Review of Disney's Cinderella's Fairy Godmother 12" Doll

PRODUCT DETAILS

Doll Height:  12 inches

Recommended Age: 3+ (due to choking hazard--a possibility with the wand and shoes)

Made in China

Put out by:  Disney

Date released: 2015

UPC:  NB15 460709732495 60

Price:  $34.95

Written on back of box:  The Disney Film Collection captures the essence and details of Walt Disney Studios' newest live-action movies.  Designed with the Disney fan and collector in mind, the collection features carefully crafted sculpts and intricate costume details that bring to life our favorite characters from the big screen.

Website:  www.DisneyStore.com

Package contents:  1 twelve inch doll in a blue dress with wings, wand, and shoes.

Doll composition:  soft vinyl

Doll nationality:  Caucasian fairy

Doll hair color:  Platinum blonde

Doll eye color:  Brown

Character based on actress Helena Bonham Carter's portrayal of the fairy godmother in the 2015 non-animated movie.

Doll movement:  Costume may interfere.  Head can rotate side to side and nod up and down.  Arms can go up and down, forward and backward.  Elbows and hands can bend.  Torso does not twist.  Legs go up and down.  Knees and ankles don't bend.

I haven't seen the new Cinderella movie just yet.  I probably will when it makes its way to Amazon.  I got this doll not so much because I'm a fan of Cinderella or Disney, but because I like Helena Bonham Carter.  In her earlier days, when she probably did what was considered her more serious work, I wasn't quite as impressed.  It wasn't that she wasn't a good actress or the movies weren't good.  I remember hearing that Alec Guinness had gotten miffed that people remembered him as Obi-wan Kenobi and not for his earlier works.  However, sometimes what makes a movie or character memorable is how lovable they are...or even how despicable they are.  The point is, once the movie is over, they stick with you.  Helena Bonham Carter may be remembered more for Bellatrix Lestrange than for Helen Schlegel (Howard's End)...but the point is...we'll remember her.  I always found it sad that Alec Guinness couldn't appreciate this concept.

I have to admit that I like Helena Bonham Carter's face more as she has gotten older.  I'm always slightly disappointed that dolls that are modeled after her get some but not all of her features.  They usually can get the eyes, and that is usually the most recognizable feature.  They don't always successfully capture the nose or cheek bones.

It is a nice doll.  The platinum hair is stiff but has lovely curls.  The details on the dress are nice:  the large collar, the studded jewels on the bodice, the spiderweb like cuffs, and the poofy dress.  There is a VELCRO tab in the back, and the plastic wings attach there.  I haven't tried to remove them, but I assume it is possible.

The doll is made of a soft vinyl.  The problem with this stuff is that it can be indented by the rubber bands or anything that causes pressure against it.  When the doll was taken out of the box, her left ankle was bent.  This makes standing her up complicated.  It was a little easier before I removed the tissue paper that was wrapped around the doll's legs.  If you have any gnawing animals or children, this doll wouldn't last long against an attack.

She has surprisingly small wings.  I also find it difficult to make her hold her wand in her hands without the use of a rubber band.  However, because I do worry about the indentation problem, I don't really like using a rubber band.

They aren't made of glass, but they don't look anymore comfortable.

In the picture above, you can see the indentation mark on the lower calf.

The ankle came out quite bent out of box.  This makes standing her up on her own difficult.

This doll is probably meant more for collectors than kids.  Her hair, I doubt, can stand up to much brushing.

If these two fought, who would win?

I had lost my opportunity to get a Bellatrix Lestrange doll early on.  I wasn't a Bellatrix Lestrange fan when things first came out.  I had lost interest in Harry Potter with the fifth book and the third movie.  I had watched the Deathly Hallows more out of curiosity about how J.K. Rowling would end the story.  However, it piqued my interest in Bellatrix Lestrange--a character that got more attention in the movies than in the books.  Part of me always wished Rowling would write a book about Bellatrix.  There are many Bellatrix fans out there, so I'm sure there would be interest--particularly with all the cos-players.

Anyway, when this doll came out, I took advantage of it right away...even if I didn't care too much about the character.  Of course, when I watch the movie, I might change my mind and love her all the more--or not.  We'll see.  I don't really like the Cinderella story line.  I always agreed with Ivana Trump, who claimed she didn't like that story because if she had written it--Cinderella would have left that situation long before...not needing a fairy godmother or Prince Charming.

One thing I will admit, though, is that this fairy godmother is certainly better looking than the dowdy one in the animated version.