Mickey

When it came to taking the beloved Rocky characters and putting them in action figure form, who else is a choice pick from the original movie but the crotchety old man whose own lost dreams give him the drive to push Rocky Balboa to his limits? A decent boxer back in the old days, Mickey Goldmill spends his time as a cantankerous trainer at his own Mickey's Gym. Resenting Rocky's day job as a collector for Gazzo, this wily boxing manager refused to take Rocky seriously and even gave away his locker to another boxer. But deep down, Mickey knows that Rocky has what it takes. So now Rocky gets a chance at the championship, Mickey gets the chance to train him... and they both get the opportunity of a lifetime. Mickey is something of a pop culture icon; you can find the character parodied frequently due to his seriousness, gravelly voice, intense demeanor and popular catchphrases - like "You're gonna eat lightnin' and you're gonna crap thunder!" or "You're a bum!" - and he makes for a surprisingly neat toy here. Who'd expect an old man to be a good action figure? [The people who made Magneto? --ed.] The sculpt is not perfect, capturing actor Burgess Meredith in something of a mid-smirk; however, it's still quite recognisable, and unlike the horrible Adrian, is not weighed down with a ton of horrible fabric clothing. Mickey wears his orange trainer's jacket over more commonplace white clothing, which while not perfect, is easily removable and doesn't look too bad, certainly not distracting from the rest of the toy. Mick is fully articulated, featuring balljoints and other points of articulation out the wazoo - head, shoulders, upper arms, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees and ankles. Not bad for a little old man. And surprisingly, he doesn't seem to be yet another re-used Jakks body! He comes with one accessory, too: a removable beanie hat. Why his is removable and Adrian's is not is a mystery for the ages; still, it's soft plastic that stays on his head and can be taken off with ease if desired. It comes down to Goldmill being a fine toy, certainly not as desirable as some of the more popular Rocky characters, like the champ himself, or Mr. T, but still worth acquiring if you're a fan, or just want a Mick in your collection. "I love ya, kid." And your mom.

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