Review of Pennywise - IT (2017)
Action Figure

Introduction

I recently reviewed the exclusive version of Pennywise the Clown from the hit movie IT, released in 2017.  I'm checking out the regular release tonight - which has a number of key differences - and I'll be checking out the 1990's version of the character in plastic very soon.

All of these are being produced by NECA. You can find this guy currently on the pegs, considered part of their 'ultimate' line, for around $25 - $30, depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***
The exclusive spoiled me with the cool lenticular cover. This one is fine, with decent graphics and an opening front cover, but it's not as sweet as the exclusive release. It's all collector friendly though, and there was only one twistie tie (and a couple pieces of tape) holding the figure and accessories in the interior plastic tray.

Sculpting - ****
The exclusive came with two bloody portraits - a smiling version and a gruesome version with stretched out jaw and fangs.

We get those same two head here, albeit without all the blood. That's a particularly positive thing with the smiling face, because the cleaner paint work allows you to see the teeth and other details better. The work on the hair and skin texture is great, and the nasty look of the extended jaw and ugly chompers is excellent.

This regular release has a third portrait as well! This time he's just serious, no smile, but no extreme evil either. He looks slightly annoyed, like he's sitting around with his in-laws at a holiday party. It's creepy in its own special way.

Of course, from the neck down everything is identical to the exclusive, and it's all just as detailed and sharp. I love the work on the various textures, and the pom pom buttons on his shirt and shoes look amazing. Remember, this guy is only about 8" tall, perfect for display with the other NECA 7" scale horror icons.

Another nice sculpting feature - the one additional right hand is designed to work specifically with the U.S.S. Georgie. More on that in the Accessories section.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint work is clean, but gives off a dirty, aged vibe on the outfit. There's a slight wash on the white skin to highlight the texture, and the smaller details - like the teeth and eyes - are sharp and clean.

While there's not much to complain about, I do think the teeth and gums on the wide mouth portrait could be a bit better defined. They look a little clumpy and soft, but it's a very minor nit.

Articulation - ***
Nothing different here. Lots of joints, but I couldn't get as much bend out of some of them as I expected.

The heads swap easily, and I'm happy with the tilt and lean you can get even though it's more of a post and less of a ball. The hands don't swap as well, and I found them difficult to attach and too easy to pop off.

The torso and waist are critical, and you can get some good bend and lean. The ankles don't have as much rocker movement as I'd like, but overall the shoulders, elbows, knees, and hips can give you some realistic, flowing stances.

Accessories - ****
As I mentioned, this guy comes with not one extra head but two, and that's a HUGE boost to this score.

He also has one extra set of hands. There's his standard wide set, same as the exclusive, as well as the balloon gripping left we also got with the exclusive. But this time the extra right is sculpted to hold the U.S.S. Georgie, the tiny boat Bill gave his brother on that fateful day.

This boat is plastic of course, but it's fairly soft and pliable. He also has the red balloon with the wire string that fits inside the tiny hole in the fingers of the special left hand, but there's a difference here I hadn't noticed when originally ordering the figure. While the exclusive has the "I Love Derry" slogan on the balloon, this one is plain.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
Plenty of fun to be had for the true horror fan with this guy.  Decent articulation allows for swapping up the poses, and having three portraits that are also easy to swap gives you a ton of options.

Value - **1/2
This figure is pretty much in line with the rest of their Ultimate style figures, with a nice set of extras all for a price just south of $30. Regular readers know that a **1/2 here means I won't be increasing or decreasing my personal Overall due to the price or value.

Things to Watch Out For -
Take some time inserting the wire into the tiny hole on the left hand. It fits, and once you get it started it will slide up and down easily, but you don't want to bend the crap out of it getting it in place initially.

Overall - ****
I loved the exclusive, so it's no surprise I love this one. And yes, I love it slightly more, thanks to the inclusion of the third portrait. I do think this is one of those rare cases where you really need both the regular and the exclusive. While two of the three portraits are the same, the addition of the blood on the exclusive really does set them apart, and having both the boat and Georgie's dismembered arm is great for the display.

I'll be checking out the Curry version of Pennywise shortly, but I expect it to be every bit as good.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has the best price at $26.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I reviewed the exclusive version earlier, and I'll be checking out the classic Pennywise very soon.

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

Discussion:
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