Tuesday, October 13, 2015

HAPPY Aladdin Release Day! The 2015 "Yo, Rugman!" Ornament Starts The Day Off Right!


The Good: Coloring, Good sculpt, Awesome sound clips
The Bad: Front-heavy, Seams
The Basics: The 2015 "Yo, Rugman!" ornament from Aladdin is a neat tribute to the iconic character Robin Williams voiced, but it is, unfortunately, not perfect.


Today, one of my wife's many long-held dreams comes true. She has been waiting for the Disney film Aladdin to be released for years and today is the day that happens! While I will probably get dragged into watching the film several times today, I thought I would start the day out with checking out the first Aladdin Hallmark ornament in many years. The ornament is the "Yo, Rugman!" ornament and it is a wonderful embodiment of the Genie that was voiced by Robin Williams.

For those unfamiliar with Aladdin (reviewed here!), the title character unleashes a Genie from a lamp and helps Aladdin along on a magical journey. The Genie is rambunctious and energetic and he tries to advise Aladdin well, but is forced to grant wishes . . . even when he suspects they will have bad consequences.

It is the Genie rising up from a patch of sand upon which his lamp lays that is the subject of the 2015 "Yo, Rugman!" ornament.

Basics

The "Yo, Rugman!" ornament recreates the Genie as he appeared in Aladdin, though not in a specific moment. Still, the ornament is sculpted with a dynamic and energetic look to it, which captures the character very well. The ornament, released in 2015, was used to help promote the Blu-Ray release of Aladdin and generate enthusiasm for the film (and vice versa). Based on my wife's reactions, it worked!

Measuring four and a quarter inches tall by three and a quarter inches wide by two and one-quarter inches deep, the "Yo, Rugman!" ornament is a larger than normal-sized Disney character ornaments. As well, it is one of the more affordable ones at only $17.95 (which is pretty awesome for an ornament that has a sound chip).

The Hallmark "Yo, Rugman!" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has the Genie rising up, left hand up, right hand point a friendly fingergun and a wide smile on his face. The sand base is a simple disc and the lamp is embedded into it, as if it is stuck in the dirt. The Genie has a curled beard, topknot, and bracelets that are appropriate to the character. Hallmark sculptor Jake Angell even got the Genie's pointed ears perfectly right! Unfortunately, the sculpt is one of two problems with the ornament. There are deep seams at the neck (or where it would be if the character had a clearly-defined neck!), tail, waist and both shoulders. If this were a toy, those would suggest articulated joints. As it is, they are simply points from which the ornament was assembled and that looks sloppy especially when stacked up against most other Disney Hallmark ornaments.

The ornament's coloring is dominated by a monotonal bright blue, which is perfect for the character.

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "Yo, Rugman!" is wonderfully accented by a sound chip. Powered by a pair of watch-style batteries that the ornament comes with, a press of a button on the right side of the base activates the sound chip. There are four wonderful and distinctive lines from the Genie that play! The sound clip uses Robin Williams's actual dialogue from the film and this actually seemed to be one of the loudest ornaments I've encountered this year! The ornament's title comes from the Genie seeing the magic carpet and giving it a high five - and it is one of the four clips from the ornament! The sound chip enhances the ornament's value and is a nice touch.

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Yo, Rugman!" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Disney movie Christmas Tree, the "Yo, Rugman!" ornament could be the essential Aladdin ornament, at least for the Genie. The ornament has the standard steel hook loop embedded into the character's left shoulder. This is fairly obvious and necessary for the ornament. Unfortunately, at that position, the "Yo, Rugman!" ornament hangs with a clear front bias; the ornament is a heavy one and it leans forward.

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 (reviewed here!). Within a few years, every major franchise from Star Wars to A Nightmare Before Christmas to Indiana Jones started making Hallmark ornaments. "Yo, Rugman!" is one of a handful of Aladdin ornaments (this is the first one in MANY years) the company has released and one of several Disney ornaments on the market for 2015. This ornament has not yet sold out, but given the popularity of Aladdin, it seems entirely possible that it will, despite the minor flaws it possesses. Anyone who loves Disney's Aladdin will find this to be an essential holiday ornament and with nostalgia for Robin Williams being fairly high given the anniversary of his death, it seems like many collectors will overlook the ornament's quality issues. Given the sound chip and size, it seems like a viable investment piece at the original issue price of $17.95.

Overview

Fans of Aladdin, Robin Williams, Disney, and Hallmark ornaments are likely to be happy that the "Yo, Rugman!" ornament exists and forgive Hallmark its flaws, even if the objective reviewer cannot!

For other Disney-themed Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2015 Olaf In Summer Frozen Ornament
2015 Jiminy Cricket Pinocchio Limited Edition ornament
2015 WALL-E
2015 Rapunzel And Pascal Tangled ornament
2015 Tiana Ballerina The Princess And The Frog
2015 Ariel's Thingamabobs The Little Mermaid ornament
2014 Queen Elsa Frozen Limited Edition
2014 Bank On Hamm Toy Story ornament
2014 Jack's Peculiar Pet The Nightmare Before Christmas ornament
2014 The Daring Princess The Princess And The Frog ornament
2014 Rapunzel's Long Locks Tangled ornament
2014 The Little Mermaid 25th Anniversary ornament
2014 "This Is Halloween" The Nightmare Before Christmas ornament
2014 All Eyes On Belle Beauty And The Beast ornament
2014 Olaf Frozen ornament
2013 Under The Sea The Little Mermaid
2013 The Nightmare Before Christmas Jack’s Sleigh O’Scares
2013 Tiana's Party Dress The Princess And The Frog ornament
2013 Beautiful Belle Beauty And The Beast
2013 Fierce With A Frying Pan Tangled ornament
2013 Ariel's Big Dream The Little Mermaid ornament
2013 Merida The Archer Brave ornament
2012 The Circle Of Life The Lion King ornament
2012 Jack Sneaks A Peek The Nightmare Before Christmas ornament
2012 Monsters, Inc. ornament
2012 Merida Brave ornament
2012 It's All About The Hair Tangled ornament
2011 Rapunzel Tangled ornament
2011 CLU’s Light Cycle from Tron: Legacy ornament
2011 Up ornament
2011 A Snowy Surprise The Nightmare Before Christmas ornament
2011 Captain Jack Sparrow Pirates Of The Caribbean ornament
2010 Tron: Legacy Light Cycle ornament
2009 Welcome To Christmastown The Nightmare Before Christmas ornament

8/10

For other ornament reviews, please visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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