Warner Home Video, out now

Stanley Kubrick’s visionary’s 1968 science fiction epic that charts the evolution of man from prehistoric ape to the (then) near future of the dawn of the 21st Century gets a special three-disc release from Warner Brothers.

If any film deserves to be seen in 4K, this is it. I was lucky enough to watch the new print on the big screen earlier this year and its impact has not been lessened by time, due in no small part to Kubrick’s meticulous film-making. This new restoration from the 65mm original camera negative has cleaned up the print but quite rightly has not tinkered with it to fix any perceived shortcomings. It’s still Kubrick’s film, just given the best polish to showcase it in the best possible way.

And what a polish it is! For a film that is set predominantly in space the quality of the black starscape is critical, and we’re not let down by the HDR. Individual pinprick stars punctuate the jet black background, lifting the silent craft to the fore. And look at the glorious reds and yellows of the spacesuits and the scarlet lighting in the bowels of the Discovery One as Dave starts shutting HAL down.

For audio there’s the option of restored and remixed DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio or the original 1968 theatrical audio formatted for 5.1. I plumped for the former. There’s also an amiable audio commentary by stars Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood, though sadly no Douglas Rain in character as HAL 9000.

Discs 2 and 3 are Blu-rays and contain the same content as the previous releases, meaning that if you already have these discs you’re moving into double-dip territory. I personally had never got round to buying either the DVD or Blu-Ray, making all this additional material truly bonuses. The 20-page booklet of stills and designs and four postcards are also a nice extra.

The disc supplementary materiel includes 43-minute Channel 4 documentary ‘2001: The Making of a Myth’, ‘Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001’ (21 mins), ‘Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001’ (22 mins), retro feature ‘2001: A Space Odyssey- A Look Behind the Future’ (23 mins) and the philosophical ‘What is Out There?’ (21 mins). ‘2001: FX and Early Conceptual Artwork’ (10 mins) is a retrospective of the movie’s art and visual effects. One of the highlights is a 77-minute audio interview with Kubrick from 1966, revealing far more than the reclusive director typically shared.

Verdict: A 50-year-old masterwork now looks even better, with Kubrick’s sci-fi opus gleaming 17 years after its due date. The only reservation might come from the enthusiasts who already have discs 2 and 3 and are paying top premium for a single 4K disc and some postcards. 9/10

Nick Joy