Reader Top Ten Greatest Science Fiction Film Characters: Matt Wilkins

Reader and commenter Matt Wilkins now contributes his top ten list of Greatest Science Fiction Film Characters. 

Matt writes:

“All explorers in one way or another, learning truths of humanity and the universe on their journey...”

1.         Spock (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)

2.         Roy Batty (Blade Runner)

3.         Klaatu (The Day The Earth Stood Still)

4.         Stalker (Stalker)

5.         Captain Nemo (20,000 Leagues Under The Sea)

6.         Starman (Starman)

7,         Dave Bowman (2010, not 2001)

8.         Roy Neary (Close Encounters of The Third Kind)

9.         John Hammond (Jurassic Park)

10.       Major Kusanagi (Ghost In The Shell)

I think it’s incredibly cool how Matt contextualized his list of favorite characters in terms of the unifying principle of “exploration.”

And indeed, all his characters fit the definition of explorer.  I especially like the idea of exploring the human condition as it relates to Mr. Spock, Starman, and even Roy Batty, so all these choices really resonate with me.

I will always love Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) because of the closure it brings to Spock’s crisis of logic vs. emotion.  He learns in this film that he needs both logic and emotion to be  truly “complete,” and so I can never write off the film, despite an occasional slow moment, or scenes which may be deemed reminiscent of classic series episodes.