2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984)

Coming out more than sixteen years after its beloved predecessor (2001: A Space Odyssey), this might have been the very first "Legacy Sequel."  Also whereas the first film was directed by the late great cinema legend Stanley Kubrick, this one was helmed by journeyman director Peter Hyams (Running Scared, Capricorn One, Timecop) who in tandem with the author (Arthur C. Clarke) of the original source material was determined to craft a more conventional story as opposed to the ground-breaking 1968 classic which was much more abstract in it structure and tone.  

Picking up nine years after the events of that first film, we follow Dr. Heywood Floyd (Roy Scheider) who planned that previous mission of the USS Discovery to Jupiter where those onboard discovered the mysterious "Monolith."  Dr. Floyd is determined to find out what exactly transpired so he hitches a ride with a Soviet mission there commanded by Captain Tanya Kirbuk (Helen Mirren).   And what they eventually encounter and discover is...."something wonderful?"  Also along for the ride are John Lithgow, Bob Balaban, and Elya Baskin in an epic sci-fi adventure which might not approach the majesty of its predecessor but actually holds up better as pure entertainment, now forty years after it was first released in theaters. 

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Transcript

2010 - 1984

Directed by Peter Hyams

Starring Roy Scheider, John Lithgow, Helen Mirren, Bob Balaban, Douglas Rain, Madolyn Smith Osbourne, Savely Kramarov, Taliesin Jaffe, James McEachin, Elya Baskin, Dana Elcar, Natasha Shneider and Keir Dullea 

Genre: Sci-Fi Adventure (Audio clip)

Is it wrong to really like this movie?? 🤔 I get that it doesn't have the artistry nor complexity of 2001: A Space Odyssey and that Peter Hyams is no Stanley Kubrick...but in the context of being a very effective sci fi thriller in space, I just think it really delivers.....and yeah, it's POSSIBLY even a bit more rewatchable than its predecessor. (Well depending on whatever substance you've ingested upon viewing) 

There are just SO many tense sequences in this film and Hyams shoots them perfectly despite some clearly dated special effects - he was also the DP for this and just the way he has a probe camera panning closely over the icy surface of the moon Europa, it's just eerily convincing and helps really nail the insurmountable task this mission crew has in front of them.

And that mission crew is well-cast - you have a near-the-end-of-his-peak Roy Scheider doing what he does best: playing a smart authority figure Dr. Heywood Floyd who despite being very resourceful ends up above his head clawing his way forward. Helen Mirren is great as the Soviet lead officer Captain Tanya Kirbuk with a pretty solid Russian accent to boot. John Lithgow and Bob Balaban also bring a lot of wit and warmth to their respective roles of Dr. Curnow and Dr. Chandra as well. (Audio clip) 

Lithgow is especially engaging as during a tense space-walk sequence doing what he does best, his Curnow freaking out ....just one of several touching moments throughout as we watch the American and Russians characters gradually bond.  Curnow is literally hyperventilating and thankfully he has Soviet astronaut Maxim to comfort him and guide him along, played by Russian acting legend Elya Baskin.  Baskin was basically Soviet/Russian central casting during this time period…..probably second only to Yakov Smirnoff. (Audio clip) 

The whole Cold War backdrop for this film certainly dates it but the running theme of two tribes of scientists ignoring their governments' pettiness to achieve a goal for humanity actually hasn't aged badly at all. 🙂 And neither has the whole concept of better trying to understand HAL-9000 and what drove him to make his decisions in the last film...HAL actually comes off as sympathetic even though everyone rings out the appropriate amount of tension for his final "showdown.  (Audio clip) 

Best Needledrop (best song cue or score used throughout runtime of film):

It’s kind of crazy thinking about it retrospect but that ORIGINAL iconic theme for 2001: A Space Odyssey has become SO closely associated with that 1968 movie that it’s now more routinely referred to as the “2001 Theme” – it’s a classical theme which was first actually composed by Richard Strauss back in 1896….and then composed for Kubrick’s film by Herbert von Karajan.  Now this being sixteen years after the original movie in the mid ‘80’s during the explosion of the modern blockbuster, I’m not sure if there was ever any consideration as to whether reprising this theme for a starkly different, less cerebral story was a smart or dumb decision but from at least a marketing standpoint, it made a lot of sense….branding it with that beloved original.  And I’m glad that they did as it provides a perfect, grandiose bookend for the movie as we hear it play at the very beginning of both the opening and closing credits over stark imagery of deep space.  I’m of course referring to the now often parodied (remember the opening of Barbie) but always awe-inspiring “Also sprach Zarathustra.” (Audio clip) 

Fortunately even beyond reprising that theme, the film has its own solid original score from ‘70’s stalwart – one of my personal favorites too as he did some FANTASTIC compositions for previous episodes The Taking of Pelham 123, Saturday Night Fever, and The Conversation – I’m referring to Buffalo’s own David Shire who conducts some pretty effective themes for venturing to new planets. (Audio clip) 

And beyond that….well if you have listened to enough episodes of this podcast, you KNOW I’m a sucker for a catchy disco remake of a classical theme.  And who better than Shire, MR Saturday Night himself??  Well he DOES compose a more rhythmic version of that original theme for the soundtrack – I’m pretty sure it’s not actually heard during the movie – but it’s not quite disco, more like an ‘80’s smooth jazz version….hey I’ll take it. (Audio clip) 

Wasted Talent (most under-utilized talent involved with film):

Throughout the movie, we are treated a few brief appearances by Keir Dullea reprising his iconic role of Dave Bowman….I THINK as some of kind of ghost or premonition, to his mother, his wife, and eventually to Dr. Floyd where we see him inhabit the same space as Floyd in different forms.  Now each of these sequences is well-filmed and well-acted….but I’m just not sure they’re necessary.  (Audio clip) 

The two earthbound sequences even COMPLETELY stop the film its tracks taking us away from the mission….and even the last one with Floyd, it almost feels distractingly showy in how we see this character change from whenever he enters each new room.  THAT one is probably necessary to set up the climax too.  I don’t know…..for fans of the original movie, it’s probably a nice touch to see this character return but if you’re not, it doesn’t really add anything.  Also his continued repeated use of the phrase “something wonderful” – while kind of cool in how he says it – it just adds a BIT too much mustard to the sentimental streak this film delves into towards the end. (Audio clip) 

Trailer Moment (scene or moment that best describes this movie):

I was tempted to choose that aforementioned spacewalk sequence which MIGHT be the most technically impressive in the film as it incorporates human figures in space BUT….there’s one which occurs earlier in the movie….around 30 minutes in….which is a true barnburner.  It’s basically THE first intense section of this dual Soviet-US space mission and it involves their ship attempting to slingshot their way around Jupiter to set up an orbit around one of its moons were they HOPE to locate the monolith….the process is referred to as…AEROBREAKING, it’s also well-explained by our main protagonist Dr. Floyd. (Audio clip) 

And JUST before the aerobraking occurs, the already tense Dr. Floyd has an unexpected visitor to his individual pod….it’s an appropriately nervous young cosmonaut Irina who apparently he has not had any prior interactions with, played by Russian actress Natasha Shneider.  They barely speak but one thing is clear: they are BOTH freaked out by what is about to occur….so they just clutch each other within his pod as this process occurs.  It’s uncomfortable, intense….we can hear the LOUD rattling of the ship’s hull and using some pretty impressive (for the time) model work and rotoscoping, we can see these ship flaring up as it barrels through space. (Audio clip)  

It's a standout sequence not only from a technical standpoint but from a character standpoint, it just further humanizes these characters.  Gratefully, we don’t see any sort of romance develop between Floyd and Irina….just ONE very chaste but emotional experience shared by two adults who were looking for some comfort during an admittedly harrowing moment. (Audio clip) 

MVP (person or people most responsible for the success of this film):

I LOVE this cast, especially Scheider in what would likely be one of his last true movie star roles and the source material from author Arthur C. Clarke obviously laid the foundation for a compelling continuation of this saga.  But at the end of the day, it’s Hyams himself who not only did most of the screenplay adaptation AND direction, but he also served as his own cinematographer…..for a great-looking movie no less.  For proving ONCE again that he was one of the better genre directors of the ‘80’s and ‘90’s – he also directed previous episodes Capricorn One, Sudden Death, and Running Scared - Peter Hyams is the MVP.

Final Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Admittedly, the story DOES get a bit too cheesy towards the end….even seemingly eliciting feelings of the end of the Star Trek: Wrath of Khan…and you could even make a solid case that this was kind of Interstellar thirty years before Interstellar.  But what it does well as a sci-fi adventure thriller, it does very well and it always has its heart in the right place.  Happy 40th Anniversary to not only one of the more underrated sci-fi films of the 1980’s but what would likely be one of the earliest examples of what has become a burgeoning sub-genre in recent years for Hollywood….The Legacy Sequel, I would even consider it one of the better ones.  

Streaming on Apple TV Plus

And that ends another SOMETHING WONDERFUL review!