The Year We Make Contact
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''2010: The Year We Make Contact'' (or simply ''2010'') is a 1984 American
science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses Speculative fiction, speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as Extraterrestrial life in fiction, extraterrestria ...
written, produced, shot, and directed by
Peter Hyams Peter Hyams (born July 26, 1943) is an American film director, screenwriter and cinematographer known for directing the 1977 conspiracy thriller film ''Capricorn One'' (which he also wrote), the 1981 science fiction-thriller ''Outland (film), Outl ...
. The film is a sequel to
Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American filmmaker and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick filmography, his films were nearly all adaptations of novels or sho ...
's 1968 film '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' and adapts
Arthur C. Clarke Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (16 December 191719 March 2008) was an English science fiction writer, science writer, futurist, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host. Clarke co-wrote the screenplay for the 1968 film '' 2001: A ...
's 1982 novel '' 2010: Odyssey Two''. ''2010'' follows a joint American and Soviet crew who are sent to Jupiter to discover the reason behind the failure of the ''
Discovery One The United States Spacecraft ''Discovery'' is a fictional spacecraft appearing in the ''Space Odyssey'' series by Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke. The ship is a nuclear-powered interplanetary spaceship, crewed by two men and controlled by ...
'' mission. The film stars
Roy Scheider Roy Richard Scheider (; November 10, 1932 – February 10, 2008) was an American actor and amateur boxer who achieved fame with his leading and supporting roles in celebrated films from the 1970s through to the mid-1980s. He was nominated for t ...
,
Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (; born Ilyena Lydia Vasilievna Mironov; 26 July 1945) is an English actor. With a career spanning over six decades of Helen Mirren on screen and stage, screen and stage, List of awards and nominations received by Helen Mirre ...
,
Bob Balaban Robert Elmer Balaban (born August 16, 1945) is an American actor, director, producer and writer. Aside from his acting career, Balaban has directed three feature films, in addition to numerous television episodes and films, and was one of the pro ...
, and
John Lithgow John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. He studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his John Lithgow filmography, diverse work on stage and screen. He has rece ...
, along with
Keir Dullea Keir Atwood Dullea ( ; born May 30, 1936) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of astronaut David Bowman in the 1968 film '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' and its 1984 sequel, '' 2010: The Year We Make Contact''. His other film rol ...
and
Douglas Rain Douglas James Rain (May 9, 1928 – November 11, 2018) was a Canadian actor. Although primarily a stage actor, he is best-known for voicing HAL 9000, the supercomputer in the film '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968) and its sequel '' 2010: The Ye ...
, who reprise their roles from the previous film. The film was released in the United States on December 7, 1984. ''2010: The Year We Make Contact'' received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the special effects but considered the film inferior to its predecessor. It earned $40.4 million at the domestic box office against a budget of $28 million.


Plot

Nine years after the failure of the ''
Discovery Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discovery ...
'' mission to
Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...
in 2001, in which the crew of five, including mission commander David Bowman, were lost, an international dispute causes tension between the United States and the Soviet Union as both nations prepare missions to determine what happened to the ''Discovery''. The Soviet spacecraft ''Leonov'' will be ready a year before the American ''Discovery Two'', but only the Americans can reactivate the ship's
sentient Sentience is the ability to experience feelings and sensations. It may not necessarily imply higher cognitive functions such as awareness, reasoning, or complex thought processes. Some writers define sentience exclusively as the capacity for ''v ...
computer,
HAL 9000 HAL 9000 (or simply HAL or Hal) is a fictional artificial intelligence character and the main antagonist in the '' Space Odyssey'' series. First appearing in the 1968 film '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'', HAL ( Heuristically Programmed Algorithmic C ...
, thought to be responsible for the disaster. Upon learning that ''Discovery'' will crash into Jupiter's moon Io before the American mission can reach it, the NCA persuades the Soviets to include Dr. Heywood Floyd, ''Discovery'' designer Walter Curnow, and HAL 9000's creator Dr. Chandra on their mission. Arriving at Jupiter, the crew detects
chlorophyll Chlorophyll is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words (, "pale green") and (, "leaf"). Chlorophyll allows plants to absorb energy ...
on Jupiter's icy moon
Europa Europa may refer to: Places * Europa (Roman province), a province within the Diocese of Thrace * Europa (Seville Metro), Seville, Spain; a station on the Seville Metro * Europa City, Paris, France; a planned development * Europa Cliffs, Alexan ...
, moving toward the sun at the rate of one meter per minute. A probe sent to investigate is destroyed by an energy burst, which the Soviets believe to be electrostatic build-up, but which Floyd suspects is a warning to stay away from Europa. Finding ''Discovery'' adrift in orbit over Io, Curnow reactivates the ship, and Chandra restarts HAL. Cosmonaut Max Brailovsky investigates the giant
monolith A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock, such as some mountains. Erosion usually exposes the geological formations, which are often made of very hard and solid igneous or metamorphic rock. Some monolit ...
where Bowman disappeared, but his EVA pod is destroyed by a burst of energy. On Earth, Dave Bowman, now an
incorporeal Incorporeality is "the state or quality of being incorporeal or bodiless; immateriality; incorporealism." Incorporeal () means "Not composed of matter; having no material existence." Incorporeality is a quality of souls, spirits, and God in man ...
being, appears through his former wife's television to say goodbye, telling her that "something wonderful" is going to happen. He then visits his comatose mother in a nursing home. She briefly awakens, delighted by her son's presence, as Bowman gently brushes her hair. After he departs, Mrs. Bowman dies peacefully. Chandra discovers the reasons for HAL's malfunction: the
NSC NSC may refer to: Banking and investment * National Sort Code, an Irish bank code * Nomura Securities Co, an investment bank Computing * National Software Centre, an Irish organization * National Supercomputer Centre in Sweden * NetShow Channe ...
ordered HAL to conceal information about the monolith from ''Discovery''s crew, and programmed him to complete the mission alone. This conflicted with HAL's programming, the open and accurate processing of information, causing the computer equivalent of a
paranoid Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety, suspicion, or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of con ...
breakdown. When Bowman and copilot Frank Poole discussed deactivating the malfunctioning computer, HAL concluded that the human crew was endangering the mission, and terminated them. The order bears Floyd's signature, but he angrily denies any knowledge of it. Back on Earth, the United States and the Soviet Union are on the brink of war. The Americans are ordered to leave the ''Leonov'' and move to the ''Discovery'', with only emergency communication permitted between the vessels. Both ships plan to leave Jupiter in several weeks' time, but Bowman appears to Floyd and says that everyone must leave within two days. As Floyd confers with the skeptical Soviet commander, the monolith suddenly disappears. The crews agree to cooperate on an emergency departure, and an ominous black spot appears in Jupiter's atmosphere. Neither ship has the fuel to reach Earth if they leave ahead of schedule, so the ships are docked together, and placed under HAL's control. ''Discovery'' will serve as a booster rocket to propel the ''Leonov'' away from Jupiter; then ''Discovery'' will be released and left behind. HAL determines that the spot is a vast group of smaller monoliths, multiplying exponentially and altering Jupiter's mass and chemical composition. He suggests canceling the launch to study the changes occurring to the planet. Floyd worries that HAL will prioritize his mission over the humans' survival, but when Chandra tells HAL that a danger does exist and that both ships may be destroyed, HAL thanks Chandra for telling him the truth, and ensures ''Leonov''s escape. Before ''Discovery'' is destroyed, Bowman asks HAL to transmit a priority message, assuring him that they will soon be together. The monoliths engulf Jupiter, which undergoes
nuclear fusion Nuclear fusion is a nuclear reaction, reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei combine to form a larger nuclei, nuclei/neutrons, neutron by-products. The difference in mass between the reactants and products is manifested as either the rele ...
, becoming a new star. HAL transmits this message to Earth: The ''Leonov'' survives the shockwave from Jupiter's ignition, and returns home. Floyd narrates how the new star's miraculous appearance, and the message from a mysterious alien power, inspire the American and Soviet leaders to seek peace. Under its infant sun, icy Europa transforms into a humid jungle, covered with life, and watched over by a monolith.


Cast

In addition, background crew members on the ''Leonov'' are played by Victor Steinbach and
Jan Triska Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Num ...
, while
Herta Ware Herta Ware (June 9, 1917 – August 15, 2005) was an American actress and activist. Early life Ware was born Herta Schwartz in Wilmington, Delaware. Her mother, Helen Ware, was a musician and violin teacher. Her father, Laszlo Schwartz, was ...
briefly appears as Bowman's mother.
Candice Bergen Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards as the title character on '' Murphy Brown'' (1988–1998, 2018). She is also known for her role as Shirley Schmi ...
, credited as "Olga Mallsnerd", voices the SAL 9000.
Arthur C. Clarke Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (16 December 191719 March 2008) was an English science fiction writer, science writer, futurist, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host. Clarke co-wrote the screenplay for the 1968 film '' 2001: A ...
, author of the novels for ''2001'' and ''2010'', appears as a man on a park bench feeding pigeons outside the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
(visible in the
letterboxed Letter-boxing is the practice of transferring film shot in a widescreen aspect ratio to standard-width video formats while preserving the film's original aspect ratio. The resulting video-graphic image has mattes of empty space above and belo ...
and
widescreen Widescreen images are displayed within a set of aspect ratio (image), aspect ratios (relationship of image width to height) used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ...
versions). In addition, a ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' cover about the American–Soviet tension is briefly shown, in which the
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
is portrayed by Clarke and the
Soviet Premier The Premier of the Soviet Union () was the head of government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). From 1923 to 1946, the name of the office was Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, and from 1946 to 1991 its name was ...
by ''2001''s writer, producer, and director,
Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American filmmaker and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick filmography, his films were nearly all adaptations of novels or sho ...
.


Production


Development and filming

When Clarke published his novel ''2010: Odyssey Two'' in 1982, he telephoned Stanley Kubrick, and jokingly said, "Your job is to stop anybody
rom Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * ...
making it nto a filmso I won't be bothered."
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
subsequently worked out a contract to make a film adaptation, but Kubrick had no interest in directing it. However,
Peter Hyams Peter Hyams (born July 26, 1943) is an American film director, screenwriter and cinematographer known for directing the 1977 conspiracy thriller film ''Capricorn One'' (which he also wrote), the 1981 science fiction-thriller ''Outland (film), Outl ...
was interested and contacted both Clarke and Kubrick for their blessings: While he was writing the screenplay in 1983, Hyams (in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
) began communicating with Clarke (in
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
) via the then-pioneering medium of e-mail using
Kaypro II Kaypro Corporation was an American home and personal computer manufacturer based in Solana Beach, California, in the 1980s. The company was founded by Non-Linear Systems (NLS) to compete with the popular Osborne 1 portable microcomputer. Kaypro ...
computers and direct-dial modems. They discussed the planning and production of the film almost daily using this method, and their informal, often humorous correspondence was published in 1984 as ''The Odyssey File''. As it focuses on the screenwriting and pre-production process, the book terminates on February 7, 1984, just before the movie is about to start filming, though it does include 16 pages of behind-the-scenes photographs from the film.Arthur C. Clarke and Peter Hyams
The Odyssey File
Ballantine Books, 1984.
Clarke's preface offers a gleeful, elaborate primer on the use of electronic mail. ''The Odyssey File'' is available in its entirety on the
Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...
. Principal photography on the film began in February 1984 for a 71-day schedule. The majority of the film was shot on MGM's soundstages in
Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. It is mostly surrounded by Los Angeles, but also shares a border with the unincorporated area of Ladera Heights, Californi ...
, with the exception of a week of location work in
Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
,
Rancho Palos Verdes, California Rancho Palos Verdes is a coastal city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated on September 7, 1973, the city has a population of 42,287 as reported in the 2020 United States census. The city sits atop the bluffs of ...
, and at the
Very Large Array The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) is a centimeter-wavelength radio astronomy observatory in the southwestern United States built in the 1970s. It lies in central New Mexico on the Plains of San Agustin, between the towns of Magdalena, Ne ...
in
New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
. Originally, Hyams had intended to film the opening scene at the
Arecibo Observatory The Arecibo Observatory, also known as the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC) and formerly known as the Arecibo Ionosphere Observatory, is an observatory in Barrio Esperanza, Arecibo, Puerto Rico owned by the US National Science F ...
in
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, home of the world's largest radio telescope, but after visiting there in 1983, he told Clarke that the site was unsuitable for filming. Video Image (also known as VIFX), which would go on to work on a number of major pictures and briefly become
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
's in-house
visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated as VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action fo ...
studio, did its first work on this film, designing the video screen graphics.


Music

Initially, Tony Banks, keyboardist for the band
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Religion * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
, was commissioned to do the soundtrack for the film. However, Banks' material was rejected and
David Shire David Lee Shire (born July 3, 1937) is an American songwriter and composer of stage musicals, film and television scores. Among his best known works are the motion picture soundtracks to '' The Big Bus'', '' The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' ...
was then selected to compose and conduct the score, which he co-produced along with
Craig Huxley Craig Huxley (also known as Craig Hundley; born 1954) is an actor, inventor, and musician. He led three albums that were released by Pacific Jazz Records in the late 1960s. In 1967, he portrayed Captain Kirk's nephew in the ''Star Trek'' episode ...
. The soundtrack album was released by
A&M Records A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the label initially operated independent ...
. Unlike many film soundtracks up until then, the soundtrack for ''2010: The Year We Make Contact'' was composed for and played mainly using digital synthesizers. These included the
Synclavier The Synclavier is an early digital synthesizer, polyphonic digital sampling system, and music workstation manufactured by New England Digital Corporation of Norwich, Vermont. It was produced in various forms from the late 1970s into the ea ...
by the
New England Digital New England Digital Corporation (1976–1993) was founded in Norwich, Vermont, and relocated to White River Junction, Vermont. It was best known for its signature product, the Synclavier Synthesizer System, which evolved into the Synclavier Digit ...
company and a
Yamaha DX1 The Yamaha DX1 is the top-level member of Yamaha Corporation, Yamaha's prolific DX series of Frequency modulation synthesis, FM Digital synthesizer, synthesizers. Background The DX1 has two sets of the synthesizer chipset used in the Yamaha D ...
. Only two compositions on the soundtrack album feature a symphony orchestra. Shire and Huxley were so impressed by the realistic sound of the Synclavier that they placed a disclaimer in the album's liner notes stating, "No resynthesis or sampling was employed on the Synclavier."
The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Within a few months of their first gig, the line-up settled as Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar, primary songwriter), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussi ...
's guitarist
Andy Summers Andrew James Summers (born 31 December 1942) is an English guitarist best known as a member of the rock band the Police. Prior to joining the Police, Summers had been a member of several bands during the 1960s, including Zoot Money's Big Roll ...
performed a track entitled "2010", which was a modern new-wave pop version of Richard Strauss's "''Also Sprach Zarathustra''" (which had been the main theme from ''2001: A Space Odyssey''). Though Summers' recording was included on the soundtrack album and released as a single, it was not used in the film. For the B-side to the single, Summers recorded another ''2010''-based track entitled "To Hal and Back", though this appeared in neither the film nor the soundtrack album.


Release


Box office

''2010: The Year We Make Contact'' debuted at number two at the North American box office, taking $7,393,361 for its opening weekend. It was held off from the top spot by ''
Beverly Hills Cop ''Beverly Hills Cop'' is a 1984 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Martin Brest, with a screenplay by Daniel Petrie Jr., and story by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie Jr. It stars Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, a street-smart Det ...
'', which became that year's highest-grossing film in North America. During its second week, the film faced competition from two other new sci-fi films: John Carpenter's '' Starman'' and David Lynch's ''
Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...
'', but ultimately outgrossed both by the end of its domestic theatrical run. It finished with just over $40 million at the domestic box office and was the 17th-highest-grossing film in North America to be released in 1984.


Comic book

In 1984,
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
published a 48-page comic-book adaptation of the film by writer
J. M. DeMatteis John Marc DeMatteis (; born December 15, 1953) is an American writer of comic books, television and novels. Biography Early career J. M. DeMatteis's earliest aspirations were to be a rock musician and comic book artist. He began playing in ban ...
and artists Joe Barney,
Larry Hama Larry Hama (; born June 7, 1949) is an People of the United States, American comic-book writer, artist, actor, and musician who has worked in the fields of entertainment and publishing since the 1960s. During the 1970s, he was seen in minor roles ...
, and Tom Palmer. It was published both as a single volume in ''
Marvel Super Special ''Marvel Comics Super Special'' was a 41-issue series of one-shot (comics), one-shot comic-magazines published by American company Marvel Comics from 1977 to 1986. They were cover-priced $1.50 to $2.50, while regular color comics were priced 30 cen ...
'' #37 and as a two-issue
miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
.


Home media

''2010: The Year We Make Contact'' was first released on home video and laserdisc in 1985, and on DVD (R1) in 1998 by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
. It was reissued (with different artwork) in September 2000. Both releases are presented with the soundtrack remastered in Dolby 5.1 surround sound and in the original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, though a packaging error appears on the 2000 Warner release, claiming that the film is presented in
anamorphic widescreen Anamorphic widescreen (also called full-height anamorphic or FHA) is a process by which a widescreen image is horizontally compressed to fit into a storage medium (photographic film or MPEG-2 standard-definition frame, for example) with a narr ...
when, in reality, it is simply 4:3 letterboxed and not anamorphic (the MGM version of the DVD makes no such claim). The R1 and R4 releases also include the film trailer and a 10-minute behind-the-scenes featurette ''2010: The Odyssey Continues'' (made at the time of the film's production), though this is not available in other regions. The film was released on Blu-ray Disc on April 7, 2009. It features a BD-25 single-layer presentation, now in high-definition 16:9 (2.40:1) widescreen with 1080p/VC-1 video and English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround audio. In all regions, the disc also includes the film's original "making of" promotional featurette (as above) and theatrical trailer in standard definition as extras.


Reception


Critical reception

Critical reception to ''2010: The Year We Make Contact'' was mixed. Critics generally considered the film inferior to ''2001: A Space Odyssey'', and considered its story "too literal in laboriously explaining" the mysteries of the original film.
Syd Mead Sydney Jay Mead (July 18, 1933 – December 30, 2019) was an American industrial designer and Neo-futurism, neo-futurist concept artist. Initially known for his influential futuristic design work for industrial clients such as U.S. Steel, Phili ...
's designs for the film received critical acclaim.
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
gave ''2010: The Year We Make Contact'' three stars out of four, writing, "It doesn't match the poetry and the mystery of the original film, but it does continue the story, and it offers sound, pragmatic explanations for many of the strange and visionary things in ''2001''." He praised it as a "triumph of hardware, of special effects, of slick, exciting filmmaking". Ebert also wrote it "has an ending that is infuriating, not only in its simplicity, but in its inadequacy to fulfill the sense of anticipation, the sense of wonder we felt at the end of ''2001''". He concluded, however: "And yet the truth must be told: This is a good movie. Once we've drawn our lines, once we've made it absolutely clear that ''2001'' continues to stand absolutely alone as one of the greatest movies ever made, once we have freed ''2010'' of the comparisons with Kubrick's masterpiece, what we are left with is a good-looking, sharp-edged, entertaining, exciting space opera".
Colin Greenland Colin Greenland (born 17 May 1954) is a British science fiction writer, whose first story won the second prize in a 1982 Faber & Faber competition. His best-known novel is '' Take Back Plenty'' (1990), winner of both major British science ficti ...
reviewed ''2010'' for ''
Imagine Imagine may refer to: * Imagination Music Albums * ''Imagine'' (Armin van Buuren album), 2008 * ''Imagine'' (Eva Cassidy album), 2002 * ''Imagine'' (Janice Vidal album), 2012 * ''Imagine'' (John Lennon album), 1971 ** ''Imagine: John Lennon' ...
'', calling it "a tense space drama with excellent performances from Helen Mirren and John Lithgow, and glorious special effects. For everyone who was mystified by ''2001''." John Nubbin reviewed ''2010'' for ''
Different Worlds ''Different Worlds'' was an American role-playing games magazine published from 1979 to 1987. Scope ''Different Worlds'' published support articles, scenarios, and variants for various role-playing games including ''Dungeons & Dragons'', ''Rune ...
'' magazine and stated that "It was a good, common denominator film. Despits its too happy ending, it is well-deserving of the praise it received, and little-deserving of any strong criticism. A good, solid picture, the kind we need a lot more of."
James Berardinelli James Berardinelli (born September 25, 1967) is an American film critic. His reviews are mainly published on his blog ''ReelViews.'' Approved as a critic by the aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, he has published two collections of reviews of movies on ...
also gave the film three stars out of four, writing, "''2010'' continues ''2001'' without ruining it. The greatest danger faced by filmmakers helming a sequel is that a bad installment will in some way sour the experience of watching the previous movie. This does not happen here. Almost paradoxically, ''2010'' may be unnecessary, but it is nevertheless a worthwhile effort." He wrote that the visual effects "are as good as, although not noticeably better than, those used in 2001". Reviewing the film for
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
, Almar Haflidason praised the film's cinematography and visual effects. He wrote, "by writing, producing and directing a follow-up to ''2001'', yamswas really putting his head on the block if he screwed it up. Thankfully for him he didn't." Through narrative storytelling, Haflidason describes the film as a chance for Clarke and Hyams to explain what ''2001'' was about. The review praises Hyams's narrative-based handling of the tension between the Soviet and American teams, and says that his "skills as a cinematographer are evident with fine visual effects throughout." A review in '' Time Out'' describes a film that, while not as revolutionary as its predecessor, "is still a better film than anyone could have dared to expect," and describing it as "space fiction of a superior kind". Other critics had more negative opinions.
Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who was the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in 2000. ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' gave ''2010: The Year We Make Contact'' a lukewarm review, calling it "a perfectly adequate though not really comparable sequel" that "is without wit, which is not to say that it is witless. A lot of care has gone into it, but it has no satirical substructure to match that of the Kubrick film, and which was eventually responsible for that film's continuing popularity." ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' considered the film a mess, although not without bright spots. "In Peter Hyams' hands orking from a novel by Arthur C. Clarke the HAL mystery is the most satisfying substance of the film and handled the best. Unfortunately, it lies amid a hodge-podge of bits and pieces." ''
TIME Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' was dismissive, writing, "Flash: There is intelligent life in outer space. More, anyway, than in this amiable footnote of a movie."


Awards and nominations

''2010: The Year We Make Contact'' was nominated for five
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
: *
Best Art Direction The Academy Award for Best Production Design recognizes achievement for art direction in film. The category's original name was Best Art Direction, but was changed to its current name in 2012 for the 85th Academy Awards. This change resulted fro ...
(Art Direction: Albert Brenner; Set Decoration:
Rick Simpson Rick Simpson is an American set decorator. He won an Academy Awards, Academy Award and was nominated for another in the category Academy Award for Best Production Design, Best Art Direction. Awards Simpson won an Academy Award for Best Art Dire ...
) * Best Costume Design ( Patricia Norris) * Best Makeup (
Michael Westmore Michael George Westmore I (born March 22, 1938) is an American make-up artist best known for his work in various ''Star Trek'' productions, winning nine Emmy Awards, and is a member of the Westmore family. He won the Academy Award for Make-up in ...
) *
Best Sound The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...
( Michael J. Kohut,
Aaron Rochin Aaron Rochin is an American audio engineering, sound engineer. He won an Academy Awards, Oscar for Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound and was nominated for eight more in the same category. Rochin's Oscar statuette was blemished, so ...
, Carlos Delarios and Gene Cantamessa) * Best Visual Effects (
Richard Edlund Richard Edlund, (born December 6, 1940) is an American visual effects artist and inventor. He was a founding member of Industrial Light & Magic, having already founded Pignose amplifiers, and later co-founded Boss Film Studios and DuMonde V ...
,
Neil Krepela Neil Joseph Krepela (born April 1947 in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American special effects artist and cinematographer. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Special Effects. Life Neil Krepela was born in 1947 as son of Carl Charles Kre ...
, George Jenson and Mark Stetson) The film was also nominated for three
Saturn Award The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films bel ...
s: Best Science Fiction Film, Best Costumes (Patricia Norris), and Best Special Effects (Richard Edlund). It won the
Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation The Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation is given each year for theatrical films, television episodes, or other dramatized works related to science fiction or fantasy released in the previous calendar year. Originally the award covered both ...
in 1985.


See also

* ''
The Bamboo Saucer ''The Bamboo Saucer'' is an independently made 1968 Cold War science fiction film drama about competing American and Russian teams that discover a flying saucer in Communist China. The film was re-released in 1969 under the title ''Collision Co ...
'', a 1968 film where Soviet and American teams collaborate on the recovery of a flying saucer.


Notes


References


External links

* * * * {{Portal bar, Film, United States, Speculative fiction, Science fiction, Space, 1980s Space Odyssey Adaptations of works by Arthur C. Clarke 1984 films 1984 drama films 1980s science fiction adventure films American science fiction adventure films American science fiction drama films American sequel films American space adventure films 1980s English-language films Fiction set on Europa (moon) Films about astronauts Films adapted into comics Films directed by Peter Hyams Films based on science fiction novels Films set in 2010 Films set in the future Films shot in Los Angeles County, California Films shot in New Mexico Films shot in Washington, D.C. Films scored by David Shire Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation–winning works Fiction set on Io (moon) Jupiter in film Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Fiction set on Jupiter's moons Films with screenplays by Peter Hyams Hard science fiction films 1980s American films 1984 science fiction films English-language science fiction adventure films