The Good: Excellent sculpt, Good balance, Neat feature
The Bad: Hair coloring, No function
The Basics: The 2015 "Rapunzel And Pascal" from Tangled ornament is a worthwhile addition to the Disney Hallmark ornament line!
Since the movie made its debut,Tangled has been one of the more reliable cash cows for Disney and its licensees. Hallmark has made producing new Tangled ornaments an annual event and it is somewhat surprising that they have limited their focus so tightly on the film's protagonist. That said, this year's Rapunzel And Pascal ornament is one of the best that Hallmark has produced!
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 And Pascal features Rapunzel and her chameleon companion, Pascal. The ornament seems to depict one of the more playful moments after she escapes her tower.
Basics
The "Rapunzel And Pascal" ornament recreates Rapunzel, as she appeared in Tangled with her long hair cascading all around her as and into a coil under her feet. The ornament, released in 2015, is a very cool and accurate sculpt of Rapunzel in her iconic pink and purple dress, with the character and hair looking instantly recognizable. Pascal is hair surfing in one of the coils of hair that Rapunzel has cascading around behind her.
Hallmark clearly made quite an effort on Rapunzel And Pascal as she has great detailing on the eyes and with the lacing up the front of her bodice. This version of Rapunzel, unlike some of the prior years, does not have toenails nor fingernails molded into her feet or hands. Measuring three and a half inches tall, two and a half inches wide and two and one-quarter inches deep, the "Rapunzel And Pascal" ornament is one of the medium-sized Disney character ornaments this year and it is fairly inexpensive at only $14.95.
The Hallmark "Rapunzel And Pascal" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has Rapunzel smiling whimsically as she whips her hair like a lasso. The ornament is fairly well detailed in the sculpted details and the colored details are generally good. Perhaps the neatest sculpted detail is Rapunzel's bangs, which lift upward dynamically from her forehead, enhancing the appearance of her dancing around.
Rapunzel And Pascal 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 unfortunately monotonal with minimal highlights to give it depth and shading appropriate even to the animated character. Pascal is virtually monotonal, but to Hallmark's credit, he is well-painted so none of his green skin is painted onto Rapunzel's hair. The skirt has decent molded details, but not coloring accents.
Features
As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "Rapunzel And Pascal" could have a sound or light effect, but it does not. Instead, this is a less-expensive option that is just the character.
Balance
As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Rapunzel And Pascal" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Disney movie Christmas Tree, the "Rapunzel And Pascal" 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, just to the left of the part in her hair, of Rapunzel’s head. This is fairly obvious and necessary for the ornament. Rapunzel And Pascal hangs perpendicular to the ground when properly hung from that hook point and she has generally good balance. Because the hair coil upon which Rapunzel is standing has a flat bottom and acts like a base, the balance had to be just right and Hallmark got it just right!
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 And Pascal" is one of only a few Tangled ornaments on the market and at least the fifth of Rapunzel. This ornament has sold out at about half of the Hallmark stores nearby and given the popularity of Tangled and Disney ornaments, there is a better than average chance that this will be one of the ones that manages to appreciate in value!
Overview
Fans of Tangled, Disney, Rapunzel, Mandy Moore, and Hallmark ornaments are likely to be pleased with the “Rapunzel And Pascal” ornament, despite the minor lack of highlights on the coloring details!
For other Tangled Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2014 Rapunzel's Long Locks ornament
2013 Fierce With A Frying Pan ornament
2012 It's All About The Hair ornament
2011 Rapunzel ornament
8.5/10
For other ornament reviews, please visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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