Soul: Joe Gardner & Mr. Mittens Musical Ornament (ShopDisney Exclusive)

 *gifted/free product*

There wasn't a ton of merchandise for Pixar's Soul, but one of the stand-out Soul inspired items released this past year was certainly this Disney Store/ShopDisney exclusive musical ornament! This is a wonderfully sculpted ornament and I love how this little miniature scene says so much while capturing the heart of the film so perfectly—it's incredibly detailed and the fact that it plays one of the film's most memorable musical cues is the icing on the cake. 

Press the button underneath the base to hear a snippet from the track "Audition" by John Batiste (who was responsible for all the jazz music in the score). In the film, this is the moment when Joe Gardner first plays the piano for Dorothea Williams and gets into "the zone". The ornament itself, however, is based on Joe's personal piano in his NYC apartment and not the Half Note Jazz Club piano.

The only issue I have with this sculpt (and it could be that mine is just extra off), is that Joe's eyes painted on his glasses looks a bit wonky. It's not a deal breaker, as Joe is mostly facing away toward the piano, but it's the one aspect of this ornament that just doesn't completely work for me. Other than that, it's all really well done and makes for a great collector's piece for any fan of Soul. 

 

This is a free standing design, so it can easily be displayed on a desk or shelf in addition to using it as a Christmas tree ornament. It requires 3 x LR41 button cell batteries (included) and measures 4 1/2'' H x 3 1/4'' W x 3 1/3'' D. Original retail price was $19.99. 

 

Unfortunately this ornament has since sold out online on ShopDisney, but you can most likely find it at your local Disney Store if you have one nearby. At the the Disney Store closest to me, there's still a bunch left hanging around on the pegs! Be sure to call ahead to confirm whether it's in stock with a cast member.

What are your thoughts? Did you end up grabbing this for your Pixar collection? Let me know what you think and any questions you might have in the comments below.

 

Follow me on Instagram @danthepixarfan