The Good: Absolutely incredible sculpted and colored details! Great collectible value, Great balance!
The Bad: None that I could find.
The Basics: The 2013 Limited Edition Boushh ornament is a worthy sell-out already and finishes off the Hallmark Bounty Hunter ornament collection amazingly well!
The annual event I always get excited for is here at last! No, it’s not the opening of Summer Blockbuster Season, it’s Hallmark Preview Weekend Opening Day! Every year, for the last several at least, I have gotten up at the crack of dawn to go to the nearest Hallmark stores to pick up the hot new ornaments and study the whole year’s crop in order to help provide a guide of all the year’s best holiday ornaments. If you haven’t found the extensive list of genre and media-themed Hallmark ornaments I have reviewed, be sure to visit my Ornament Review Index Page for a complete list – you’ll see this is a serious business! As this is one of the annual holidays I actually celebrate, I try to start on a high note and this year, the high note easily goes to the Star Wars line of Hallmark ornaments, or at the very least its limited edition entry into 2013’s Hallmark ornament line-up. So far – and keep in mind I’ve only been studying the new collection for a few hours now! – the only perfect ornament in the 2013 line-up is the premiere event exclusive Boushh ornament!
Boushh is a limited edition, exclusive Hallmark ornament, and it is not one of the usual ornaments considered # in a series. Instead, this is outside the regular numbering and only hours into this year’s event, it appears to be sold out at most Hallmark stores.
Hallmark Keepsake has a line of collectible ornaments from major franchises, like Star Wars and Star Trek. From the Star Wars line comes the Boushh limited edition ornament. Fans of the original Star Wars Trilogy will likely recall Boushh. Boushh was the disguised alter ego of Princess Leia Organa in Return Of The Jedi (reviewed here!). Boushh is the armored bounty hunter with the distinctive squared off helmet that disguises Leia’s voice and gender when she infiltrates Jabba’s palace to rescue Han Solo from his Carbonite prison.
Basics
The Boushh ornament recreates the androgynous bounty hunter in solid plastic. The ornament, released in 2013, is the obscure alien bounty hunter in her layered costume with her helmet on, staff in her right hand and producing the infamous thermal detonator in her left hand to menace Jabba’s court! Boushh in ornament form is 4 1/2" tall, 2" wide and 1 1/2" deep. Hallmark charged $14.95 for the ornament originally and it is selling out at that price, with most on-line vendors already doubling the purchase price. Given that the ornament was designed for fans, this is an ornament that appeals to collectors and Boushh is easily recognizable to them. This might be the ideal alternative for those collectors who do not want the bulk of the 12” Sideshow Boushh (reviewed here!), but want something more professional and statuelike than the Saga Legends Boushh action figure (reviewed here!).
The Hallmark Boushh ornament is made of a durable plastic and has her holding a long staff in her right hand. The staff is not actually black, it is several shades of black so it looks worn and weathered, making it match the rest of the ornament, a detail many of the prior Star Wars ornaments have failed to attempt! By contrast, the thermal detonator in Boushh’s left hand is monotonal silver, save the red indicator light, illustrating that she means business! The clean look of the bomb makes for great contrast with the rest of the ornament.
Boushh is detailed exceptionally in the body, in the accessory and on the costume. Boushh looks like she did in the movie, even in his face. Because her face and all skin is covered, Hallmark easily cheats any issues with skin tones. Not to use that a cheap excuse to make something shoddy, Hallmark detailed Boushh immaculately. Her helmet has both silver and copper tones on the top, the front orange of the helmet looks appropriately in the same color range as the tans of her khaki garb (which is molded to look like fabric and detailed with enough imperfections and color variations – not just a solid tan – to make it look like a real fabric). Hallmark even detailed the boots, bandoleer and cape perfectly both in sculpt and coloring. On the back of the Boushh ornament are her air canisters and they are so detailed they have both multicolored panels and finely painted text!
Features
As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, Boushh could have a function like a sound chip or light effect, but does not. This is just an ornament, a low-cost (comparatively) option for those who might not want to shell out for the starship or diorama series' of Star Wars ornaments. This is Boushh and she simply hangs on the tree. Boushh's staff and thermal detonator may not be removed from her hands and there are no additional weapons or accessories for the ornament.
Balance
As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake Boushh ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Wars Christmas Tree, Boushh is very much a luxury. Boushh is in no way essential to the story, but fans who are likely to collect the ornaments will like how much care went into this ornament. The ornament has a steel hook loop embedded into the top center, slightly back, of the character's helmet. From that hook, the Boushh ornament hangs perfectly balanced. It is impressive and the ornament sways when rocked, but otherwise sits stable in the right position!
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 my review of that one!). Since then, they have branched out into other popular franchises like Star Wars and The Wizard Of Oz. The Boushh ornament is very limited and has already doubled in price in the secondary market, which is hardly ridiculous because many Hallmark stores have already sold out of them! Moreover, Boushh is the final major Star Wars bounty hunter to receive ornament treatment, so many fans are counting on her to complete their collections!
This is a great investment piece and it is already appreciating, so if you can still find it in the store today, this is a must-buy for the ornament reseller!
Overview
Like most Star Wars ornaments, Boushh has nothing to do with the Christmas holiday, but the ornament is flawless in every way. Hallmark went out of their way to make a limited ornament that hits on every note that we wish an ornament would. It looks great in sculpt and coloring, hangs perfectly balanced, and was issued at a fair original price relative to its size and quality (and has already exploded in value in the secondary market!), making it a perfect ornament.
For other Hallmark ornaments of Star Wars characters, please check out my reviews of:
2012 Lego Imperial Stormtrooper
2012 Sith Apprentice Darth Maul
2012 General Grievous
2012 Momaw Nadon Limited Edition
2011/2012 Lego Darth Vader
2011 Jedi Master Yoda
2011 Bossk Limited Edition ornament
2010 Lando Calrissian Limited Edition ornament
2010 Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot
2010 Boba Fett and Han Solo in Carbonite mini-ornament set
2009 Greedo Limited Edition ornament
2009 Han Solo As Stormtrooper
2008 Emperor Palpatine ornament
2005 Slave Leia ornament
2000 Darth Maul
1999 Max Rebo Band mini-ornament set
1998 Princess Leia
10/10
For other holiday ornaments, please check out the Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |
No comments:
Post a Comment