2010 [2010: The Year We Made Contact] **** (1984, Roy Scheider, John Lithgow, Helen Mirren) – Classic Movie Review 6797

Writer/ producer/ cinematographer/ director Peter Hyams’s entertaining, undervalued sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) was expertly delivered by the film-maker to an underwhelmed public. A beautifully crafted movie, it was nominated for five Oscars – Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Albert Brenner, Rick Simpson), Best Costume Design (Patricia Norris), Best Sound, Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup (Michael Westmore), winning none.

His screenplay is securely based on Arthur C Clarke’s sequel novel about the Americans and Russians mounting a joint return visit to Jupiter.

Roy Scheider stars as Dr Heywood Floyd in 2010.

Roy Scheider makes for a stout-hearted hero as Dr Heywood Floyd, John Lithgow is solid as Dr Walter Curnow, although Helen Mirren is less convincing as a Russian astronaut, Tanya Kirbuk, which is curious as she has a Russian-born father and her real name is Helen Mironoff. Keir Dullea and Douglas Rain reprise their roles from 2001, with Rain again as the voice of computer HAL 9000.

An explanation about the monolith of 2001 and the circumstances of the first trip by the Discovery is entirely welcome for those of us with their head in the clouds and their feet on the ground.

It is maybe not in the Stanley Kubrick class of the original, but it is entirely spaceworthy and impressive on its own account. Hyams turns in a great looking movie. It is sizzling technically: Albert Brenner’s art direction was Oscar-nominated and Richard Edlund’s Oscar-nominated visual effects are outstanding.

Also in the cast are John Lithgow, Bob Balaban, Dana Elcar, Madolyn Smith, Taliesin Jaffe, James McEachin, Mary Jo Deschanel, Elya Baskin, Saveliy Kramarov, Oleg Rudnik, Natasha Shneider, Jan Tríska and Arthur C Clarke in a cameo as Man on Park Bench. Gary Lockwood appears in archive footage as Dr Frank Poole. Candice Bergen [credited as Olga Mallsnerd] provides the voice of SAL 9000.

2010 (also known as 2010: The Year We Made Contact) is directed by Peter Hyams, runs 116, is an MGM/United Artists release, is written by Peter Hyams, shot in 70mm, Metrocolor and widescreen by Peter Hyams, produced by Peter Hyams, scored by David Shire, and designed by Albert Brenner, with visual effects by Richard Edlund.

Hyams is also the director of Capricorn One, The Presidio, Timecop, End of Days and Outland.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6797

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