"Over 30 years ago, Saturday Night Live unearthed the comic potential in the idea of tie-in action figures for a critically acclaimed film that had no business having tie-in action figures. That sketch focused on the tonally bizarre idea of Philadelphia action figures. Yes, as in Philadelphia the prestigious, Oscar-winning drama - except here, Antonio Banderas's character can transform into a fighter plane."
"This weekend SNL returned to that particular well, and did so memorably. Given that host Teyana Taylor recently won a Golden Globe for her work in the film One Battle After Another, it's not hard to guess which film was featured in the sketch. What is impressive, though, was the degree to which everyone in the sketch commits to the premise and the idea of a world in which the revolutionary violence and psychosexual intrigue of One Battle After Another are channeled into, well, action figures."
"Some things have changed in the years since SNL riffed on Philadelphia and action figures. While they aren't action figures per se, Funko Pops that connect to everything from Almost Famous to Pride and Prejudice now exist - though, to be fair, it is difficult to imagine a group of elementary school-age kids playing with Funko Pops for an extended period of time."
Saturday Night Live revived a sketch concept that imagines tie-in action figures for a prestige film, updating a past parody about Philadelphia action figures. The sketch centered on One Battle After Another, with host Teyana Taylor's Golden Globe win linking her to the featured film. Performers committed fully to the absurd premise, turning the film's revolutionary violence and psychosexual intrigue into collectible toys. The segment referenced modern collectible culture, noting the prevalence of Funko Pops and even Lego tie-ins for prestige films, and included a promotional bit featuring a Waiting to Exhale impression.
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