Ornament Review: Mean Mr. Grinch - 2011 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Perfectly captures iconic moment; use of the song

Cons: A bit fragile, colors very bright

The Bottom Line:

If you don't love song

And this ornament maybe

You are really Grinch.

The Song Adds to the Fun of Mean Mr. Grinch 

I have always loved Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, both the book and the TV special.  So when I started collecting Hallmark ornaments, I was drawn to the ones inspired by this classic picture book.  But Mean Mr. Grinch, an offering from the 2011 line, puts an extra smile on my face.

The story centers around the Grinch, a character who hates Christmas so much he decides to dress up as Santa Claus and steal all the presents and decorations from the Who's who live in the village below his cave.  And he steals everything.

This ornament captures the Grinch in one of his famous poses from the book that was later incorporated in the special.  After having cleaned out a house, the Grinch is about to go back up the chimney feet first.  Before he does, he stops and grabs the log for their fire.

The ornament is mainly blue and orange.  The blue is on the base of the ornament, representing the floor.  There is a lavender part for the inside of the hearth.  The back of the fire place is bright orange.  The front half of the Grinch is sticking out of the fire place.  In his left hand, he's got the log; with his right hand, he's doffing his red Santa hat to a mouse left in the house, who happens to be sitting front and center of the ornament.

As I said, this is a classic scene from the story, and I'm a little surprised that Hallmark hasn't done it before.  They've captured it perfectly, and I instantly knew what this moment was.

If I had one complaint about the ornament, it's the colors used.  They seem too bright to me.  I always associate this story with softer tones, but there's no mistaking the colors here.  That's probably just a matter of my taste, however.

What makes this ornament even better is the "magic" element.  That's the term Hallmark uses for any of their ornaments that incorporate light or sound.  In this case, when you press the button on the side of the ornament, you'll hear Thurl Ravenscroft sing a verse of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" from the TV special.  I absolutely love that song, so having it in this ornament is perfect.  There's only one verse, no matter how many times you press the button.  Yes, I wish there were more, but I will take it.  To make this part of the ornament work, you need 3 button batteries, and the first set are included for you.

Because the ornament has a flat base, it sits level on any surface you set it on.  There's a small hook at the top of the ornament for hanging it, and it hangs level as well.

I have heard that some people found their ornament broken when they opened the box.  Because of how the Grinch is glued in, I do think it would be easy for him to break out of the chimney.  So be sure to check this one carefully when you buy it.

The instant I saw Mean Mr. Grinch, I knew I had to get this ornament, and I'm not disappointed.  I'm already looking forward to putting him on my tree this year.

Original Price: $17.95