Ornament Review: BB-8 - 2016 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great representation of a popular character

Cons: Wires could break if you aren’t careful

The Bottom Line:

BB-8 becomes

A great Hallmark ornaments

Star Wars fans will want

BB-8 Gets His Turn as an Awesome Hallmark Ornament

We got to meet a lot of new characters in Star Wars: The Force Awakens last year, but I think it is safe to say the break out star was BB-8.  This little droid was so much fun and so cute, and merchandise with him flew off shelves everywhere.  Hallmark may be a year late to the party, but they have released their own BB-8 ornament this year, and it’s a winner.

The ornament itself is very simple.  It’s just BB-8 himself, no magic (sound or motion), no background or anything else.  And yet the ornament is wonderful that way.  Of course, it is a ball with a half circle on top of it, just like the character.  It’s got the white, gray, and orange pattern of this droid on it as well.

The first thing I noticed when I looked at the ornament is the smudges of dirt and grime on it.  I don’t remember seeing that on other things with the character, but I actually love that touch.  After all, if BB-8 is rolling around in the dirt, he’s going to be dirty.  It’s not enough to take away from the designs on the character, but it adds a realistic touch.

Remember in my discussion I mentioned that this ornament is just BB-8 all by himself and he’s mostly a ball?  I had never thought about that until I went to try to set him out and realized I couldn’t.  He’s a ball.  It was never an issue in the movie, so I didn’t think about it here.  It makes me appreciate the movie magic and very active motors that would make this character stand up when not in motion.

Naturally, that means you have to hang the ornament.  With a loop in the top of his head, it’s no surprise that he hangs straight.

You will want to watch out for the two wires sticking up from the back of BB-8’s head representing his antenna.  They are thin and feel like they could be bent or broken easily.  This isn’t a toy but a decoration.  Remember that, and you’ll be fine.

Fascination with BB-8 doesn’t seem to have slowed down yet, and this is proving to be one of the hot ornaments of 2016.  If you want him, make sure you get him sooner because I have a feeling that prices will only rise as he get rarer.

Original Price: $15.95