It was made in 1968 and changed the way people think about science fiction on screen forever. One of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken, it inspired countless others to try to reach similar heights in cinematography and visual effects. Before 2001, the Science Fiction motion picture genre was entirely dominated by giant ants and awful prop movies were people would just run around screaming from shoddily constructed robot suits. 2001 A Space Odyssey proved how much more the Sci-fi genre could be. A film more than 50 years old that still has effects and photography that are amazing today, and pioneered techniques that filmmakers still use.

As for as the story, if you are someone who needs to have constant action and thrills, it's not going to work for you. As a smoldering epic full of existential dread at the hands of human progress and the unknown, there are very few films to reach its heights. If you are interested in analysis, there is a LOT out there. I could have you find some.