The films of Stanley Kubrick don’t get a whole lot of toy love, so any time there’s a new one, it’s exciting. 2001: A Space Odyssey has an action figure now? Great! What fan of serious science fiction doesn’t want that? There’s just one minor detail. When it came time to secure the likeness of actor Keir Dullea, somebody obviously said “I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
Now, that’s taking a chance, because this particular variation of we-can’t-legally-call-it-Dave-Bowman is the version who disconnects HAL. Having foolishly exited the main Discovery vehicle without his helmet, he grabbed the closest one on the way back in. Color coordination doesn’t matter when you have some stone cold AI brain-erasing to do. It’s Dave’s most ruthless moment in the film, although it’s well-earned. Frank Poole’s death is not in vain.
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Still, even without a specific astronaut likeness, we’ve still got a 2001 figure, 6.25 inches tall and full poseable. He even comes with a stand to help assist those anti-gravity, floating positions. And if you imagined him looking different in the books, or want this toy to play Heywood Floyd instead, bonus.
This MAFEX figure is an import, and an adult collectible not intended for extremely durable play. Here’s hoping it leads to a Star Child and primitive man figure down the line. Those probably don’t require actor likeness rights. Probably.
What would your dream 2001 collectible be? Let us know in comments below.
