I’ve always had a soft spot for 2010 and thought it could benefit tremendously from a Blade Runner-esque recut: Drop the voiceovers and make the ending much more ambiguous.
It still wouldn’t be 2001; in has the bones of a very different film. But as a rare example of a hard SF movie with a terrific cast and largely excellent writing, it could certainly stand on its own.
This discussion is reminding me of how much of an impact 2010 had on me in elementary school. For me it fostered sci-fi fantasy in the same way that I think Star Wars and Star Trek have for lots of kids.
To me, the universe of 2010 was just barely within stretching distance for society in some forseeable future, whereas Star Wars and Star Trek were unreachable. That somehow increased its appeal to me as a child, as I could envision living in the world of 2010 in a way I could not with other sci-fi universes. The universe of 2010 was my universe, in other words.
I've been afraid to rewatch 2010 as an adult, because I know I will see it differently.
I wouldn’t worry. The voiceovers to lead the audience through the plot are unfortunate, and the ending is much too literal, but as a kid who wore out his bootleg VHS copy I can confirm it’s just as enjoyable as an adult.
The hot dog scene by itself is a classic bit of screenwriting.
It still wouldn’t be 2001; in has the bones of a very different film. But as a rare example of a hard SF movie with a terrific cast and largely excellent writing, it could certainly stand on its own.