these are my thoughts on the movie... the movie began with the theme of evolution.. the apes, and how they first learned to use tools, and how these tools were used in battle... i think this is indicative of the fact that humanity has always used their best technology for war, and so on and so forth... perhaps, HAL represents that bone the apes first used to kill each other, as he was a tool.. a piece of technology.. who learned from human beings to have malicious intent... perhaps the alien's watching planet earth knew the nature of man.. and thus, in the end.. the alien's did not want to establish a personal relationship with human beings, but simply wanted to watch and observe...

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