Disney Descendants Mal Doll

Product Information

If you are looking for a unique toy, a good gift idea, or a special birthday present, this toy is just the right one! I think that I might have been a bit more excited about this concept if it hadn't been done so much better by other toy companies. Not only do the Descendants dolls all have different faces, but the faces are dynamic--with several of the characters sporting open-mouthed smiles and expressive eyebrows.

I'm still excited about the great articulation in these dolls, although Jane's ultra-stiff knee joints gave me pause. There were a slew of dolls that I wanted to compare her to, but I started with some of the other fairy tale characters in my house. Jane's body shape and articulation are the same as Mal's, but I had a really hard time getting Jane's knees to bend for the first time. I suspect that all of these dolls have low-quality nylon hair, and the only way this fiber works on a doll is if the hair is perfectly straight.I tied the whole stiff mess back to get it out of the way for the review, fully realizing that some kind of makeover would be necessary later on. The hair doesn't angle gradually between its different lengths, but abruptly drops off from the short bob into the longer tendrils at the side of Mal's face. Even after a thorough brushing, the hair has a strange, sloppy, hard-to-manage cut that I was unable to make look nice.

Complete the Mal toy's style with heeled booties and her engagement ring -- fashion accessories fit for the soon-to-be Queen of Auradon (and King Ben's bride! First of all, her hair arrived plastered into a lopsided style, with way too much flaky, sticky styling product. Zippers are such a critical element of Mal's signature outfit in the movie, I can't help but wish that the doll's jacket had a more believable zipper substitute. You know, perfect in everything, never gets angry, always accepts everything, and everyone wants to protect her.Inventing a daughter for the Fairy Godmother is not original (Ever After High did this first with Gemma Faerie) but naming that daughter Jane under this naming scheme is interesting. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. All in all I feel like this line has some good ideas, and a lot of potential, especially from the diversity aspect - it is really nice to have everyone with different faces - but the execution sometimes leaves a lot to be desired. I was also very happy with the changes in packaging for these dolls, especially the thread that held on the worn accessories.