet premier AND Arthur c Clark as the American president. Great movie great sequel loved your video

This movie was on HBO when I was a kid. I watched it many times. I didn’t even see 2001 until maybe 20 years later.

Saw it in the theater and loved it. Own it on DVD and watch it a couple times a year. Interesting note, that pretty Cosmonaut is Natasha Shneider who was the vocalist and keyboard player in her own band Eleven, contributed and performed with Chris Cornell in 1999 and contributed and performed with Queens of the Stone Age in 2005. She died of cancer in 2008.

The key is what Kubrick said: Do your own thing. Hyams did that, and made more of a mainstream science fiction/adventure film, which was well acted, suspenseful, and entertaining. The weirdest thing for me was that the effects actually took a step back from the original, but that didn't matter too much. The rather didactic (and more basic) ending was more due to Clarke than Hyams.

I didn't mind 2001, but I didn't understand all of it until I read the book (that and I was a kid and didn't read it until I was in high school). 2010, however, has been one of my favorite movies since I was old enough to care about science, in part because it is actually more science-y with all the horror elements of Kubrick's 2001. Also the part where you feel the claustrophobia of traversing airless space between ships with the radioactive Jupiter below and the endless cosmos everywhere else. I didn't see Interstellar until last year, and it was amazing how Nolan flipped all the plot points and tropes, etc. of A Space Odyssey got the same feel and conclusions about humanity and hope in a movie that was both very similar and very different!

Two cameos by Arthur C. Clarke -- he's Kubrick's opposite number on the Time Magazine cover, and also appears in front of the White House on the bench at the far left during the NSC briefing for Floyd.