2001: a space odyssey is a science-fiction novel published in 1968, written by Arthur C. Clarke and a science-fiction film released in (the same year as the novel) 1968, and directed by Stanley Kubrick. The following are all the differences I noticed while watching the film;
No narration: I feel there should have been at least some narration in the beginning, so people can better grasp what is happening (i watched this film with my mother, who hasn't read the book, and i had to explain some things because it was making no sense).
Floyd doesn't have a conversation with the stewardess on the plane: In the novel he talks to her about his kids, about where she is from, and they flirt a little, but in the film he's asleep the whole flight and the most interaction they have is when she puts his pen back into his coat pocket.
Floyd's wife is alive and he only has one daughter (about 3 or 4 years old): In the novel he is a widower for the past 10 years and he has 2 daughters. the Russian astronomer Dimitri Moisevitch: In the novel Floyd and Moisevitch are friends and have even spent summers together on earth, but in the movie they are complete strangers. Floyd knows from the get go that it isn't an epidemic: In the novel he's as clueless as to what's happening as everyone else. Frank's birthday transmission: In the novel his whole family is supposed to be in the transmission and his mother cries, but in the film it's only his parents and they are as happy as ever. Frank’s pod parking when changing the AR-35: In the novel Frank attaches the pod to a ladder so it won't drift off into space and he has a tether attached to himself and the pod so he doesn't drift off as well if he were to lose his footing or something, but in the film he just lets it float there in space all willy nilly, and he doesn't even have a tether attached to him and the pod. Frank and Dave’s talk about Hal: They have a talk about Hal's error with the AR-35 in one of the pods when they think Hal can't hear them, but later it turns out Hal could read their lips (this scene doesn't even happen in the novel). Dave goes after Frank in another pod: After Hal murders Frank, Dave gets into a pod to go rescue Frank, but ends up retrieving his body and then having to let the body go again so Dave can get back into the ship. This scene does not happen in the book, Dave and Frank are supposed to yell at Hal to make the pod break, and he ignores them, murdering Frank and the pod jets off into the distance with frank being pulled along by his tether, as he's dying, and we never see him again. while Dave is retrieving the body Hal cuts off the life supports for the hibernating crew: Since Dave is never supposed to leave the ship, this obviously doesn't happen. In the novel Dave goes to wake up Whitehead and the others, but Hal and Dave have a passive-aggressive fight about giving Dave manual control over the hibernation chambers, Dave wins and begins opening the …show more content…
I think the number one reason it is so criticized is because you really need to read the book to understand what is going on, although, by the last hour or so, the film takes a turn and goes completely off script from the book, and even though i read the book i was very confused to say the least. I feel the film was supposed to be more of an art piece inspired by the book rather than trying to be a word for word recreation. Sadly, I was completely and utterly bored all throughout the film, but I loved the book. I was a little confused in the end and I wish it had a bit more information on what the star-child did once he returned to earth, but I guess that will forever be a mystery to me. Other than that, I really truly enjoyed this novel, and hope anyone interested in Sci-Fi will give both the novel, and the film a try; who knows, maybe you will love
No narration: I feel there should have been at least some narration in the beginning, so people can better grasp what is happening (i watched this film with my mother, who hasn't read the book, and i had to explain some things because it was making no sense).
Floyd doesn't have a conversation with the stewardess on the plane: In the novel he talks to her about his kids, about where she is from, and they flirt a little, but in the film he's asleep the whole flight and the most interaction they have is when she puts his pen back into his coat pocket.
Floyd's wife is alive and he only has one daughter (about 3 or 4 years old): In the novel he is a widower for the past 10 years and he has 2 daughters. the Russian astronomer Dimitri Moisevitch: In the novel Floyd and Moisevitch are friends and have even spent summers together on earth, but in the movie they are complete strangers. Floyd knows from the get go that it isn't an epidemic: In the novel he's as clueless as to what's happening as everyone else. Frank's birthday transmission: In the novel his whole family is supposed to be in the transmission and his mother cries, but in the film it's only his parents and they are as happy as ever. Frank’s pod parking when changing the AR-35: In the novel Frank attaches the pod to a ladder so it won't drift off into space and he has a tether attached to himself and the pod so he doesn't drift off as well if he were to lose his footing or something, but in the film he just lets it float there in space all willy nilly, and he doesn't even have a tether attached to him and the pod. Frank and Dave’s talk about Hal: They have a talk about Hal's error with the AR-35 in one of the pods when they think Hal can't hear them, but later it turns out Hal could read their lips (this scene doesn't even happen in the novel). Dave goes after Frank in another pod: After Hal murders Frank, Dave gets into a pod to go rescue Frank, but ends up retrieving his body and then having to let the body go again so Dave can get back into the ship. This scene does not happen in the book, Dave and Frank are supposed to yell at Hal to make the pod break, and he ignores them, murdering Frank and the pod jets off into the distance with frank being pulled along by his tether, as he's dying, and we never see him again. while Dave is retrieving the body Hal cuts off the life supports for the hibernating crew: Since Dave is never supposed to leave the ship, this obviously doesn't happen. In the novel Dave goes to wake up Whitehead and the others, but Hal and Dave have a passive-aggressive fight about giving Dave manual control over the hibernation chambers, Dave wins and begins opening the …show more content…
I think the number one reason it is so criticized is because you really need to read the book to understand what is going on, although, by the last hour or so, the film takes a turn and goes completely off script from the book, and even though i read the book i was very confused to say the least. I feel the film was supposed to be more of an art piece inspired by the book rather than trying to be a word for word recreation. Sadly, I was completely and utterly bored all throughout the film, but I loved the book. I was a little confused in the end and I wish it had a bit more information on what the star-child did once he returned to earth, but I guess that will forever be a mystery to me. Other than that, I really truly enjoyed this novel, and hope anyone interested in Sci-Fi will give both the novel, and the film a try; who knows, maybe you will love