I will be tuning in for this. I must admit I've been jones-ing for a Sci-fi flick and was looking at the trailer for the new version of this film. While I could care less about Mr. Clooney's bee-hind, I think I will still want to check it out. I will enjoy seeing this one first though. I'll be interested in comparing them.

Ok - we taped it and tonight finally watched the end (it's long - we watched the first 2 hours a few days ago and finally go to the last 40 minutes or so)...

Generally - I liked it....but, don't get me wrong - I'm not exactly the "Hollywood Action Flick" type but I thought it might of been tightened up a little. It will be interesting (at least to me) to see what Soderbergh does with it.

I can see the response to 2001 in the ending. I loved the minimal space station set with the library. Some of the imagery was great. (1972 Soviet Union is interesting)

I was checking out the comments on IMDB - lots of dissapointed folks out there with the new one but it sounds like it sticks to Lem's guns...

Well, if this article is accurate, Soderbergh gave it the ol' Hollywood ending (see end of article, if you're in a hurry):

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.12/solaris_pr.html

A pretty good article for an introduction to Lem, and his work's basic incompatibility with Hollywood. Sometime I have to get around to reading Lem's "Solaris". I've read a batch of his books, but his 'hit' is the one I've never gotten around to. It would be nice to know just what the deal is for myself.

Well, here's another spoiler for the new version:
http://www.moviepooper.com/answers2/745.html
A little different, but still not Lem's way.

Regarding Tarkovsy (who was not a sci-fi oriented director, more a humanist mystic, I'd say), I don't actually think this is his best work, and I believe he himself has said it was his least favorite. "Nostalghia" and "Stalker" are both stronger. You have to watch Tarkovsky for emotions, mood, texture and dreamy cinematography, rather than Hollywood plot machinery.