Brave MagiClip Doll Review and a Preview of Other Brave Products

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am getting SO impatient to see Disney Pixar's latest offering, "Brave". :D  Unfortunately, it won't be coming out until June 22nd, so I'm just going to have to wait. 

In the meantime, I thought I'd show you some of the "Brave" merchandise that's been released from Mattel this month, just to whet your appetite. ;)  

This first product is one of the Polly Pocket-sized princess dolls with the new MagiClip dresses (they're hard and clip on instead of being soft and squishy like the older versions).  I found this on Amazon.com thanks to a tip from an awesome Disney Doll Forum which I keep forgetting to mention on this blog.  Now's as good a time as any, I guess. ;)  For those of you who enjoy Disney Dolls, be sure to stop by Disney Doll Lovers and check things out.  It's a proboards site, so you have to register to view most things, but it's definitely worth it. :)

Anyway, this Merida was on Amazon.com for $6.82.  You can get your own HERE. :)  I was interested in purchasing her because, as you all know, my Charlie doll collects stuff from all of the Disney Pixar movies.  I knew that this Merida would be just the right size, and she was the least expensive one I could find. :)

Here she is in her package.

And here's the back of the package.

Free from the box! ;)

I took this picture to show you how the new dresses work.  You squeeze the bottom, and the dress opens up, allowing you to take the doll out.

I appreciate that she has painted on undergarments so she's never naked! :)  I also like the fact that her hips are wider than the typical princess hips.  Yay for a slightly more realistic figure, even if she is still super skinny. ;)

Here she is in her other outfit.  I really like her flowing cape in this one.

I thought it was a great idea of Mattel's to include instructions for putting the dress back together if it comes apart.  My 4 year old has pulled too hard on one of these dresses and popped it apart, so it is definitely a hazard of the new design. 

Charlie loves her new Merida!

She can't wait for the movie to come out, either. ;)

I would give this mini doll a 4 out of 5 stars.  She's very cute and a perfect size for the AG dolls.  My only complaints are that she doesn't really look much like herself, and her dresses are not movie accurate.  Granted, it's probably because long-sleeved dresses in hard plastic would have been difficult to get on the doll, but it still detracts from her overall appeal to me...at least a little.  It's also difficult to turn her head in the dress with the cape, because her hair is so close to her body.  Also, for younger kiddos (4 and under, perhaps?), it might be better to go for a doll with softer clothing.  Either that, or you just need to bear in mind that you'll be helping them dress little Merida...a lot! ;)  And don't lose the instructions on how to put the dress back together.  Trust me on this one.

The other day, I was in Walmart and noticed that several of Mattel's mini doll play sets and larger dolls were in stock.  I snapped a few pics with my cell phone (sorry for the lousy quality) and recorded the prices so you could check them out. :)

First, we have the Brave "Story Gift Set", which includes a mini Merida like mine and a Queen Elinor.  It also comes with Elinor as a bear (you can apparently fit the doll inside the bear body), an extra dress and cape for Merida, and Merida's bow, arrow, and quiver.  As you can see from the packaging, this also features the hard MagiClip clothing.  Walmart was selling this set for $15.97.  

Here's a closer look at some of the details:

Next is the Brave "Castle and Forest Playset".  It comes with the castle, some plastic trees, a few pieces of furniture, and mini Merida and Angus.  Walmart was selling this set for $26.97.

My favorite thing about this set was that it came with Angus (Merida's horse)!!  I have a feeling he'll be one of my favorite characters. :)  I just didn't want to spend $27 so I could have the horse, too. ;)

Now we move on to the Barbie-sized dolls.  This one is the generic Merida doll by Mattel.  She comes with a comb, her dress and belt, a crown, and (I'm assuming) shoes.  Her price was $14.97.

For those interested in more detail, there is also "Gem Styling Merida".  She comes with removable gems to add to her dress, a comb, and her bow and arrow.  I'm assuming she has shoes, too.  Walmart was selling her for $20.97.

Here's a closer look.

And for all of you horse lovers out there, Mattel also released a "Merida and Angus" set, selling at Walmart for $26.97.  Personally, I'd rather spend the extra six bucks and get the horse rather than removable gems and a bow and arrow, but that's just me. ;)  My main complaint with this set is that Angus is a REALLY small Clydesdale.  Either that, or Merida had a huge growth spurt overnight. ;)  I know this doesn't bother everyone, but accurate scale is really important to me (it comes from having a model railroader as a father). 

Just look at this picture of Merida and Angus, and you'll see what I mean:

Now, if someone made a horse like this, I would so buy it! ;)  The plush Angus from the Disney Store is better than Mattel's version, but he's still not perfect.  Maybe I'm just too picky. :}

I have to say that I definitely prefer the Disney Store 11" Merida doll to Mattel's version.  I think that the Disney Store did a better job at capturing her look:

Sorry, I know the difference in quality gives the Disney Store version an unfair advantage, but that aside, the face and outfit are just flat out done better.  At least, in my own humble opinion. ;)  

Interestingly enough, my oldest daughter prefers the Mattel version because she has a "sweeter face".  I'm sure there will be others out there who agree.   

What are your thoughts?  Are you excited about all of the new Brave merchandise?  Are you looking forward to the movie?  Do you prefer the Mattel or Disney Store dolls? 

Talk to you guys later!  I'm hoping to get another post up before we leave for vacation, but I'm not sure how my time will go.  I'll at least do a quick update post. ;)