The Good: Great sculpted details, Coloring details, Balance
The Bad: No sound chip/feature, No collectible value
The Basics: The 2015 "Princess Anna" ornament from Frozen is a nice addition to the Hallmark ornament line, even if it was vastly overpriced.
Last year, the year that I reviewed the most Hallmark ornaments yet, I made a number of predictions. One such prediction was that the 2015 Princess Anna ornament would be the dud of the Disney Hallmark ornament line. I found some that had poor paint jobs and it was put on sale at a couple of local Hallmark shops well in advance of the end of the season. And the Princess Anna ornament did not have a sound function like the "Let It Go" Frozen ornament (reviewed here!). I, sadly, bet on the "Let It Go" ornament even though the 2015 Princess Anna ornament was the first ornament of that character, while the "Let It Go" ornament was the second Elsa ornament. Given that my local Hallmark store still has a pile of "Let It Go" ornaments accompanying the 2016 releases, I am forced to admit that I was wrong. Despite that, though, the year has born out my belief that the Princess Anna ornament was vastly overpriced originally, as it can easily be found for 1/3 its original price even now!
For those unfamiliar with Frozen (reviewed here!), Princess Anna was the sister of the magically-endowed Queen Elsa. When Elsa flees, the princess went in search of her. It is Princess Anna, looking whimsical, on her own, that is the subject of the 2015 Princess Anna ornament.
The ornament was one of the very few ornaments produced for the October release and had an original release price of $14.95.
Basics
The "Princess Anna" ornament recreates Princess Anna as she appeared in Frozen, though not from a specific scene or iconic moment. The ornament, released in 2015, is a pretty wonderful sculpt of Princess Anna. Princess Anna is instantly recognizable as a Disney princess in her dark blue skirt and magenta wrap with big eyes and a huge smile.
Measuring three and one-half inches tall, one and one-half inches wide and one inch deep, the "Princess Anna" ornament is more petite than most of the other Disney Princess character ornaments. Given that she is smaller, but had an original release price on par with other, slightly larger Disney ornaments, it feels very overpriced and is no surprise that more sold on clearance or sale than at its regular, full, price.
The Hallmark "Princess Anna" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has Princess Anna, arms behind her back looking anything but like a royal, with a full smile on her face. The ornament is sculpted accurately and gets the look of Princess Anna perfectly right! She has her braided hair draped over her shoulders and her head is turned so she is looking over that shoulder. The Princess Anna ornament has the character with her feet turned out and a little nose. The sculpt is further accented by detailing on the dress bottom in the form of etched in flower and berry patterns, which are then accented by painted detailing.
The paint job on Princess Anna is generally good. Elsa’s skin tones are rendered in monotones and her hair is similarly solid-colored. That said, Hallmark included painted detailing on her eyebrows and they look good. As well, the ornament includes the one white lock of hair that Princess Anna had after Elsa accidentally hurt her as a child. Unfortunately, the paint job on the Princess Anna ornaments is not overly vibrant. The flowers on Princess Anna's skirts have very little contrast to the dark blue of the skirt. Princess Anna’s eyes, however, are perfectly rendered with bright blue irises and black pupils on the white eyeballs, so clearly Hallmark had the ability to do this ornament’s coloring right!
Features
As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "Princess Anna" could have a sound or light function, but it does not. Given Princess Anna sings in Frozen, it is disappointing that one of her big songs is not included as a sound clip the ornament can play!
Balance
As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Princess Anna" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Disney movie Christmas Tree, the "Princess Anna" ornament is essential! The ornament has the standard steel hook loop embedded into the top center of Princess Anna’s head. From that position, the Princess Anna ornament hangs perfectly level.
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. "Princess Anna" was the fifth Frozen ornament the company has released and one of several Disney ornaments on the market for 2015. This ornament was the only Princess Anna ornament released, but it never achieved popularity or market success. As a result, its value plummeted and even now in the secondary market it may be found easily for less than its original retail price.
Overview
Fans of Frozen, Disney, Princess Anna, and Hallmark ornaments are likely to forgive the lack of "pop" on the coloring for the 2015 Princess Anna ornament as long as they can find it inexpensively, making it a better-than-average ornament when found affordably.
For other Frozen Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2015 Olaf In Summer ornament
2014 Queen Elsa ornament
2014 Olaf Frozen ornament
7/10
For other ornament reviews, please visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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