The 2017 Darth Vader's TIE Fighter Ornament Rocks!

The Good: Great rendering, Cool sound effect, Very neat light effect, Amazing detailing
The Bad: Back-heavy
The Basics: The Darth Vader's TIE Fighter ornament is an impressive Storyteller Star Wars ornament that pops on the strand!


The Star Wars Storyteller ornament series is an intriguing concept and it will be interesting to see how Hallmark pulls off the idea. The Storyteller concept is that there are seven Star Wars ship ornaments that will fit on a single Hallmark Power Cord and interact. Hallmark, wisely, chose the Death Star attack sequence as the subject of the Storyteller line and for 2017 Hallmark released the Death Star, an X-Wing Fighter and Darth Vader's TIE Fighter. Hallmark has announced the Millennium Falcon for next year and one assumes there will be a regular TIE Fighter for the strand, leaving two wild card ornaments. Tonight, I find myself considering the 2017 Darth Vader's TIE Fighter ornament.

For those unfamiliar with the Darth Vader's TIE Fighter, this is the fighter that Darth Vader used to participate in the defense of the Death Star in A New Hope (reviewed here!). Darth Vader only used his TIE Fighter in the one battle and Hallmark made an asweome ornament of it.

Hallmark has the ship alone as the subject of the 2017 Darth Vader's TIE Fighter ornament.

Basics

The "Darth Vader's TIE Fighter" ornament faithfully recreates the Imperial attack ship in fine detail that is instantly recognizable! The ornament, released in 2017, is an impressive casting of the altered Imperial ship with an immaculate paint job and very cool light and sound feature. Measuring two and one-half inches tall, 4 1/8” wide and 3 8/8” deep, the Darth Vader's TIE Fighter ornament is a re-imagining of the ornament that Hallmark made many years ago.

The Hallmark "Darth Vader's TIE Fighter" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has the ship on its own, as is typical for Hallmark's starship and vehicle line of Star Wars ornaments. Darth Vader's TIE Fighter is detailed incredibly, from the basic shape, which features the standard TIE cockpit section attached to two folded wings and an extended aft section. The cockpit is molded with the primary window in black translucent plastic, but wisely the coloring makes it impossible to see inside and thus critique Hallmark for not getting the pilot or cockpit right! The wings have different colors for the engine sections and they look incredibly accurate; Darth Vader's TIE Fighter looks identical to the model used in the film.

The coloring is as impressive as the molded details. This is essentially a black and gray fighter, with finely textured panels on the wings and panels molded into the aft section. This looks like a high-definition version of Darth Vader's TIE Fighter.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the "Darth Vader's TIE Fighter" has a light and sound function. The vehicle is powered by the special Keepsake Power Cord (which is not included). At the touch of a well-concealed button on the aft section, the Darth Vader's TIE Fighter lights up on the aft section in reaction to various sound effects. The subtle red and white light effects accent the ornament in very cool ways.

The Darth Vader's TIE Fighter plays various pieces of Darth Vader's dialogue from the final Death Star scene in A New Hope. As well, there are sounds of Darth Vader's TIE Fighter shooting its weapons and the engine noises from the vehicle that play when the ornament is powered!

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Darth Vader's TIE Fighter" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Wars Christmas Tree, one of the "Darth Vader's TIE Fighter" ornaments is a great addition and for those collecting the Storyteller line, it is indispensible. The ornament has the standard steel hook loop embedded into the top center of the ornament, right behind the cockpit section. From there, the Darth Vader's TIE Fighter hangs with a slight bias to the back. The ornament is just a little backheavy.

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 made ornament replicas from properties like Star Wars, Harry Potter and Tron. The "Darth Vader's TIE Fighter" ornament seems to be appropriately produced and it sold out at all Hallmark Gold Crown stores. The Darth Vader's TIE Fighter ornament is already appreciating on the secondary market and one has to assume that as collectors try to finish the Storyteller line, it will continue to increase in value.

Overview

The Darth Vader's TIE Fighter is a perfectly molded, perfectly colored ornament with a great sound and light effect, even if it is a little off-balance.

This is an ornament I proudly sell on my website, please feel free to check out my 2017 Darth Vader's TIE Fighter current inventory!

For other Hallmark ornaments of Star Wars ships, please check out my reviews of:
2006 Imperial AT-AT
2009 Luke's Landspeeder
2010 Rebel Snowspeeder
2011 Slave I
2012 TIE Interceptor
2013 All Terrain Scout Transport (AT-ST)
2014 Sandcrawler
2015 Y-Wing Starfighter
2016 T-70 X-Wing Starfighter
2017 Death Star
2017 X-Wing Fighter

9.5/10

For other ornament reviews, please check out my index page!

© 2018 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Star Wars Gets A Perfect Starship Ornament With The 2017 X-Wing Starfighter!

The Good: Amazing sculpt, Impressive paint job, Cool light effect, Perfect balance, Good sound clips
The Bad: Seems a little expensive for an unnecessary ornament.
The Basics: The X-Wing Starfighter is an impressive Star Wars ornament that starts off the Storyteller ornament series incredibly well!


When it comes to Hallmark ornaments, there are few in the starship vehicles that have not been done already and several that have been done ad nauseum with resculpts and repaints that seem like they have been done to death. In the twenty-five years since Hallmark started making the Star Wars and Star Trek ornaments, consumers have gotten more than enough U.S.S. Enterprise ornaments, TIE Fighters and X-Wing fighters. Despite the flood of X-Wing Fighter ornaments, when Hallmark decided to make a whole strand of ship ornaments, the iconic scene the company chose to sell several ship ornaments over the next few years was the Death Star attack run. And to pull that idea off, Hallmark had another X-Wing fighter ornament made: the 2017 X-Wing Starfighter.

For those unfamiliar with the X-Wing Starfighter, this is the Rebel ship seen attacking the Death Star in A New Hope (reviewed here!). Luke Skywalker piloted an X-Wing Fighter on the Death Star attack and he launched the proton torpedoes using the Force needed to destroy the space station. The X-Wing Starfighter is the staple Rebel fighter for about forty years in the Star Wars universe.

Hallmark has the ship alone as the subject of the 2017 X-Wing Starfighter ornament, though it is intended to be connected to several others in the Storyteller line - most of which have not yet been released.

Basics

The "X-Wing Starfighter" ornament faithfully recreates the Rebel vessel in fine detail on such things as the X-Wing's laser cannons on the wings; the ornament is perfectly recognizable, arguably because the X-Wings were the most prevalent Rebel ship in the Star Wars Saga. The ornament, released in 2017, is an impressive casting of the standard Rebel attack ship with its exceptional paint job, light effect and a sound feature. Measuring five and one-half inches deep, 4 3/8” wide and 2” tall, the X-Wing Starfighter ornament fits the scale of the Star Wars ship ornament line.

The Hallmark "X-Wing Starfighter" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has the ship on its own, as is typical for Hallmark's starship and vehicle line of Star Wars ornaments. The X-Wing Starfighter is detailed incredibly, from the basic shape, which features the standard cockpit section attached to a main section and four wings, spread open to look like an "X" when viewed from the front. The central cockpit section is long and Hallmark even molded the wing cannons on in an appropriate scale and thinness. The cockpit is molded with the primary window in opaque plastic, which allowed the company to cheat the detailing on the Rebel pilot inside. To its credit, Hallmark sculpted R2-D2 into the 2017 X-Wing Starfighter, which is pretty cool!

The coloring is quite accurate; this is a gray ship orange accents, with black markings to indicate wear, as if this X-Wing has been in many battles. This is easily the most detailed X-Wing fighter ornament Hallmark has ever produced on the coloring front. The crispness of the lines for the racing stripes are contrasted by the finer mottling on the hull of the ship.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the "X-Wing Starfighter" has both a sound and light function. The 2017 X-Wing Starfighter is powered by a special Hallmark power cord, which activates the light and sound function. The light effect accents the hull when the sound function is activated. When the power cord is plugged properly into the 2017 X-Wing Starfighter and the button is pressed on any of the Storyteller ornaments, the X-Wing Starfighter lights up and sound clips from the X-Wing fighter are played. This ornament interacts with various clips from X-Wings from during the Death Star attack run.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "X-Wing Starfighter" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Wars Christmas Tree, the "X-Wing Starfighter" ornaments is a good addition, especially for those who want the whole Storyteller series to get all of the ornaments interacting. The ornament has the standard steel hook loop embedded into the top center of the vehicle’s drive section, right behind R2-D2. From there, the X-Wing Starfighter is perfectly balanced. The 2017 X-Wing Starfighter 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!). Since then, they have made ornament replicas from properties like Star Wars, Harry Potter and Tron. The "X-Wing Starfighter" ornament seemed to be underproduced compared to the rest of the Storyteller ornaments and it has already appreciated quite a bit in the secondary market.

Overview

The X-Wing Starfighter is the definitive Star Wars X-Wing ornament, amid a pretty packed field.

For other Hallmark ornaments of Star Wars ships, please check out my reviews of:
2006 Imperial AT-AT
2009 Luke's Landspeeder
2010 Rebel Snowspeeder
2011 Slave I
2012 TIE Interceptor
2013 All Terrain Scout Transport (AT-ST)
2014 Sandcrawler
2015 Y-Wing Starfighter
2016 T-70 X-Wing Starfighter
2017 Death Star

10/10

For other ornament reviews, please check out my Ornament Review Index Page!

© 2018 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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The New Generic Soldier, Generally Cool Ornament: The 2017 Praetorian Guard!

The Good: Good sculpt, Decent balance, Collectible value
The Bad: Expensive, Light on coloring details
The Basics: The Praetorian Guard Hallmark ornament is better than The Last Jedi in which the characters appear!


The Last Jedi has arrived! The latest installment in the Star Wars franchise was, as all of the films in the franchise since The Phantom Menace have been, preceded by a massive merchandising push. One of the first characters - or style of villain - to be a part of the merchandising of The Last Jedi was the First Order's Praetorian Guard. Nothing was actually known about the bright red First Order soldiers until they appeared in The Last Jedi, but they were well-represented in the advertising campaign.

For those who might not have noticed them in their one big scene in The Last Jedi (reviewed here!) the Praetorian Guards are standing defense in Supreme Leader Snoke's throne chamber on his command ship when Rey and Kylo Ren encounter him. The command ship appears to be the only place the Praetorian Guards were present and they are basically a more agile, better-equipped version of The Emperor's red-clad Royal Guards from Return Of The Jedi.

Hallmark made the Praetorian Guard, with its double-bladed staff in its hands, in a defensive pose, looking utterly inscrutable and surprisingly clean.

Basics

The Praetorian Guard ornament recreates the villainous soldier in the red armor and skirts in solid plastic. The ornament, released in 2017 as late-release ornament, is the inscrutable adversary in its segmented armor, with the staff weapon in a two-handed grip! The Praetorian Guard in ornament form is 4 3/4" tall and wide and 2 1/4" deep, making it one of the biggest Star Wars character ornaments Hallmark has ever made. Hallmark charged $17.95 for the ornament originally and, despite the size and sculpt, that seems just a little on the pricey side for an ornament that is just a little under-detailed on the coloring front.

The Hallmark Praetorian Guard ornament is made of a durable plastic and it is exceptionally well-sculpted. The Praetorian Guard is basically a new-style of Royal Guard from the villainous First Order. These guards are designed to prioritize flexibility as well as armor. The Praetorian Guard's armor is expertly sculpted and the ornament includes decent detailing on the arms to include the segments that make it more of a flexible, ninja-like guard than the stagnant Royal Guards of eras past. Hallmark did an exceptional job with the sculpted details on the Praetorian Guard; the helmet has segments and is cut with precisely the right shape, the gloves are closed around the staff, with decent detailing for the finer lines on the back of the hands and for the fingers. The boots and staff have tiny nooks and crannies that look incredible for their accuracy.

Despite the quality of the sculpted detailing, the Praetorian Guard is very light on any coloring details. The armor is colored in monotones; red, black on the legs and the soles of the boots, highlights of silver-gray on the staff's blades. The red of the Praetorian Guard's armor is exceptionally clean, like these guards have not been in any battles or shown any wear to them. The armored segments do not have any depth or shading to them that makes them look like they are quite as segmented as they actually are. The armor has no additional coloring accents to them, which makes the Guard seem just a little more plastic than it ought to.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the Praetorian Guard could have a function like a sound chip or light effect, but does not. This is just an ornament, a comparatively high-priced ornament compared to other Star Wars character ornaments. This is Praetorian Guard and it simply hangs on the tree.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake Praetorian Guard ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Wars Christmas Tree, Praetorian Guard is very much an unnecessary luxury. The Praetorian Guard is pretty forgettable to those who are not part of Star Wars fandom and merchandising. Die-hard collectors and fans will definitely want one, but this is a limited edition ornament with limited appeal to more casual fans. The ornament has a steel hook loop embedded into the top back of the character's helmeted head. From that position, the Praetorian Guard ornament hangs perfectly level, which would be obvious if the balance was off given the staff's 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 (reviewed here!). Since then, they have branched out into other popular franchises like Star Wars and The Wizard Of Oz. The Praetorian Guard ornament is limited and has the potential to quickly appreciate, despite its pretty steep original release price, if fans glom onto the Praetorian Guards after the film's hype dies down. Given the late-season release of the Praetorian Guard, many fans are likely to miss the ornament's release and have to try to find it on the secondary market after the season ends.

Overview

The 2017 Praetorian Guard ornament is one that, despite its minor coloring issues and its original expense is one of the best Star Wars ornaments released this year!

This is an ornament I happily sell in my online store! Check out my current inventory at: Hallmark Ornament Inventory!

For other Hallmark ornaments of Star Wars characters, please check out my reviews of:
2017 Rey The Last Jedi
2017 Luke Skywalker The Force Awakens
2017 First Order Stormtrooper FN-2199
2016 Death Trooper Rogue One
2016 Imperial Stormtrooper
2016 BB-8
2016 Han Solo The Force Awakens
2015 Captain Phasma The Force Awakens
2015 Kylo Ren The Force Awakens
2015 C-3PO and R2-D2
2015 Admiral Ackbar (Limited Edition)
2014 Yoda Peekbuster Ornament
2014 Imperial Scout Trooper
2013 Jango Fett
2013 Wicket And Teebo
2013 Lego Yoda
2013 Boushh Limited Edition
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

9/10

For other holiday ornaments, please check out the Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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The Ultimate Disappointment That Is Star Wars: The Last Jedi

The Good: The animals, The final third is watchable
The Bad: Direction/Editing, Painfully forced humor, Problematic time aspect, Whiny Luke Skywalker, Evil is stupid, Ridiculous set-up, Plot contrivances
The Basics: Star Wars: The Last Jedi might well be the worst of the Star Wars films.


Like most Alpha Geeks, tonight I rushed right out to the first possible showing of Star Wars: The Last Jedi that I could find. The best possible way I can describe how truly disappointing Star Wars: The Last Jedi was is by saying this; on the drive home, I prioritized what I was excited about doing upon returning home and the list came out: 1. See my wife, 2. Reheat the nachos from last night, 3. Clean out the cats' litter boxes, and 4. Consider and review The Last Jedi. Without any spoilers, the simplest explanation for my antipathy toward Star Wars: The Last Jedi would be summarized with the idea that it took an hour and a half into the two and a half hour film for there to be a scene that was exciting and watchable. I know this because the local theater I went to has glowing clocks near the exits near the screen and as I waited for something good to happen in The Last Jedi, my eyes frequently drifted there.

Right now, it seems impolitic to criticize Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but I feel like I am on pretty solid ground with this one (outside just how I feel). Remember how people's initial reaction to Attack Of The Clones (reviewed here!) was overwhelmingly positive at the time? Have you ever gone back to A New Hope (reviewed here!) and caught just how whiny and annoying Luke Skywalker actually is in the film? Remember the feeling you had at the end of The Empire Strikes Back (reviewed here!) where it seemed like there were a ton of compelling directions in which the franchise could go? Have you ever watched a Star Wars trailer and just gotten excited by how it presented information? Well, The Last Jedi is getting praise that is likely to collapse when people actually let the hype fade and consider the actual work, Luke Skywalker reverts to his pathetic and whiny adolescent-sounding self, the film concludes at a place that is almost entirely impossible to create a compelling continuation to the franchise, and director Rian Johnson and editor Bob Ducsay created a film that spends its first hour and a half (at least) cutting as if it were one long trailer. The comparatively quick cuts - especially for reaction shots - feel more like a commercial or a trailer than it does a cohesive film.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi begins with an absolutely ridiculous premise and it sets up a film that has such a muddied view of time that it is almost impossible to take the film seriously. Following the destruction of the Starkiller Base in The Force Awakens (reviewed here!), the First Order has become more powerful and consolidated its power throughout the galaxy in such a way that the Resistance is on the verge of utter destruction. All this in the time it took for Rey to get to Luke Skywalker's planet where he has been hiding for the past thirty years. And, much like George Lucas beat to death the "there's always a bigger fish" idea in The Phantom Menace, Johnson is obsessed with illustrating "there's always a bigger ship." I can completely get why Supreme Leader Snoke would not bring his massive ship into the field with any frequency, but when the Rebel base is being bombarded, it is by a dreadnaught and Poe Dameron notes that it is not the only one. So, one has to wonder why the hell the First Order didn't have a dreadnaught near the vastly less-mobile Starkiller base to prevent their super weapon from being menaced.

So, the First Order is on the verge of wiping out the Resistance and Poe Dameron makes a daring, unauthorized, attack on the First Order dreadnaught that has come to finish off the rebelling force. Dameron is able to cut down the heavy weapons on the dreadnaught, but the Resistance bombers are effectively attacked. While a daring sacrifice allows the Resistance to take out the dreadnaught, the Resistance fleet is all but wiped out and when it comes out of hyperspace, the leaders are horrified that the First Order fleet - including Supreme Leader Snoke's massive command ship - are right behind them, picking off their vessels and harassing their final remaining command ship. Finn comes out of his coma and immediately asks after Rey. Rey, of course, is with Luke Skywalker, who refuses to teach the young woman the ways of the Force.

With Leia wounded, Poe Dameron demoted, Rey watching Luke wander through his days, and the last three Resistance ships running out of fuel and unable to make the jump to hyperspace because the command ship can track them, Finn and the Resistance engineer Rose go on a mission to find a codebreaker who can get them onto the command ship to disable the First Order tracking device. And Rey and Kylo Ren suddenly find they have a psychic connection and communicate and they debate with one another the nature of the Force.

Much like Thor: Ragnarok (reviewed here!), where the plot set-up is that the end of an entire world is imminent, but the film throws out joke after joke after joke, Star Wars: The Last Jedi belabors the humor and most of the characters - save Poe Dameron - sound nothing like they did in prior installments of the Star Wars franchise because they are joking so much. So, the Resistance in the galaxy is almost wiped out, but people sure are taking it with an amazing sense of humor. Except Luke Skywalker. Skywalker has become introspective, sad, a liar, and whiny . . . so whiny.

And while the first major joke of Star Wars: The Last Jedi lands, it completely recharacterizes the First Order as a bunch of idiotic buffoons. Evil is seriously stupid in The Last Jedi. Every major villain in The Last Jedi is tragically wrong at key moments of the film and it guts their credibility; how they have created an empire based upon dominance and slavery is beyond the suspension of disbelief.

And the time aspect of The Last Jedi is painful. With only hours of fuel left in their capital ship and the Resistance on the verge of utter collapse, Rey spends days and nights training, leaves a planet so remote that Skywalker successfully hid there for years, boards Supreme Leader Snoke's ship, gets captured and has a climactic battle with Kylo Ren; how the hell does that work?! And, on the subject of Rey, Daisy Ridley plays Rey as angry in almost every scene, so it's hard to believe she would not be an agent of the Dark Side.

What works in The Last Jedi are the themes. While Rose is abruptly saddled with a ridiculous romantic subplot, she is given a decent amount of character. She loathes the rich who profit off weapons sales and she has a real love of animals. The Last Jedi takes a nice divergence to illustrate that cruelty toward people and animal cruelty are directly analogous.

But for most of Star Wars: The Last Jedi the film oscillates between being painfully boring and an utter mess. One character speaks normal until his last scene where he suddenly develops a stutter, Leia does an impressive impression of Mary Poppins, and the physics of how Paige gets the control pad needed to activate the bomber's doors are troubling. How the Resistance gets trapped in a building with only one exit and entrance and, after they are sealed in, manage to get an entire force of soldiers out into the trenches in front of that door is a mystery.

Ultimately, The Last Jedi is a film that even the appearance of new, super-armored AT-ATs cannot save.

For other works in the Star Wars franchise, please check out my reviews of:
Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace
The Clone Wars
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Volume 1
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Volume 2
Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith
Rogue One
Star Wars - Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi
Caravan Of Courage - An Ewok Adventure

3/10

For other movie reviews, please check out my Film Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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If It Weren't For The Sound Function . . . The 2017 Death Star Ornament Would Be An Abject Failure!

The Good: Accurate sculpt, Good sound clips, Balance is fine
The Bad: Somewhat silly light effect, Tremendously expensive, Bland coloring
The Basics: The 2017 Death Star from the Star Wars Storyteller ornament line is a redundant ornament with little "wow" factor.


Star Wars fans are, if Hallmark is to believed, where the money is at. It might help that the source material for Star Wars is fairly conservatively doled out (a film a year of late, after decades with a film every several years), that other major franchises are comparatively untested in the merchandising (Marvel Cinematic Universe) or seem to be spiraling entirely out of control (the Star Trek franchise). Whatever the reason, Hallmark is betting big on Star Wars in 2017 and that bet is carrying over into 2018 and, most likely, 2019 with their expensive, connected ornaments in the Storyteller line. The first of the Storyteller ornaments I've picked to review from the Star Wars line is the 2017 Death Star ornament.

For those unfamiliar with the Death Star, this is the massive Imperial weapon of mass destruction in A New Hope (reviewed here!) and the subject of the more recent Star Wars spinoff film Rogue One (reviewed here!). The giant sphere, that is no small moon, is responsible for the destruction of Jedda City, an Imperial records facility, and the entire planet of Alderaan before it is destroyed by Rebel pilots.

Hallmark has the station alone as the subject of the 2017 Death Star ornament.

Basics

The "Death Star" ornament faithfully recreates the Imperial planet killer in its general detailing. The ornament, released in 2017, is a larger casting of the previously-released Death Star ornament with new light and sound features. Measuring four inches in diameter, the Death Star ornament is a touch larger than most other Star Wars ship ornaments, which is probably why it comes with the hefty $39.95 price tag. Given the simplicity of the ornament, despite the amazing sound feature, the price is certainly a dealbreaker for more casual Star Wars ornament collectors.

The Hallmark "Death Star" ornament is made of a durable plastic and is an accurate sculpt of the spherical war machine. The Death Star ornament features the dish embedded into the surface of the sphere from which the Death Star's weapon fires and it has the molded hemisphere that is made to look like a trench. As well, the paneling on the different hemispheres is well-rendered for the ornament, though not so finely that it actually appears to be trenches, crannies and towers all along the surface. But for the broad strokes, Hallmark made the Death Star instantly recognizable.

The coloring for the Death Star is very simplistic. The two tones of gray hardly capture the realistic depth and shading of the monstrous sphere.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the "Death Star" has both a light and sound function, as part of the new Storyteller line. Unfortunately, to power the light and sound function, one must connect the Death Star ornament to a Magic strand - a specifically-engineered light strand from Hallmark that allows chips in the various ornaments on the strand to interact with one another. When properly attached to a Magic cord, the Death Star may be activated.

When the button on the Death Star is pressed (or the button on any connected Storyteller ornaments that interact with the Death Star), the ornament gets around to playing various sound clips and ship noises from the Battle near Yavin 4. The sound clips are cool, loud and clear. When the Death Star is the ship in the strand that is active, it lights up from within, most notably when the Death Star sound effect indicates it is being blown up. The sound effect is cool, but hardly enough to justify the ornament's inflated price.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Death Star" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Wars Christmas Tree, the "Death Star" ornaments is an important addition, though it was produced twice before in ornament form. The ornament has the standard steel hook loop embedded into the top center of the station's top. From there, the ornament hangs perfectly well-balanced.

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 made ornament replicas from properties like Star Wars, Harry Potter and Tron. The "Death Star" ornament seems to be overproduced relative to the demand and the fact that many collectors seemed to hit their budgetary limits by the time this ornament hit the shelves. The comparative quality of the ornament seems to be offset in the minds of those who buy it by the fact that it is a necessary addition to the full Storyteller sequence. As such, while the Death Star might sell out, it is unlikely to be a good investment piece for the foreseeable future.

Overview

The Death Star is a necessary piece for those committed to completing the Storyteller line of Star Wars Hallmark ornaments, but for those not so inclined, it is a surprisingly easy ornament to pass by.

For other Hallmark ornaments of Star Wars ships, please check out my reviews of:
2006 Imperial AT-AT
2009 Luke's Landspeeder
2010 Rebel Snowspeeder
2011 Slave I
2012 TIE Interceptor
2013 All Terrain Scout Transport (AT-ST)
2014 Sandcrawler
2015 Y-Wing Starfighter
2016 T-70 X-Wing Starfighter

4/10

For other ornament reviews, please check out my Ornament Review Index Page!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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The Split Decision On The 2017 A Duel To The Death Ornament!

The Good: Good sculpt, Wonderful sound effect, Decent balance, Some of the coloring
The Bad: PRICE, Simplistic coloring on Obi-Wan
The Basics: The 2017 "A Duel To The Death" Hallmark ornament is a good idea, with a split execution, that makes it a harder sell than it otherwise could be.


Star Wars fans have a lot to love and hate about Hallmark. Hallmark goes out of their way to make more and more Star Wars themed ornaments each year, which is good for fans, but also very expensive for fans. This year, alongside the plethora of space ship and character ornaments, there is a single diorama ornament for Star Wars fans. The Star Wars diorama ornament for the year is the A Duel To The Death ornament and it keeps up the general trend for Hallmark's 2017 Star Wars ornaments of paying tribute to the 40th Anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope (reviewed here!).

For those unfamiliar with the key moment, the A Duel To The Death ornament features the climactic battle between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi on the Death Star hanger bay. The Hallmark recreation of that moment features a section of Death Star flooring, Obi-Wan, Darth Vader, and a background sticker of the hanger bay.

Basics

The "A Duel To The Death" is a diorama -style ornament from Hallmark, which recreates scenes from Star Wars both with a molded scene and special effects. The "A Duel To The Death" ornament features a sound effect, but no light effect. The 2017 "A Duel To The Death" is made of durable plastic and a sticker and includes a sound function emitted through a tiny speaker in the ornament. The 4 1/2" wide by 3 1/2" tall by 1 1/2" deep ornament faithfully recreates Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader, facing one another with their lightsabers raised in battle, on the Death Star. The backdrop that shows the Hangar Bay and the Millennium Falcon there is a simple sticker, which finishes establishing the scene incredibly well.

The sculpting on the A Duel To The Death ornament is quite good. Darth Vader looks completely perfect for the character and the flooring for the Death Star is textured to look realistic. The Obi-Wan Kenobi figure on the ornament is sculpted to look recognizable, at the very least. Hallmark cheated Kenobi some by having the character's hood up. Between that and the smaller scale of the characters on the ornament, Hallmark did not have to make an exceptional amount of detailing for the people on the 2017 A Duel To The Death ornament.

The coloring on the A Duel To The Death ornament is part of the split decision on the quality of the ornament. Darth Vader is perfectly rendered in both sculpt and coloring. The lightsabers for the A Duel To The Death are made of translucent plastic, which is nice, but the coloring is hardly as vibrant as it ought to be for lightsabers. Unfortunately, the coloring for the deck plating and Obi-Wan Kenobi portions are painfully simple. Obi-Wan looks far more like an animated character than like a real representation of Sir Alec Guinness. The beard on Obi-Wan, especially, stands out as very much off.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the "A Duel To The Death" ornament features a sound effect, but not a light effect. Powered by a connection to a light strand, the "A Duel To The Death" has the dialogue from the climactic battle between Vader and Obi-Wan. The sound clip even includes the noise from the lightsabers and that is neat. When the button on the side of the ornament is pushed, it plays the sound clip which captures perfectly the moment the ornament portray and the volume was loud enough that it may be easily heard.

Balance

As an ornament, the "A Duel To The Death" is intended to be hung on a Christmas tree and for that purpose, the ornament is great. The "A Duel To The Death" features a steel loop protruding from the top of the backdrop portion of the ornament. The ornament might lean a little forward, but it is not a fatal flaw in the ornament. There are ways to arrange the ornament so it may actually hang perfectly level. From the hook loop, the ornament hangs remarkably stable. It does not tip in any direction, though it will twist if the tree or ornament is bumped.

Collectibility

The "A Duel To The Death" ornament was issued at $29.95, which is comparatively expensive, especially for the size and quality of the ornament. At that price, it is not terribly collectible and it is unlikely its value will appreciate significantly. This is one Star Wars ornament that has not yet sold out at any of the Hallmark stores I've been to. I suspect it will not be a fabulous investment piece.

Overview

The 2017 "A Duel To The Death" Hallmark ornament looks all right, is balanced well, but is very expensive, making it a much more erratic ornament than some of the other Star Wars ornaments this year.

For other Star Wars diorama ornaments, please be sure to visit my reviews of:
2016 Royal Or Rebel?
2015 There Is No Try
2014 Cantina Band
2013 At Jabba's Mercy
2012 Han Solo To The Rescue
2011 Showdown At The Cantina
2010 His Master's Bidding
2009 A Deadly Duel

5/10

For other ornament reviews, please visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Average Ornament: The 2017 Rey The Last Jedi Is A Mixed Bag!

The Good: Neat lightsaber, Cool skirts, Good balance, Some of the coloring and sculpting details
The Bad: Light on detailing for the coloring and sculpt, Comparatively expensive
The Basics: Rey is finally rendered in ornament form for The Last Jedi, with mixed results!


As enthusiasm rises for the next installment in the Star Wars Saga, it is unsurprising that merchandising for the film is already hitting the market. Regardless of what happens in The Last Jedi, it is pretty clear that Rey will be integral to the film's events, as her training has been featured heavily in the preview trailers for the movie. Hallmark has released its first Keepsake ornament of Rey in advance of The Last Jedi and it seems like she is an incredibly safe bet for a character ornament from the sequel Trilogy.

The new Rey ornament is a standalone character ornament from Star Wars. Fans of the Star Wars Saga know who Rey is and have the potential to recognize her in ornament form from The Last Jedi (reviewed here!), despite the fact that the film has not yet been released. Hallmark captures Rey, in an action pose with her lightsaber out, for the ornament.

Basics

The Rey ornament recreates the new, potential, Jedi in solid plastic. The ornament, released in 2017, is the Jedi apprentice in essentially the same outfit she wore on Jakku in The Force Awakens. Rey is sculpted to look like she is defending (which makes her ideal to put next to the Kylo Ren ornament!) with her lightsaber raised in a two-handed grip. This character ornament is three and seven-eighths inches tall, four inches wide and two and three-quarter inches deep.

The Hallmark Rey ornament is made of a durable plastic and has her with her lightsaber active. Rey looks generally like Daisy Ridley, though the facial sculpt is a little more round than Ridley's face. The sculpted details on the skirts, which look like a wider weave or woolen threads, is quite good. Similarly, the detailing on the various wraps on Rey's arms and legs are good. That said, the ornament's hands are not especially detailed, nor is the hair.

Rey is very lightly detailed on the coloring front. Rey's hair is almost monotonal, without the realistic depth and shading of hair that Hallmark often does on its ornaments. The bright red blood spot on Rey's right shoulder - presumably part of the events in The Last Jedi - is so bright and simplistic in its coloring that it looks ridiculous. That said, on the broad strokes, the Rey ornament looks good on the coloring for the different pieces of her costume.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, Rey could have a function like a sound chip or light effect, but does not. This is just a character ornament for those who might not want to shell out for the ship or diorama series' of Star Wars ornaments. This is Rey ornament simply hangs.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake Rey ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Wars Christmas Tree, this version of Rey is essential, as it is the only Rey so far. The ornament has a steel hook loop embedded into the back of the character, between her shoulder blades. From that loop, the Rey ornament hangs perfectly well-balanced. Because Rey's feet are spread in an action pose, she would be noticeably off-balance if there were and issue. Fortunately, Hallmark got the balance on this ornament 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 (reviewed here!) and the marginally more common Millennium Falcon ornament from the Star Wars line. Since then, they have branched out into other popular franchises like Star Wars and The Wizard Of Oz. The Rey ornament is very common and one suspects more will sell on clearance after the holiday is over. Despite this being the only Rey ornament so far, the late-season release and the very common nature of it make it a tougher ornament to bet on for investment potential.

Overview

The Rey ornament is not disappointing so much as it is an example of unfulfilled potential. While the translucent lightsaber is neat, its coloring is light and not very vibrant; while the hair is sculpted with Rey's topknot, the coloring is a bit off, etc., etc. The result is an ornament that only slightly makes the consumer excited about it or The Last Jedi!

For other Hallmark ornaments of Star Wars characters, please check out my reviews of:
2017 Luke Skywalker The Force Awakens
2017 First Order Stormtrooper FN-2199
2016 Death Trooper Rogue One
2016 Imperial Stormtrooper
2016 BB-8
2016 Han Solo The Force Awakens
2015 Captain Phasma The Force Awakens
2015 Kylo Ren The Force Awakens
2015 C-3PO and R2-D2
2015 Admiral Ackbar (Limited Edition)
2014 Yoda Peekbuster Ornament
2014 Imperial Scout Trooper
2013 Jango Fett
2013 Wicket And Teebo
2013 Lego Yoda
2013 Boushh Limited Edition
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

5/10

For other ornament reviews, please be sure to visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Sturdy Glassware, Disintegrating Feature, ThinkGeek Disappoints With The Battle Of Hoth Pint Glasses [2017 Review This Again]!

The Good: Good initial artwork, Good glassware
The Bad: Expensive for pint glasses, "Function" does not work properly, Not dishwasher safe, Incredibly poor durability - decals wear off completely!
The Basics: The Star Wars Battle Of Hoth Pint Glasses from ThinkGeek quickly degenerate into pretty standard pint glasses, making for a disappointing investment.


[There is a big meme in the art community going around now called "Draw This Again." In the meme, artists illustrate how they have grown in their chosen medium by putting side-by-side pictures of art they created in the past and now. My wife had the great idea that I should do something similar with my reviewing. So, for 2017, I will be posting occasional "Review This Again" reviews, where I revisit subjects I had previously reviewed and review them again, through a lens of increased age, more experience, and - for some - greater familiarity with the subject. This review is one such review, where I am re-experiencing ThinkGeek's image-changing Star Wars pint glasses. These glasses were originally reviewed here!]

My wife is pretty incredible in terms of finding gifts for me, despite me being a tough person to shop for. Despite that, she often finds fun things to give me and it always stinks when she makes the effort and the gift turns out to be a lemon. Such, however, is the case with the Star Wars Battle Of Hoth pint glasses. My wife picked me up a pair of the ThinkGeek Star Wars Battle Of Hoth pint glasses, but within a month of hand-washing the glassware, the decals on them had completely worn off, making them virtually indistinguishable from other, plain clear-glass pint glasses.

The Star Wars Battle Of Hoth Pint Glass Set Of 2 are two identical pint glasses that feature artwork from The Empire Strikes Back (reviewed here!). The pint glasses are predominantly blue and white and feature the AT-AT's coming across the ice plains of Hoth with a snowspeeder headed toward them.

The Star Wars Pint Glass Set Of 2 features artwork that is identical to the promotional photos of the AT-ATs on Hoth that have appeared in books and things like toy boxes for years - since The Empire Strikes Back was released. The AT-ATs are silkscreened on heavy, clear glass. Each set of two is identical. As the name implies, each pint glass holds a little over two cups worth of liquid. A whole 16 fl. oz. fits into the glass. Wider at the top, the 5 3/4” tall clear glass drinking glasses are both identical, including the image silkscreened onto them.

The Star Wars Battle Of Hoth Pint Glass Set Of 2 was constructed with a color-changing gimmick. The snowspeeder is supposed to be invisible until a cold liquid is placed into the glass. Unfortunately, the snowspeeder is entirely visible, regardless of there being any liquid in the glass and while it is initially faint, it does get darker like it is supposed to. When a cold liquid is placed in the pint glass, the snowspeeder gets more distinct and darker, but it never truly fades to be anywhere near close to surprising for its appearance when a liquid is added. This was less of a detraction for me because the snowspeeder being visible the whole time looks authentic and cool - and is appropriate for the setting without any form of "cloaking."

Unfortunately, the Star Wars Battle Of Hoth Pint Glass Set Of 2 is entirely lacking on the durability front. It took less than a week of using and cleaning the pint glasses before each of them showed noticeable wear. While the snowspeeder on the glasses held up fine, the rest of the silkscreening showed some chips and scratches. The glasses are not dishwasher safe and having hand washed the pint glasses with softer cloths to try to avoid damage, it was especially frustrating that the glasses already show wear to the silkscreening. It took less than a month of use before the entire decal sleeve slid right off both of the glasses, making them just plain, dull pint glasses. This is entirely disappointing for any Star Wars fan who likes the concept and spends the money on them.

ThinkGeek appeared to rush the Star Wars Battle Of Hoth pint glasses to market before the technology was perfected, making for a gift that will ultimately disappoint their target audience.

For other kitchen supplies, be sure to visit my reviews of:
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Pint Glass Set Of 4
Star Trek Decloaking Klingon Bird Of Prey Mug
Norpro Deluxe Stainless Steel Baster Set

.5/10

For other kitchen product reviews, please be sure to visit my Kitchen Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Worthless After A Couple Weeks: The Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glasses Flop (2017 Review This Again!)

The Good: The glassware itself is durable and good.
The Bad: No durability outside the underlying glass, Expensive for pint glasses, "Function" does not work properly, Not dishwasher safe
The Basics: The Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glasses take about three weeks of washing before they are just plain glass pint glasses.


[There is a big meme in the art community going around now called "Draw This Again." In the meme, artists illustrate how they have grown in their chosen medium by putting side-by-side pictures of art they created in the past and now. My wife had the great idea that I should do something similar with my reviewing. So, for 2017, I will be posting occasional "Review This Again" reviews, where I revisit subjects I had previously reviewed and review them again, through a lens of increased age, more experience, and - for some - greater familiarity with the subject. This review is one such review, where I am re-experiencing ThinkGeek's image-changing Star Wars pint glasses. These glasses were originally reviewed here!]

Sometimes, in my enthusiasm to review something, I jump the gun on the product. That is pretty much what happened with the Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glass Set. My wife bought me the Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glass Set Of 2 and I was initially very happy with them despite the fact that the appearing Millennium Falcon feature did not actually work. But what ultimately made me re-review these pint glasses was simple: within three weeks of daily use and hand-washing (never in the dishwasher!) the sleeve-like image silk screened onto the clear glass pint glass was destroyed, having peeled off and leaving only a pretty much worthless pint glass.

The Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glass Set Of 2 are two identical pint glasses that feature artwork based on The Empire Strikes Back (reviewed here!). The pint glasses are predominantly blue and white and feature the Millennium Falcon flying toward the Cloud City station hovering in the clouds of Bespin.

The Star Wars Pint Glass Set Of 2 features artwork that looks like the original optical painting of Cloud City silkscreened on heavy, clear glass. Each set of two is identical and features the same glass in duplicate. As the name implies, each pint glass holds a little over two cups worth of liquid. A whole 16 fl. oz. fits into the glass. Wider at the top, the 5 3/4” tall clear glass drinking glasses are both identical, including the artwork silkscreened onto them.

Unfortunately, the Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glass Set Of 2 was constructed with a color-changing gimmick. The Millennium Falcon is supposed to be invisible until a cold liquid is placed into the glass. Sadly, the Millennium Falcon is entirely visible, regardless of there being any liquid in the glass and it is about as faint as the Cloud City station; which is deliberately hazy to give it a sense of perspective, being further back. When a cold liquid is placed in the pint glass, the Millennium Falcon gets more distinct and darker, but it never truly fades to be anywhere near close to surprising for its appearance when a liquid is added.

The Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glass Set Of 2 is not at all durable. It took less than a week of using and cleaning the pint glasses before each of them showed noticeable wear, less than three weeks before the entirety of the silk screened images were gone, leaving only a clear glass pint glass behind. The Star Wars logo on the bottom remained perfectly intact, but the main image around the pint glass entirely disintegrated . . . and that was from hand-washing, as directed! The glasses are not dishwasher safe and having hand washed the pint glasses with softer cloths to try to avoid damage, it was especially frustrating that the glasses ended up without any of their imagery on them. By contrast, I've had a set of Buffy The Vampire Slayer pint glasses for over five years that have been washed by hand (and once a year in the dish washer) and not one of them has a scratch or chip in the artwork!

Fans of Star Wars are likely to fall in love with the concept of the Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glass Set, but be utterly disappointed by the results of how even cleaning destroys the unique aspect of the glasses.

For other kitchen supplies, be sure to visit my reviews of:
Star Trek Decloaking Klingon Bird Of Prey Mug
CocoStraw Stainless Steel Straw Set
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Pint Glass Set Of 4

.5/10

For other kitchen product reviews, please be sure to visit my Kitchen Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Another Year, Another Mediocre Star Wars Character Ornament: Luke Skywalker Underwhelms.

The Good: Some of the sculpted details, Some of the coloring details
The Bad: Light on sculpted detailing, Poor coloring details, Right bias on the balance front
The Basics: The Luke Skywalker ornament from The Force Awakens is another underwhelming Star Wars character ornament.


Hallmark has a decidedly mixed record with making ornaments of major characters who are, essentially, human. While there are a vast number of quality ornaments Hallmark makes, the Star Trek and Star Wars (and other science fiction genre ornaments produced by Hallmark of human characters) ornament lines have suffered mightily over the years by having sculpts that are less-detailed and coloring that is far less-accurate than their subjects.

The new Luke Skywalker ornament is the twenty-first in the series of character ornaments from Star Wars. Fans of the Star Wars Saga know who Luke Skywalker is and have the potential to recognize him in ornament form from The Force Awakens (reviewed here!), despite the fact that Luke had only a few seconds of screentime in that movie. Hallmark captures Luke Skywalker, cloaked, with his naked cybernetic arm in ornament form with his faint beard painted on.

This is a comparatively pricey, simplistically-rendered Star Wars ornament with no bells and whistles, which is a tough sell for its key demographic of hard-core Star Wars fans.

Basics

The Luke Skywalker ornament recreates the aged Jedi in solid plastic. The ornament, released in 2017, is the Jedi in his cloak seen waiting for Rey at the climax of The Force Awakens. As a result, most of Luke Skywalker's body is the character in his indistinct cloaks and cybernetic arm from The Force Awakens. Hallmark charged $15.95 originally for this ornament and it is nowhere near selling out at that price. Luke Skywalker is in the same scale as the other ornaments of people from the Star Wars films. This character ornament is four and three-eighths inches tall, two and a quarter inches wide and one and three-quarter inches deep.

The Hallmark Luke Skywalker ornament is made of a durable plastic and has him without any weapons or tools, staring much like he did at the climax of The Force Awakens. His feet are obscured by the cloak. Luke Skywalker's outfit from The Force Awakens is hardly as distinctive as his cloaked heavily in Jedi robes. The detailing on the robes are actually pretty cool; there are fine lines of the robes make it look like it is burlap or some other wide-weave. Ironically, the finest detailing on the new Luke Skywalker ornament.

Luke Skywalker is detailed generically in the face, hair and even for his bionic arm. Unfortunately, Luke Skywalker looks virtually nothing like he did in the movie. The skin tones are monotonal and the eyes lack the intensity of Mark Hamill's eyes. The best aspect of the coloring details are the hair on Luke Skywalker's head, which has multiple shades of gray. As well, the robe coloring has surprisingly realistic depth and shading as well. Unfortunately, those coloring aspects are not at all matched by the monolithic skin tones on the character's face, the simplistic painting of the character's beard (much thinner in some places than Luke Skywalker's beard in The Force Awakens!), and the sloppy paint job on the bionic arm.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, Luke Skywalker 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 ship or diorama series' of Star Wars ornaments. This is Luke Skywalker ornament simply hangs.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake Luke Skywalker ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Wars Christmas Tree, this version of Luke Skywalker is entirely unnecessary, though one suspects that after The Last Jedi is released, some iteration of this Luke Skywalker might become essential. The ornament has a steel hook loop embedded into the top back of the character's skull. From that hook, the Luke Skywalker ornament hangs with a noticeable right-bias. The right side is slightly heavier than the rest of the ornament, so he is very minorly off-balanced.

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!) and the marginally more common Millennium Falcon ornament from the Star Wars line. Since then, they have branched out into other popular franchises like Star Wars and The Wizard Of Oz. The Luke Skywalker ornament is very common and one suspects more will sell on clearance after the holiday is over. At this point in the Star Wars ornament collections, the primary characters have all been done and the popular secondary characters are being explored, as well as alternate versions of principle characters.

This is not a great investment piece and it is unlikely to appreciate for some time, if at all.

Overview

The Luke Skywalker ornament is a disappointing one, despite the cloak and hair coloring, As a result, most fans will be underwhelmed by the ornament and not feel the need to add it to their collections.

For other Hallmark ornaments of Star Wars characters, please check out my reviews of:
2017 First Order Stormtrooper FN-2199
2016 Death Trooper Rogue One
2016 Imperial Stormtrooper
2016 BB-8
2016 Han Solo The Force Awakens
2015 Captain Phasma The Force Awakens
2015 Kylo Ren The Force Awakens
2015 C-3PO and R2-D2
2015 Admiral Ackbar (Limited Edition)
2014 Yoda Peekbuster Ornament
2014 Imperial Scout Trooper
2013 Jango Fett
2013 Wicket And Teebo
2013 Lego Yoda
2013 Boushh Limited Edition
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

4/10

For other ornament reviews, please be sure to visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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