Friday, June 21, 2013

Ornament Review: Goofy as Jacob Marley - Mickey's Christmas Carol #3 - 2011 Hallmark Ornament


Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: The look is a great choice for a ghost
Cons: Little too one colored, could use more detail
The Bottom Line:
Lacking full detail
But the color and effects do
Work for character




Yes, Goofy's a Ghost.  But He Could Still Use More Detail as Jacob Marley

One of the brilliant parts of Mickey's Christmas Carol was Goofy as Jacob Marley.  That way, they could turn what is a potentially frightening scene into something much lighter as Goofy trips over stuff while warning Scrooge about his doom.  Goofy is also the subject of this year's entry in Hallmark's Mickey's Christmas Carol series.  They took a chance with him, and they almost pull it off.

In the original story, Jacob Marley shows up near the beginning as a ghost to warn Scrooge that he is facing an eternity of doom if he doesn't change his ways.  Marley then predicts that three more spirits will come along over the rest of the Christmas Eve.

Since Jacob is a ghost in the story and Goofy was a ghost in the short, the ornament is monochromatic - a grayish green to be exact.  Parts of the molded plastic are even almost see through, especially his hands and legs.  Just like he appeared in the short, Goofy is fitted with chains around his waist, through his hands, and connected to a piggy bank, a money box, and a ledger at his feet.

The color choice is a bold one and the right one for the character and the series.  This isn't your normal Christmas ornament, but it is what needed to be done.

My problem, however, is the lack of detail.  Goofy has his eyes closed, or at least that is what it lookslike.  You can see lines on his face if you look closely enough.  I wish they had gone in with a slightly darker shade and painted some more detail on.  For the piggy bank, they've painted on his eyes and eye brows; I wish they'd done a little more of that.  Since they didn't, the ornament looks a little plain, especially around the face.  I seem to be one of the few people who feels that way, however, because the ornament has been flying off the shelves.

If you get lights just right behind him, Goofy will glow, but you have to position him just right.  That might be a fun project for some on the Christmas tree this year.

Between Goofy's feet and the items in chains around his feet, you've got a nice flat base to set the ornament out to be displayed.  It also provides enough room for the 3 in a Christmas tree denoting that this is the third in a series.

There is a hook to hang the ornament on the top of Goofy's head.  He tips forward ever so slightly when you hang him, although he is standing at such an angle that he looks fine that way or standing on his base.

Despite the lack of detail, I do like Goofy as Jacob Marley.  He's not perfect, but he is fun.

Check out the rest of the Mickey's Christmas Carol series

Ornament Review: $17.95

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