The Toxic Avenger

Short review: Sometimes the only key to a films success is knowing exactly what it is, what it needs to do, and committing to the concept. 'The Toxic Avenger' knows exactly what it has to do to be successful. It has to be a little campy, not take itself too seriously, have some truly great kill scenes and keep the accelerator down at a non-stop pace. It does all those things and for that reason, a film that wouldn't usually be to my taste, was a very fun experience.

You can tell that the cast were having a blast making this. Every one of them seems to be given complete freedom to be as over the top and outrageous as they like. And they flourish. This was a fun one. 7/10.

(Republish of September 2023 review which was deleted).

I liked this movie even more than I thought I would. I saw the originals when I was a kid but I barely remember them other than the fact that they were a goofy, bloody, and corny good time. And so thats all I was pretty much needing with this new version. Not hard to meet that expectation, right? But some of the reviews I saw had me questioning if even that bar was too high. It turns out that it wasn't at all. I sincerely enjoyed this movie! It hit those marks and even went a little higher. I had read that it was all over the place (I didn't find that true at all). I didn't have any trouble following this movie, didn't even have to try. I think some people just like over analyzing things. This is not a movie to over analyze. Just go have fun. It is corny. Are some things a little overly corny? (like the dumb band), sure, but that's the point. OVER THE TOP! It's supposed to be cheesy, corny, raunchy, bloody, and ridiculous. If you don't like that than why would you watch this movie? Lol. Goes to show you really can't take someone else's word, you just have to find out yourself. And to be honest, I don't understand why it was unrated and apparently had a hard time getting a distributor. I've seen way more gory movies with more foul language this year that are rated R. It had it's gory scenes for sure but I thought there would be a lot more of them. Anyways, this movie was good nostalgia while making it's own way, fun, and everything else I had hoped it would be. I hope they make more.

After two long years of waiting, The Toxic Avenger has finally splattered its way onto the big screen and believe me, this delay had nothing to do with quality. Much like this summer's The Naked Gun revival, Macon Blair's reboot of the cult classic knows exactly what it is and leans into it unapologetically. The result? A crude, raunchy, blood-soaked horror-comedy that never once apologizes for its absurdity and delivers the splatterfest fans have been craving.

This fifth installment in the franchise-and a reimagining of the 1984 Troma classic-is every bit as outrageous as its predecessors but with a modern twist that blends old-school grindhouse charm with slick, updated filmmaking. There are tits, dicks, off-color jokes, and buckets of gore flying across the screen exactly what you'd expect from a Toxic Avenger movie, and then some. If you grew up on Lloyd Kaufman's wild, politically incorrect originals, you'll feel right at home. If you're new to Tromaville and more accustomed to the squeaky-clean tone of modern superhero flicks, buckle up. This one will either shock you or convert you.

Peter Dinklage absolutely owns the role of Toxie. He brings heart, grit, and just the right amount of tragic hero energy to a character that could have easily slipped into pure parody. His journey taking on the evil BTH corporation, led by Kevin Bacon's vile Bob Garbinger. Bacon, for his part, is clearly having a blast as the sleaziest CEO imaginable, chewing up every scene with cartoonish villainy.

The balance of practical effects and CGI is one of the movie's strongest points. The gore here is gloriously over the top but still tactile enough to keep that Troma DNA alive. Limbs fly, heads explode, and the screen is painted red in set pieces that rival some of the best splatter moments of the past decade. But what makes it work is that, underneath the carnage, there's still a story with heart, a hero who, despite his grotesque transformation, just wants to do the right thing.

The humor is as sharp and unapologetic as ever. Blair doesn't try to sanitize the material to make it "palatable" for modern audiences. Instead, he embraces the outrageousness of the original films and turns it up a notch, creating a film that is self-aware without ever becoming self parody.

The Toxic Avenger is a filthy, funny, and fantastically bloody good time. It's rare for a reboot to honor its source material while carving out its own identity, but Macon Blair and Peter Dinklage pull it off. Whether you're a lifelong fan of Toxie or a newcomer looking for something bold, brash, and completely insane, this one is not to be missed.

I'll keep this review short and to the point. This movie keeps that Troma charm, and even has some throwbacks for Troma fans. It was actually way better than I expected it to be, and if you're a Troma fan wanting to watch a Troma Movie, you won't be upset.

I'm fairly certain that a lot of the lower reviews on here wouldn't last through even 30 minutes of the original, and definitely not any portion of part 4.

When comes to the Toxic Avenger, you're either gonna get it or you're not.

This reimagining of the Toxic Avenger is surprisingly good! I grew up with the Toxic Crusaders cartoon and the first three Toxic Avenger films as well as other Troma films, so I had an idea of what to expect.

A film like this is most likely to appeal to Troma and Toxic Avenger fans. There's a lot of nods to the original Toxic Avenger films, character names, signs, a cameo from Lloyd Kauffman, and a tribute to Lemmy from Motorhead. Lemmy had cameos in various Troma films.

Anyway the regular Troma humor and gore is here. If not familiar with Troma films or the Toxic Avenger and you just want to check out something different the Toxic Avenger is worth a look.