Disney Store's Prop Replica Of Thor's Hammer Mjolnir Is Almost Perfect
by Ethan Anderton · /FilmWe may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Last year, Disney Store delivered an impressive prop replica from the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Infinity Saga. Fans were able to obtain the battle-damaged version of Captain America's shield from "Avengers: Endgame," where Thanos took out a significant chunk of the superhero's trademark accessory. It's part of their ongoing relic series of items inspired by various Marvel Studios movies, and another arrived this year, one that will pair perfectly with the shield.
As the legend goes, "Whosoever holds this hammer shall possess the power of Thor." We're talking, of course, about Mjolnir, the signature weapon of Thor, the God of Thunder. Chris Hemsworth wielded the hammer across several Thor movies, until his evil sister Hela destroyed it, only for it to be reforged for Jane Foster — who took on the mantle of the Mighty Thor in "Thor: Love & Thunder" — while Odin's son wielded the axe called Stormbreaker that he forged in Nidavellir in "Avengers: Infinity War."
But in between "Infinity War" and "Thor: Love & Thunder," someone else wielded Mjolnir: Captain America himself, Steve Rogers. Confirming he was worthy of wielding the hammer, albeit a version that Thor snatched from another timeline, he brought the thunder (and lightning) down on Thanos during the final battle of "Avengers: Endgame," though "Thor: Ragnarok" created a bit of inconsistency in Mjolnir's inherent abilities.
Now, you can harness the power of Thor yourself by bringing Thor's hammer home in the form of this outstanding collectible from Disney Store, which they kindly sent over for us to review at /Film.
Much better than a Halloween costume accessory
Modeled after the hammer as it appears in the various Marvel Studios movies, this prop replica is better than a Halloween costume accessory, but not quite a high-scale version of the weapon. It lands somewhere in the middle, largely because it's made of plastic rather than metal (unlike Captain America's shield), and it features lights, sounds, and haptic effects that make it feel like an impressive toy.
But it's the details of Mjolnir that make it shine. The paint job on the hefty side of the hammer is well-done, given a speckled finish that resembles metal. There are also scuffs on the edges of the hammer, though it feels like a missed opportunity to not have those scuffs on the sides of the head that would have actually absorbed some forceful hits at the hands of Thor and Captain America.
Plus, the scuffs were clearly done with a smaller brush tool of some kind, because they have a repetitive pattern to them. Thankfully, that's only noticeable upon closer inspection, and it doesn't take away from the overall satisfying appearance of the hammer.
But at least the detail is there at the bottom of the handle to make up for it, even if it's not die-cast metal like the Marvel Legends version of Mjolnir that was previously released.
Mjolnir will light up by itself in your hands, as long as you're touching one of the five rings toward the top of the handle. Various motions will also trigger sounds such as the hammer hitting against something, summoning lightning, and the rapid swooshing sound of being swung around swiftly before Thor makes a big jump into the sky. It can be difficult to trigger a specific sound, especially that latter shooshing sound, but if you're cosplaying with this prop replica, it'll be a nice touch.
The display leaves something to be desired for one reason
For those who plan on displaying the hammer on their shelf, it comes with this base plate featuring the phrase, "Whosoever holds this hammer shall possess the power of Thor." The base itself lights up when the hammer sits on the base, both of which are magnetized to each other.
However, this display does come with one shortcoming. Since the hammer is meant to sit with the handle facing straight up, anyone admiring the hammer is forced to look at the bottom of the hammer, which is its worst side. That's because the battery pack is on the underside, and it's where you can see how the hammer was pieced together.
It makes me wish that the display was made to let the hammer sit on its side with the handle down, maybe on some kind of rocky base, so the underside of the hammer wasn't the first thing people looked down upon when checking it out.
While you can certainly position the hammer that way on the base, without making the magnetized connection, the base will not stay lit up, so you may just want to put it on a shelf without that baseplate. As for the hammer, sadly, it won't stay lit up on its own without activating the various sounds and haptics it makes.
But even with these shortcomings, Thor's Mjolnir is a pleasing addition to the Marvel Studios relic collection at Disney Store, and it's a step up in many ways from the Marvel Legends version of the prop replica.
Disney Store is currently out of stock of Thor's Mjolnir, so you may have to search on the secondary market, but if you can track it down, it's definitely worth adding to your collection.