Review: It’s Pennywise Quarter-Scale Action Figure

For a clown who basically never changes out of his single outfit, Pennywise from It sure has a lot of action figures. And yeah, he’s actually an extra-dimensional alien demon and those aren’t really clothes as we know them. Point is, NECA and other toy companies have gotten a lot of mileage out of small changes in his appearance. But finally, in time for Halloween and his new movie, they’ve done him in big, quarter-scale format like many other horror icons before.

Considering all the different head sculpts Pennywise figures usually come with, it’s a bit of a bummer that this guy has the most neutral of all his expressions. Looking at the package, however, makes clear why. This is the look he had when he first popped up in the sewer to talk to Georgie. Besides, they’ll probably make an “Ultimate” Quarter Scale later with multiple heads and add-ons.

All the articulation from the smaller NECA figures is here, but it works a bit differently at this size. His ankles, for example, will not hold him up forever, and slowly topple. Get a Kaiser doll stand, or lean him against something for display. The double-elbow joints need a bit of forcing to actually reveal themselves. And the interchangeable hand for holding the balloon will just fall right out under the weight of the balloon and its wire unless you fix it. Hint: fold the wrist joint all the way over so the peg is at a 90-degree angle from the hand. This will make him hold the balloon string sturdily against his cuff. Odds of keeping the balloon straight and upward still aren’t great, and take some balancing but at least the hand won’t fall out.

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Pennywise’s outfit is surprisingly shiny, while the movie version in real life is decidedly not. The intent, perhaps, is to make him look wet, like he’s been in a sewer or just New England rain. His pom-poms look appropriately dirty, but his puffy sleeves are more silver than the movie’s gray. The smaller pom-poms around his waist and ankles get to make a better impression in the upsizing.

The smaller Pennywises are already phenomenally detailed. I feel like the head sculpt has lost a little by being blown up. It’s not that it’s bad, but that the smaller ones were outstanding. I was hoping they’d up the detail level even further.

Pricing for this figure runs around $125, which feels higher than usual but seems to be the new normal, as NECA’s upcoming Michael Myers in the same scale has a similar price point. It’s still far cheaper than a Hot Toys figure, and bigger too. But you decide what you can afford.

Take a look at the full photoshoot below for multiple angles and closer looks. I didn’t check to see if he’ll float, too, but he looks good in several real-world locations. Are you satisfied with the big bad clown? Let us know in comments below.