The Good: Excellent sculpt, Good coloring, Good balance, Neat feature
The Bad: Somewhat expensive for what it is, Surface detailing coloring
The Basics: The 2014 "Rapunzel’s Long Locks" from Tangled ornament is very cool, but not at all flawless.
While Frozen has proven to be a pretty incredible source of revenue for Disney, Tangled has been a reliable cash cow for the company. Disney had a predictable hit on its hand with Tangled and the Rapunzel story has led to a lot of merchandise and one of the companies that has done right by the film and its fans (not to mention licensee Disney) is Hallmark. Hallmark has been making ornaments featuring characters from Tangled since the film was released and they tend to be of a decent quality. Unfortunately, this year’s ornament, Rapunzel’s Long Locks, is not the best Tangled ornament Hallmark has produced. Fortunately, it is not the worst Disney ornament, either, so Hallmark still has a pretty good record with their ornaments from the film!
For those unfamiliar with Tangled (reviewed here!), it is the musical story of Rapunzel. Kept in a tower by the woman who abducted her as a baby, she has exceptionally long hair that is the source of the magic that keeps her "mother" young. Rapunzel’s Long Locks features Rapunzel brushing her own hair as the subject of the 2014 Tangled ornament.
Basics
The "Rapunzel’s Long Locks" ornament recreates Rapunzel, as she appeared in Tangled with her long hair cascading all around her as she sits on a stool. The ornament, released in 2014, is a very cool and accurate sculpt of Rapunzel in her pink and purple dress, with the character and hair looking instantly recognizable.
Hallmark clearly made quite an effort on Rapunzel’s Long Locks as she has great detailing on the eyes and with the lacing up the front of her bodice; she even has a toenail molded on her visible big toe on her bare feet! Measuring three inches tall, two and a half inches wide and two inches deep, the "Rapunzel’s Long Locks" ornament is one of the smaller Disney character ornaments this year, though it makes sense given that Rapunzel is seated on a stool for the ornament. This ornament seems initially inexpensive at only $14.95.
The Hallmark "Rapunzel’s Long Locks" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has Rapunzel looking content as she brushes her hair. The ornament is incredibly detailed in the sculpted details and the colored details are generally good. Rapunzel’s Long Locks escapes the usual critique about the lack of realism to the skin tones, because she is an animated character. The ornament's eyes are bright green and wonderfully detailed. The hair is beautifully colored with a pearlescent, translucent quality that becomes a special feature for the ornament. The paint job loses a little bit of credit when it comes to the detailing on the dress. The skirt has decent molded details, but not coloring accents.
This version of Rapunzel does not have her chameleon companion.
Features
As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "Rapunzel’s Long Locks" could have a sound effect, but it does not. Instead, this is a less-expensive option that is just the character. However, this ornament does have a pretty original, very cool feature. Rapunzel’s Long Locks has a hole in the base of the ornament with a rubber gasket. The ornament is designed to slip over a light bulb on a light strand and when it is there, it causes the ornament’s hair to glow. The skin and costume for Rapunzel are opaque enough, but the hair has a luminescent quality that shines when the ornament is placed over a bulb. In order for this feature to work, Hallmark had to make the ornament out of a very light plastic. As a result, the Rapunzel’s Long Locks ornament seems a little pricier than it ought to. Sure, it is less expensive than other Disney ornaments, but it also has quite a bit less mass, making it seem like less of a value.
Balance
As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Rapunzel’s Long Locks" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Disney movie Christmas Tree, the "Rapunzel’s Long Locks" ornament is a decent Tangled option that can enhance the tree of those who love Disney. The ornament has the standard brass hook loop embedded into the top center of Rapunzel’s head. This is fairly obvious and necessary for the ornament. Rapunzel’s Long Locks hangs perpendicular to the ground when properly hung from that hook point and she has generally good balance. As well, because the ornament is so very light, when it is put atop a light strand to activate the glowing hair feature, it tends to rest there comfortably and sit straight.
Collectibility
Hallmark Keepsake began delving into the collectibles market in 1991 with Star Trek when it introduced the exceptionally limited edition original U.S.S. Enterprise ornament (click here for that review!). Within a few years, every major franchise from Star Wars to A Nightmare Before Christmas to Indiana Jones started making Hallmark ornaments. "Rapunzel’s Long Locks" is one of only a few Tangled ornaments on the market and at least the fourth of Rapunzel. This ornament has not sold out at any of the Hallmark stores I have been to, yet, but it seems to have sold more than some of the other character ornaments. As a result, despite the comparatively high initial price of this ornament, I suspect it will at least maintain its value as opposed to lose or grow in value.
Overview
Fans of Tangled, Disney, Rapunzel, Mandy Moore, and Hallmark ornaments are likely to be pleased with the “Rapunzel’s Long Locks” ornament, though it might seem a little underwhelming for the price until one sees how cool it looks lit up!
For other Disney-themed Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2014 The Little Mermaid 25th Anniversary ornament
2014 "Welcome To Halloween" The Nightmare Before Christmas ornament
2014 All Eyes On Belle Beauty And The Beast ornament
2014 Olaf Frozen ornament
2013 Under The Sea The Little Mermaid
2013 The Nightmare Before Christmas Jack’s Sleigh O’Scares
2013 Tiana's Party Dress The Princess And The Frog ornament
2013 Beautiful Belle Beauty And The Beast
2013 Fierce With A Frying Pan Tangled ornament
2013 Ariel's Big Dream The Little Mermaid ornament
2013 Merida The Archer Brave ornament
2012 The Circle Of Life The Lion King ornament
2012 Jack Sneaks A Peek The Nightmare Before Christmas ornament
2012 Monsters, Inc. ornament
2012 Merida Brave ornament
2012 It's All About The Hair Tangled ornament
2011 Rapunzel Tangled ornament
2011 CLU’s Light Cycle from Tron: Legacy ornament
2011 Up ornament
2011 A Snowy Surprise The Nightmare Before Christmas ornament
2011 Captain Jack Sparrow Pirates Of The Caribbean ornament
2010 Tron: Legacy Light Cycle ornament
2009 Welcome To Christmastown The Nightmare Before Christmas ornament
6/10
For other ornament reviews, please visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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