The Good: Decent sculpted details, Appropriate coloring details, Collectible value
The Bad: No sound chip/feature, Slightly backheavy/obtrusive hook loop placement
The Basics: The 2015 "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" ornament from Fantasia is a decent Mickey's Movie Mouseterpieces ornament, even if it is not perfect!
Ever since I got my wife an artificial Christmas tree, we've worked pretty diligently on filling it with ornaments she might love. She is a fan of Disney movies and the Disney ornament lines from Hallmark have garnered a lot of interest whenever the ornament preview begins. This year was the first time there was an ornament focused on Mickey Mouse that she wanted for her collection. That initially surprised me, but upon giving her and looking over the 2015 The Sorcerer's Apprentice ornament, it is pretty clear why she would want it to augment her collection and tree!
For those unfamiliar with him, The Sorcerer's Apprentice was the assistant to the Sorcerer in the ultimate piece from Fantasia (reviewed here!). The Sorcerer's Apprentice is one of the most iconic single iterations of Mickey Mouse and the troublemaking character is presented on his own, without any creepy magically-endowed brooms following him!
Ken Crow did an amazing sculpt for the ornament and the ornament was fairly priced at the original issue price of $12.95, even if it did not have any sort of sound or light function to augment it (which, given that the character is from the musical Fantasia, would have been appropriate).
Basics
The "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" ornament recreates Mickey Mouse As The Sorcerer's Apprentice as he appeared in Fantasia, from the moment he first puts on the Sorcerer's blue, magical, hat. The ornament, released in 2015, is an entirely accurate sculpt of The Sorcerer's Apprentice the robed apprentice with fine detailing like the bow tied on the front of the robe, the character's smile and the distinctive Mickey Mouse lines on his gloved hands. The subject of the ornament was the animated mouse and sculptor Ken Crow did an exceptional job of capturing the enthusiastic look of Mickey Mouse as The Sorcerer's Apprentice!
Measuring three and one-half inches tall to the top of the magic hat, one and five-eighths inches wide and one and a half inches deep, the "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" ornament is on-scale with most of the other Disney character ornaments. The Sorcerer's Apprentice is the fourth in the Mickey's Movie Mouseterpieces series.
The Hallmark "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has The Sorcerer's Apprentice, arms raised to place the magic hat on his head. His eyes are looking up with anticipation at the hat. The ornament is sculpted accurately and gets the look of Mickey Mouse as The Sorcerer's Apprentice perfectly right! This ornament is augmented by a glossy sheen on Mickey's pupils when the rest of the ornament has a matte finish. The only other real coloring accents are the magic symbols - moon, stars - on the character's hat.
Features
As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" could have a sound or light function, but it does not. While fans of Fantasia might want a clip of the musical piece that The Sorcerer's Apprentice is featured in, the ornament does not have a bonus function like that. For the price, the ornament is fine without any additional functions.
Balance
As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Disney movie Christmas Tree, the "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" ornament is one of the most worthwhile Mickey Mouse ornaments! The ornament has the standard steel hook loop embedded into the top center of The Sorcerer's Apprentice’s hat. From that position, the The Sorcerer's Apprentice ornament hangs with a slight back bias. The balance for this ornament is only slightly off, but it is not a severe defect by any means.
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!). Within a few years, every major franchise from Star Wars to A Nightmare Before Christmas to Indiana Jones started making Hallmark ornaments. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is not the fourth Mickey's Movie Mouseterpieces ornament and the line has done well in past years. Given how The Sorcerer's Apprentice is one of the more iconic and recognizable variations of Mickey Mouse there is no reason not to expect this ornament will not appreciate in the secondary market. Collectors have been responding to it well already and it has sold out at many Hallmark shops.
Overview
Fans of Fantasia, Disney, Mickey Mouse, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Hallmark ornaments might find the ornament based upon The Sorcerer's Apprentice to be simplistic, but worthwhile. Given its source is a classic animated work, one suspects most fans will be thrilled by the 2015 The Sorcerer's Apprentice ornament!
For other Disney-themed Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2015 "Let It Go" Frozen ornament
2015 "Yo, Rugman!" Aladdin ornament
2015 Olaf In Summer Frozen Ornament
2015 Jiminy Cricket Pinocchio Limited Edition ornament
2015 WALL-E
2015 Rapunzel And Pascal Tangled ornament
2015 Tiana Ballerina The Princess And The Frog
2015 Ariel's Thingamabobs The Little Mermaid ornament
2014 Queen Elsa Frozen Limited Edition
2014 Bank On Hamm Toy Story ornament
2014 Jack's Peculiar Pet The Nightmare Before Christmas ornament
2014 The Daring Princess The Princess And The Frog ornament
2014 Rapunzel's Long Locks Tangled ornament
2014 The Little Mermaid 25th Anniversary ornament
2014 "This Is 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
9/10
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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