: Critics have noted that the human characters in 2001 are often "purposely wooden," behaving more like machines than the AI they created.
: Conversely, the computer HAL 9000 is arguably the most human character, exhibiting fear and making mistakes born of a "programming contradiction". The "Odyssey" becomes less about the technology and more about the flawed consciousness navigating it. A "Somber Grandiosity" subtitle 2001: A Space Odyssey
: Much like Odysseus, Dave Bowman undergoes a perilous voyage far from home, encountering "monsters" (the AI HAL 9000) and ultimately facing a transformation. : Critics have noted that the human characters
The subtitle signals Kubrick's intent to treat science fiction with "mature grandiosity". By avoiding conventional narrative techniques and relying on visual storytelling, Kubrick uses the "Space Odyssey" framing to evoke a sense of awe and existential mystery. The film is widely regarded as a "freestanding work of art" that functions like a living myth, open to interpretation rather than fixed to a specific era. A "Somber Grandiosity" : Much like Odysseus, Dave
The choice of "Odyssey" explicitly links the film to Homer's epic, framing space exploration as a foundational human myth rather than just a scientific endeavor.