The Good: Great sculpt, Coloring, Competitively priced, Collectibility, Decent balance
The Bad: No light effect.
The Basics: A good Marvel and Hallmark ornament, the “Iron Man” ornament is a decent inexpensive Iron Man for those who do not want one with a light effect!
One of the most reliable corners of the Marvel Universe for Hallmark seems to be Iron Man. Since Iron Man effectively launched the viability of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (people seem to forget that Hulk preceded Iron Man by a good five years!), Hallmark has glommed onto the popularity of the character by releasing an Iron Man or Iron Man-related ornament each year since. The only Marvel character to get more ornaments in recent years is Spider-Man. This year is no exception and in honor of the release of Ant Man theatrically, I am prioritizing my review of the new Age Of Ultron Iron Man ornament!
For those unfamiliar with the concept, “Iron Man” is a holiday ornament that features Tony Stark in the Iron Man suit from The Avengers: Age Of Ultron (reviewed here!). The latest Iron Man ornament has the armored billionaire in an action pose, looking like he is about to let loose both of his hand cannons while floating. This Iron Man ornament is made entirely of plastic and looks awesome!
Basics
“Iron Man” recreates Tony Stark in his Iron Man suit from The Avengers Age Of Ultron as he prepares to fire his weapons. The ornament, released in 2015, is a pretty remarkable ornament that is perfect in the detailing and coloring. Iron Man in this incarnation looks just like the cinematic version of Iron Man with the Iron Man armor clean, shiny and made with very sleek lines that make it look both armored and functional. This does not look like a comic book character, but rather the virtual Iron Man suit seen flying about in The Avengers Age Of Ultron! Measuring three and one-half inches tall, two and a quarter inches wide and two and three-quarter inches deep, this “Iron Man” seems to be selling well (we're only into the second weekend of them being available!) at the original issue price of $14.95.
The Hallmark “Iron Man” ornament is made of a durable plastic and has Tony Stark in the Iron Man suit. He is cast in a pearlescent maroon and gold plastic that has a metallic quality to it that looks entirely realistic for the character. The proportions are all wonderful and this Iron Man sculpt looks like it may have come from a digital model of the character it is so precise. The “Iron Man” truly is an immaculate work for fans of Iron Man, with no seams visible (in other words, it does not look like the ornament was manufactured).
Features
As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, “Iron Man” could have a function like a sound chip or light effect, but it does not. That is a little disappointing, but not a dealbreaker.
Balance
As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake “Iron Man” ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate superhero Christmas Tree, the “Iron Man” ornament is a great addition and would have been indispensable for a Marvel Comics themed tree, if the other ornaments with light functions did not exist.
The ornament has a brass hook loop that comes out of the top center of Iron Man’s helmet. From that position, Iron Man hangs perfectly level. The angle Iron Man is molded at makes him look like he is flying and he is very well balanced to maintain that illusion!
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 (reviewed here!). Since then, they have delved into virtually every other collectible franchise in an attempt to cash in on every major license. The Iron Man series is part of the Marvel Comics ornament collection that has been growing since the buyout of Marvel by Disney. Hallmark seems happy to produce both DC and Marvel Comics-related ornaments and currently fans seem to be responding well to the “Iron Man” ornament. If past indicators hold, the Iron Man ornament should at least hold its value, even if it doesn't appreciate significantly for a few years.
Overview
With its amazing detailing, but lack of a light function, the Iron Man ornament from The Avengers Age Of Ultron might well be the second-best Iron Man ornament Hallmark has yet produced!
For other Iron Man Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2014 War Machine Iron Man 3 ornament
2013 Iron Patriot Iron Man 3 ornament
2012 Iron Man The Avengers ornament
2010 Defender Of Justice Iron Man 2 ornament
9/10
For other ornament reviews, please check out my Ornament Review Index Page!
© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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