I agree that 2001's story isn't great (though it's better than people give it credit for), but the movie has an atmosphere that really appeals to me, created by the really slow pace, the sparse use of dialogue and the music, among other things. I realize that sounds pretty vague - I'm trying to explain why I disagree with the "2001 has amazing visuals and nothing else" sentiment (I'd reserve that statement for a Michael Bay film or something). It's definitely a love/hate film, I think.