Review of IT - Dancing Pennywise action figure

Introduction

NECA is releasing several more versions of their terrific Pennywise this year, including the quarter scale figure. I can't wait for that one, but while we do let's check out the latest in the 7" line up - Pennywise the Dancing Clown!

This guy started shipping over the last couple weeks, and I've seen him at a couple Targets as well as Gamestop. Most online retailers have him by now too, and he'll run you around $30.

Packaging - ***1/2
The package is generally collector friendly, although there's a couple small pieces of tape holding in the tinier extras. I gave them an extra half star this time because the front flap opens upward, like an awning, similar to the way the side of an old circus wagon would. It's a nice touch, and it shows off the character inside along with the accessories.

Sculpting - ****
If you need some more heads for your 7" Pennywise, here ya go!  Of course, Pennywise himself is about 7 1/2" tall, just like the rest of the figures in the line up.

And from the neck down, he's the same figure once again. You wouldn't expect anything too new, since the overall costume sculpt is pretty spot on already. He does have one change - he has his insect or spider-like arms. These pop off and can be replaced with regular forearms and hands, but it's the creepy insectile appendages that really set him apart.

He comes wearing a regular smiling portrait, with dangerous teeth and worse intent. It's a nice sculpt and very useful with lots of poses.

It's the other three heads that are really unique. There's the wide open mouth, filled with row upon row of teeth, with a small light at the very back, simulating a 'dead light'. There's the wide mouth with multiple tiny arms reaching out, clawing their way toward you. And there's the almost human elongated face, straight from one of the most terrifying scenes in the movie, when the painting of 'Judith' comes to life.

All three are terrific sculpts. The little arms jutting from his mouth are even articulated! The teeth on the Judith head aren't quite as large, sharp, and pointy as I remember, but it's a very minor nit overall.

All four heads swap cleanly, and stayed in place while posing. The couple extra hands (and one set of forearms) swap easily too, and popping the bug arms on and off was no problem.

Paint - ****
Once again, super clean paint operations all around. The painted Judith skin has a crackled look, just like a painting come to life, and the details are neat and clean. There's some variation to the dark color of the open mouth, allowing the detail work on the teeth to show through, and the hair lines and other edges are very sharp and realistic.

The costume has the same dirty, aged appearance, and all the details here are well done. It's particularly easy to see with the boots, where a lot of effort went into ensuring great production paint.

Articulation - ***
There's lots of joints - not all of them work as well as I'd like.

The neck could use some more tilt and lean, but the fluffy collar tends to get in the way. I really wanted to tilt the dead lights head back further to show off the light feature, but it just wasn't possible.

The shoulders, elbows, and wrists work great though, and you should have no trouble getting good arm poses. This includes the insect add ons, which have another rotating hinge joint at the 'second elbow' further up the long arm.

The waist turns and tilts a bit, and the double knees and rocker ankles work good. In fact, I was able to get a bit more rocker movement out of the ankles this time, and that's a big plus. The hips are restricted by the sculpted costume, but he can still take good short to medium stances without too much effort.

As I mentioned earlier, the tiny arms coming out of his mouth can also turn, allowing you some options in the final look.

Accessories - ***1/2
I already mentioned the three extra heads, all unique and all very good additions to your now burgeoning collection of IT sculpts.

While most people will stick with the insect limbs, you can swap in two extra 'normal' forearms. There's also a set of fists and a set of wide open grips to go with these forearms.

That's it, but with three heads, one of which lights up, and two long insect arms, you're still getting quite a bit extra.

Light Feature - ***
It's really great to get a light up feature in a figure in this scale, but there are a couple minor issues.

The battery is already included, and you'll just need to pop off the top of the hair (around the button) and pull out the plastic tab. Replace the hair, and press the button - voila, his mouth lights up!  It's very bright, and easy to see and be sucked into, even in a well lit room. However, the button is a bit wonky. I had trouble shutting off the light, even when it seemed like the button was fully disengaged. That could play hell with your battery.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
Adding more heads and more looks to the Pennywise shelf is always a good thing. I love how deep NECA is going with this license, and with the new film coming later this year, I'm sure we'll get plenty of additional concepts for them to work with.

Value - ***
Thirty bucks isn't cheap, but it's also not uncommon for 7" scale figures that are 'special'. With the additional new heads, a light up feature, and the insect arms, this one is definitely worth the price tag.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. Nothing felt weak, easy to break, or likely to cause problems.

Overall - ***1/2
Another great release in the series, and one that is well worth picking up. No surprises on the paint, sculpt, or accessories, and the addition of the light up feature is a huge plus.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ****
Articulation - ***
Accessories - ***1/2
Light Feature - ***
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - ***
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is also at $30.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
NECA has been doing the license up right. The most recent release was the Accessory Set, and prior to that we had the Wellhouse version, the exclusive, and the first regular release. There's also the 1990 Tim Curry version. And Star Ace is releasing several figures in their vinyl series, including this one.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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