2001: A Space Odyssey 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		5.0

2001: A Space Odyssey 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman August 1, 2024

The Film Vault has been catering to collectors who value packaging and non disc swag as much as whatever may be on a 1080 or 4K UHD disc, with a number of really extravagantly appointed releases over the past couple of years, typically coming out around the all important holidays, when folks may be on the lookout for something special to give. It may not exactly be "Christmas in July" (especially since it's August as this review is being written), but The Film Vault is kind of upping its own ante in a way by revisiting some of its previous releases in new SteelBook packaging. 2001: A Space Odyssey is an outlier of sorts in The Film Vault's still nascent canon, in that the original wide release (linked to directly below) did not include a 2K (1080) presentation of the film, unlike other Film Vault releases, something this new SteelBook release has rectified.

Those interested can drop by my 2001: A Space Odyssey 4K Blu-ray review of Film Vault's original release to see what was on tap there, and while that review does have a link to my earlier review of the Region A 4K release from Warner Brothers, for convenience sake I'll link to my 2001: A Space Odyssey Blu-ray review of Warner's 1080 release since that review will be relevant to the 1080 discs in this package.

2001: A Space Odyssey 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Video quality is assessed in the above linked reviews.

2001: A Space Odyssey 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Audio quality is assessed in the above linked reviews.

2001: A Space Odyssey 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

On disc supplements are detailed in the above linked reviews. It's obvious that whoever is in charge of design at The Film Vault is going for a uniform, "branded" look and both the SteelBook and even the mylar O ring pretty much duplicate the look of the label's first, more extravagantly packaged, release. The front panel of the SteelBook offers "the monolith" and within the context of what might be considered the finale's light show, while the back panel offers Hal's all knowing (and seeing) "eye". The interior panels are really not much to write home, with a couple of views of spaceships.

2001: A Space Odyssey 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I know for a fact from my private messages that there are collectors who absolutely go crazy over the deluxe packaging and non disc swag that The Film Vault's earlier releases have provided. Those collectors may well want to "double dip" for this SteelBook, and even avid SteelBook collectors may want to check out this release, since it offers a 1080 presentation of the feature film, unlike the label's first release.