Ornament Review: R2 D2 - Star Wars #5 - 2001 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Good ornament made more fun with sound clip

Cons: Magic elements could be easier to use

The Bottom Line: 

Famous whistles, beeps

Now available for tree

Fun for Star Wars fans

R2-D2 Whistles, Beeps, and Buzzes Across Your Christmas Tree

Hallmark loves their Magic ornaments.  That's what they call the ornaments that include a lighting effect of some kind or sound.  But very rarely do they introduce those elements for an already established collector's series.  That's just what they did with R2-D2, the fifth entry in their Star Wars series.

The basic ornament is a great sculpt of the famous robot from the movies.  R2-D2 is a short, white robot, and that's just what we've got here.  The details are actually pretty good here as he's got blue and silver in the right places as well as some markings and vents that make him look just like in the movie.  He's standing on his three legs for perfect balance and tipped back every so slightly.

But it's the sound that sets him apart.  His top comes off so you can put two button batteries in his head.  Then, when you press the lens on the top of his head, you'll hear his unique whistles, electronic buzzes, and beeps.  There's no way to really describe the noise, but if you've seen the movies, you know exactly what I'm talking about.  I've got to admit that getting the top of the ornament back on is a little tricky, and I can never remember which lens to press to activate the sound, but those are both minor issues.  I love the sound he makes, and it really increases the fun of this ornament.  It's the same series of beeps and whistles every time you press the button, but one sound clip is enough to make this ornament very cool.

R2-D2 comes equip with a small hook on the top of his head to slip an ornament hanger through.  He actually leans significantly forward, which is a little surprising.  Based just by looking at him, you'd think he'd be better balanced.  Of course, his body is tipped back far enough when he's standing on his own feet that he still looks fine while he is hanging.

Just in case you are wondering whether this really is an ornament in the official Star Wars ornament line, all you have to do is flip him over.  On the bottom of Artoo's feet, you'll find not only the copyright date of 2001 but the 5 in a Christmas tree that Hallmark uses to identify their series ornaments.

Considering they waited 10 years to put another sound chip in an ornament in the Star Wars series, but I'm not quite sure why they decided to put on in R2-D2.  But I'm glad they did.  While the ornament itself looks nice, it is so much better because of the beeps and whistles.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Star Wars ornament series

Original Price: $14.95