A Better Class Of Enterprise, The Enterprise NCC-1701-A Ornament Is Everything But Balanced!

The Good: Amazing detail, Good light effects
The Bad: No sound chip, A bit obscure for casual fans, Extreme balance issue
The Basics: With great detailing and a good light effects, Hallmark Keepsake created a decent, but hardly essential ornament with the Enterprise-A.


There are a few things about the Star Trek Hallmark ornaments that actually make me laugh when I look at the overall collection that has been released. Perhaps chief among these is laughable things is that when the ratings for Star Trek: Enterprise were struggling, Hallmark Keepsake did not release an ornament of the new, fresh, hip, NX-01 Enterprise. Instead, they released - at long last - an NCC-1701-A Enterprise. Take that new show! Loyal fans who loved the film franchise held out and we got a great ship, not some "sits on a stand for its effects" die-cast ornament! Possibly the most neglected of the Enterprises (which were in more than one episode or film!), the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-A was the starship for the final two Star Trek films that featured the original cast.

For those unfamiliar with the Enterprise-A, introduced at the climax of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (click here for my review of the film!), the Enterprise-A was commanded by Captain James T. Kirk and his intrepid crew until it was decommissioned and replaced by the Excelsior-class Enterprise-B. This ship is essentially the same one as the Enterprise that had appeared as the refit Enterprise in the first three Star Trek films, with a few minor modifications. Still, it is remarkably popular with the fans of Star Trek and that is clearly who the ornament is marketed toward.

Basics

The "Enterprise-A" ornament faithfully recreates the cinematic Federation starship in solid white plastic. The ornament, released in 2005, is an impressive casting of the legendary starship with an immaculate paint job and decent-enough light feature. Measuring five and five-eighths inches long, two and one-half inches wide and one and one-half inches tall, the Enterprise-A ornament is a welcome addition to the Star Trek ornament line, as it is an oft-neglected ship. Hallmark seemed to sense the dwindling interest in the Star Trek franchise, but they did not include a voice chip for this starship. Still, Star Trek fans tended to shell out their $24.00 for the ship and there were very few leftover after the holidays the year this was released. As a result, Hallmark continued a strong winning record with the Star Trek ornaments!

The Hallmark "Enterprise-A" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has the starship on its own, as is typical for Hallmark's starship line of Star Trek ornaments. Like the previous Star Trek ornament releases, this one has the date stamped on it, though this year it was actually molded subtly into the ship. The 2005 date is subtly visible on the bottom, front section of the ship's saucer section. Stamped as it is, it it thoroughly unobtrusive. This ornament includes three1.5V LR41 batteries to power the ship for the light effect.

The Enterprise-A is detailed incredibly, at least as much as is appropriate. The Enterprise-A had a few sections of baffle panels and nooks and crannies and the Enterprise-A has each and every one meticulously detailed on the ornament. This ship looks sleek and fast and appropriately colored all over. Hallmark got this ship absolutely right! As well, the Enterprise-A has all of the appropriate markings, like the racing stripes on the sides of the ship with the craft's name and call numbers. The bridge module has the appropriate stripes and colors, also.

As well, there are molded details, like the inside of the nacelles and the deflector dish being molded in blue plastic that is translucent for the light effect! This starship looks great; Hallmark did a pretty impressive job with getting the details on this ornament just right for the exacting collectors and fans.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the "Enterprise-A" has a light function, but sadly, no audio one. This was one of the many Star Trek ornaments to light up, but not play a sound clip. The ship is powered by three 1.5V batteries which fit into the engineering hull. There is a panel that opens easily with a fingernail to reveal the compartment. The ornament comes with three appropriate batteries, but given that the ornaments have been sitting for four years now, one will want to replace them if they want the light effects to work.

After the batteries are installed and the battery compartment is closed, there is a button on the underside of the ship that lights the Enterprise-A up. Pressing the button activates the light effects for the Enterprise-A and as it is individually powered, it does a pretty decent job of lighting the whole ship up well. The light effects on this starship ornament are remarkably simple; the warp nacelles and deflector dish light up, blue inside and atop the nacelles and right from the bottom of the ship. The red impulse engines on the back of the saucer section light up as do four tiny ports at the phaser array below the saucer and another four atop the saucer for the bridge, which light up white.

This is where some fans might feel a little cheated, in the light effects. The running lights do not light up and the blue glowing spot at the back of the saucer section does not light up either (it is just painted on). But considering the level of detail, with the bridge and impulse engine lights, it is hard to believe that the photon torpedo ports could not be lit, which would have made for a neat - if not terribly Christmasy - effect.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Enterprise-A" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Trek Christmas Tree, the "Enterprise-A" ornament is a great addition, despite its under-representation within the franchise. The ornament has the standard brass hook loop embedded into the top center of the craft, behind the bridge but before the blue dot.

Unfortunately, this is an exceptionally poorly balanced starship. Because of the weight of the nacelles and the batteries, the Enterprise-A is ridiculously back-heavy, such that the ship seems to cruise at a painful forty-five degree ascension! This ship is virtually impossible to arrange so it flies 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 (click here for my review!). Since then, they have made ornament replicas of almost all of the major starships from the franchise- as well as some real minor ones - and they have all been more mass produced than that first one. The "Enterprise-A" ornament was still rather less produced than some of the ships from the peak years. Largely, it was fans who bought it up, not investors or general fans of science fiction. Still, it was bought up rapidly and this one seems to have been less mass-produced, as if Hallmark knew it would not be a huge draw. It is one of the moderately difficult Hallmark Star Trek ornaments to find on the secondary market, but it seems to have held its value, not selling for less than its original issue price, at the very least.

Overview

Fans of the Star Trek franchise, the Federation and the Enterprise-A specifically are likely to enjoy this ornament, but it is a fairly average Star Trek Hallmark ornament at the end of the day.

For other Hallmark Star Trek ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
1992 Shuttlecraft Galileo ornament
2008 Communicator ornament
2009 Phaser Ornament

6/10

For other ornament reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2010, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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For Those With A Sexy Christmas Tree, There's (Slave) "Princess Leia" In The Metal Bikini Ornament!

The Good: Great (if odd) concept, Nice sculpt, Great balance
The Bad: Fine detail points may break easily
The Basics: Princess Leia is captured by Hallmark Keepsake in a dramatic pose in one of science fiction's sexiest outfits for a well-detailed Christmas ornament for geeks!


It doesn't take a genius to posit that sex sells, even at Christmastime. Still, there is something unseemly (and I write this as an atheist) about a Christmas tree weighed down with ornaments of sex symbols. Okay, now I'm just thinking of a whole Playboy line of Christmas ornaments, but what I was referring to was the Princess Leia (as Jabba's Slave) ornament produced by Hallmark Keepsake as part of their Star Wars ornament line. Arguably the most memorable sex symbol in science fiction despite appearing for less than fifteen minutes in this form, Princess Leia is cast in an action pose running (presumably upon the deck of Jabba's Sail Barge) in the metal bikini the gangster forced her to wear.

For those unfamiliar with the "Slave" Leia, she attempted to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt while disguised as a bounty hunter, but was discovered by the gangster. Used as bait to lure Luke Skywalker to him, Jabba amused himself by having Leia coifed in only a metal bikini with a loincloth-like skirt. Thus, Princess Leia spent the first act of Return Of The Jedi (click here for the film review!) laying before the slimy monster barely clad until she strangled him with the chain he had her bound with and broke out. This became one of the seminal sexual fantasies of boys and men who saw Return Of The Jedi and to this day plagues the sex lives of women who are not Hollywood thin, but still into role playing with their partner. Played with a minimum of clothes and a lot of spunk by actress Carrie Fisher, Princess Leia as Jabba's Prisoner is a seminal Star Wars character and Hallmark Keepsake captures her surprisingly well for their ornament.

Basics

The "Princess Leia" ornament recreates the newly-liberated Rebel in solid plastic. The ornament, released in 2005, is an instantly recognizable likeness of Leia as she defends herself with a Skiff Guard's pike in a stance that makes her appear able to eviscerate her enemies. The sculpt is indicative of Princess Leia after she had been freed from most of her chains by R2-D2 (there is a short chain dangling from her collar), evident because she is armed, which only happened after she had killed Jabba. Yes, George Lucas liked a decent mix of sex and death and this ornament captures that beautifully. Measuring three and one-quarter inches tall, three and a half inches wide and just over an inch and a half deep, the Princess Leia ornament is a decent-enough representation of Slave Leia, but given the amount of skin she has showing, it is hard to do her wrong! Hallmark insisted on something like $15.00 for the ornament originally and it easily sold out at that price. Dressed in only the metal-trim bikini and skirts and posed running, Princess Leia appears active and feisty. This is easily recognizable as Princess Leia.

The Hallmark "Princess Leia" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has her holding a Skiff Guard's energy prod with two hands. Her feet are arranged in a running motion with her skirts flapping back between her legs with a wonderful sense of movement! She is looking up defiantly and her cut chain is an actual chain that hangs down from her collar.

Princess Leia is detailed adequately, in the body, in the accessory and on the costume (what there is of it!). Fans are likely to be excited by the detail of such things as Princess Leia's earrings which are actual loops of gold metal coming out the base of her ears! Hallmark took a lot of care in decorating the Princess Leia ornament, including blush on the cheeks and a dimpled belly button.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, Princess Leia 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 starship series of Star Wars ornaments. This is Slave Leia simply hangs.

The Princess Leia ornament is delicate in the way it is cast, though, with the weapon and pony tail consisting of stiff plastic that might easily break if the ornament is dropped from a sufficiently high height onto a hard surface.

This ornament does come with a collectible trading card featuring the picture from the front of the box on it. This is a cute gimmick.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Princess Leia" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Wars Christmas Tree, the "Princess Leia" seems like it would be essential. The ornament has a brass hook loop embedded into the top center of the character's bun (this Princess Leia had hair braided back and up before a long pony tail descended down her back). From that hook, the Princess Leia ornament hangs perfectly balanced. It is impressive and the ornament sways when rocked, but otherwise sits stable in the right 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 (click here for that review!). Since then, they have branched out into other popular franchises like Star Wars and The Wizard Of Oz. The Princess Leia ornament with her in the Jabba's Palace garb is the ninth in a series and the ornament is labeled such discreetly on the inside of the bottom of her skirt. At this point in the Star Wars ornament collections, the primary characters have all been done and the popular secondary characters are being explored. Princess Leia was mass-produced, but it's pretty hard to meet the demand of fans who have the hots for Slave Leia! Most "Star Wars" fans of the male persuasion are going to want one of these and those hunting for them are likely to find them at or slightly more than the original $14.95 issue price.

Overview

Fans of the Star Wars franchise, Carrie Fisher and Princess Leia are likely to be pleased by the Princess Leia ornament, but mostly because it's hard to go wrong with a 3/4 naked woman, even on a Christmas Tree!

For other Hallmark ornaments of Star Wars characters, please check out my reviews of:
2010 Lando Calrissian Limited Edition ornament
2009 Greedo Limited Edition ornament
2008 Emperor Palpatine ornament
1999 Max Rebo Band mini-ornament set

7/10

For other ornament reviews, please click here to visit my index page!

© 2010, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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KHAN! A Great Character, A Mediocre Hallmark Ornament!

The Good: Collectible, Fair casting of the character, Balance is fine
The Bad: No special features, Overproduced, Underdetailed, Comparatively expensive.
The Basics: I kick off reviewing Star Trek character ornaments with Khan, a great villain, but a poorly rendered Hallmark ornament!


When Hallmark Ornament Preview Weekend exploded with new Christmas ornaments for collectors and Christmas enthusiasts everywhere back in July, I began playing catch-up with a few ornaments from prior years. One of the Star Trek ornaments that I am actually surprised I have not reviewed before now is the Khan Hallmark ornament.

The Khan is a Hallmark ornament released in 2005 as part of the anniversary for Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan. Despite that, the Khan ornament is actually a representation of the classic Khan from the original series Star Trek, Oddly, despite not being at all limited edition, it is not one of the usual ornaments considered # in a series. Instead, this is outside the regular numbering. To date, it is pretty easy to find in the secondary market because of how unenthusiastic the response was to the ornament's release.

Hallmark Keepsake has a line of collectible ornaments from major franchises, like Star Trek. From the Star Trek line comes the Khan ornament. Fans of the Star Trek franchise will easily recall Khan as he is often considered one of the best villains of the franchise. Reawakened by a chance meeting with the Enterprise in the episode “Space Seed” (click here for my review!), the genetically-enhanced human attempted to take over the Enterprise. Thwarted by the combined efforts of Kirk and Spock, Khan was exiled until the motion picture franchise returned him due to a counting error on the part of Chekov. Hallmark resurrected the character for the ornament line, hoping his popularity would sell their mediocre rendering! Sadly, it didn't largely happen for them.

Basics

The Khan ornament recreates the villain with superior genes in solid plastic. The ornament, released in 2005, is a fairly recognizable male character, though this is nowhere near as good as it ought to have been. He has somewhat tanned skin, not nearly as dark as Ricardo Montalban’s distinctive character had in the episode and no good surface details painted on. His body is cast in a very neutral position, though his hands are in fists and his expression is a fairly angry one. Hallmark insisted on $17.95 for the ornament originally and it languished because most fans were disappointed with the sculpt. Given that the ornament was designed for fans, this is an ornament that appeals to collectors and while the Khan ornament is recognizable to them, it is only in context. Otherwise, Khan would appear to be a disturbingly pale Native American figurine.

The Hallmark Khan ornament is made of a durable plastic and he has his hands at his side and a blank expression on her face, though his eyebrows imply a scowl that is not quite cast into the lips. The ornament's eyes are brown with black pupils and they lack a realistic sheen to them. Khan's feet are molded into a very neutral position.

The Khan ornament is detailed poorly in the body and costume. Hallmark seems to have rushed making this ornament as the buttons on Khan's red outfit are not painted well on mine and they could not be bothered with molding it to have a textured look (the actual costume has a pillowy appearance). Instead, Khan here is muscular, menacing and only his belt buckle looks like it was well detailed, though even there mine has paint that was slightly chipped off.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, the Khan ornament 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 starship series of Star Trek ornaments. This Khan ornament simply hangs and there are no additional accessories for the ornament.

By 2005, though, Hallmark Ornaments from the Star Trek line included a trading card (more like a gift card) and this does have that, featuring the picture from the box on a little cardboard card.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake Khan ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Star Trek Christmas Tree, Khan is very much unnecessary. The ornament has a brass hook loop embedded into the top center, slightly back, of the character's skull. From that hook, the Khan ornament hangs fairly well. The feet hang slightly behind the chest as a result of the hook placement, but that may be compensated for with the hook one uses to attach it to the tree. The balance is good, then and the ornament sways when rocked, but otherwise sits stable in the right 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 (click here for my review!). The Khan ornament is a ridiculously common ornament that may often be found for less than its original issue price in the secondary market. At this point in the Star Trek ornament collections, the primary characters have all been done and the popular secondary characters are being explored. Khan was overproduced and with the death of Ricardo Montalban, who is no longer signing them at conventions, the value has dropped some.

This is a poor investment piece and it is unlikely it will appreciate in value.

Overview

The Khan Christmas ornament is a surprisingly poor outing from Hallmark Keepsake and those looking to make the essential Star Trek Christmas tree will likely be willing to pass this one by because of its poor detailing.

For reviews of other Star Trek Hallmark ornaments and ornaments of characters, please check out:
1999 Hallmark Gold Crown U.S.S. Enterprise blown glass ornament
2009 "The Menagerie" Ornament
2010 "Defender Of Justice" Iron Man 2 Ornament

4/10

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

© 2010 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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