I went to a EB games recently to pick up my first Pop! Vinyls and kickstart my collection. I got four but had to return one, as it was damaged, and I will only go over the three I am keeping.
I knew for my first Pops I had to get some characters that were special. Some really significant Pop culture figures. Three characters that have had a huge impact on my relationship with film and television. So which did I get?
Ellen Ripley
The first time I watched Alien I was eleven. I was extremely excited to watch my first horror film, AND on top of that it was Alien! Alien which every adult I knew swore that it terrified them when they were young. so when I settled down to watch the film I had just a tiny bit of dread. it was uncalled for. throughout the film, never once did it even make me feel uneasy. suffice to say I was massively disappointed. I have since forgiven it's datedness as a product of it's time, and come to appreciate it. however it's it sequel Aliens that I truly love, as a spectacular Science fiction action film. I feel the dated effects really fail at horror proper, but making a Action-Horror film really works. not to mention the improved visual effects. I still consider to this day Alien 3 to be one of the worst sequels of all time, but more on that a different time. The one thing that was consistent through the films was Ellen Ripley. Ripley is one of the greatest, if not THE greatest science fiction hero of all time. She was one of the few extremely well written, and acted characters in 70s/80s Sci Fi. While Mark Hamill and William Shatner were very iffy acting wise, Sigourney Weaver was convincing, and her character was interesting and complex. Ripley remains one of my favourite science fiction film characters. And on top of that the character is significant for challenging gender roles. so of course Ripley had to be one of the first pops i got. The pop I got is arguably my most damaged Pop, as the box has a worn spot on it's left side. I considered returning it, before deciding it wasn't that bad.
Tenth Doctor With Hand
One of my Mother's favourite Tv series is Doctor Who. When I was younger (seven or eight) she watched a lot of the Tom Baker and Peter Davison era episodes. I liked them, but was a bit lost when it came to the plot most of the time. To this day I still haven't rewatched the classic Doctor Who series. The modern series though is another story. Years back I noticed Netflix had The modern Doctor Who series, and decided to watch it. I had a enormous amount of fun watching it. Yes it was silly. Yes it quickly got convoluted. But it was funny and entertaining and it's lore was interesting. sometimes I wonder how/if my opinion would differ if I had watched the original series, but either way I enjoy it. especially the David Tennant and Matt Smith era. Speaking of Tennant, the Tenth Doctor was probably my favourite incarnation, except for maybe the Eleventh. The Tenth Doctor was a great character because he was very human. He was witty and humorous and yet could have a terrifying temper and could be utterly merciless. He introduced audiences to so many different additions to the lore, and his relations with his companions was complex. He genuinely loved Rose Tyler and after being forced to wipe much of Donna Nobles memory, chose to travel without companions. The Pop version I have features his severed hand in a container, Which he lost in a memorable scene in the Series II debut episode. at first it seemed a amusing background object, until it surprisingly factored into the plot. one other thing, was that The Tenth Doctor had two "costumes". one with a brown coat and and a Blue tuxedo with rusty red stripes. The pop has the latter version.
Harry Potter
As a kid my favourite fantasy books were (As is the case for many people from my generation) the Harry Potter books. I still enjoy and respect them for being one of the greatest modern fantasy series. The Films I respect also for being fairly loyal to the source material. And while I feel Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets are cringe worthy for the Iffy child acting, Prisoner of Azkaban, Order of The Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows parts I and II were spectacular and fairly smart for choosing what to keep. Though I feel Goblet of Fire was downright offensive to book fans for it's changes. (Durmstrang only brings male students and Beauxbatons only brings female students? Wtf?) But overall it is one of the most consistently entertaining fantasy franchises. Though I admit, I am one of those people with the "books are better'' mentality. Despite the stereotypical "chosen one" aspect to the character, Harry Potter himself was a great main protagonist. Like the Tenth doctor, he is compassionate and generous and yet has a lethal temper, which is very humanizing. The character's Journey from age eleven to seventeen, is interesting how it progressing from simple fantasy fare, to including colourful and unique plot devices, like Horcruxes and the deathly hallows. And as the character of Harry Potter grows and changes as does actor Daniel Radcliffe. it must be noted the pop appears to be based after the first few films.
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