Toxic Avenger

You always have to take Troma films with a grain of salt, and that's exactly what I did. I enjoyed this film quite a bit. Though it's a typical B-movie, the premise is creative and I actually felt sympathy for the character of Melvin before his mutation. I know what it's like to be the underdog, so I was able to somewhat relate to him. So while some may have laughed at his quirky antics, I was too busy feeling sympathy for pool little Melvin.

The film is filled with quirky, low-brow humor, which often works. I just felt that the premise wore thin after a while, and that's when the film seemed to simply go through the motions.

Despite that, I had a good time and can understand why this is the film that put Troma on the map. So if you're in the mood for a funny, low-budget, low-brow horror-comedy, then please check out "The Toxic Avenger."

My score: 6 (out of 10)

Troma's best to this day, I still believe. Actually, I haven't seen the vast majority of their movies, but this has got to be the one on top. I love this! Deservedly the companies' most widely recognized film, it can't be ignored for it's willingness to go ahead and do whatever the hell it wants! The acting is completely ridiculous, but when was the last time you had so much fun watching??? The effects are pretty good, nice and gooey in all the right parts....If you've got a special place in your heart for satire, or just like bad, goofy movies, this is the one to see. All the pieces fall into just the right places.

One of the craziest, most over-the-top, and bizarre films I've ever seen. Still feels surprisingly fresh and puts the majority of today's superhero films to shame, including recent hits such as "Avengers Assemble" and "The Dark Knight Rises" (Coincidentally, the latter stole a line from this film). Why? Because not only does this not take itself even remotely seriously, it's hilarious to the point where the comedic timing rivals that of some of the most beloved comedies out there. The pacing is also practically perfect, ensuring there's not a single dull moment during the entire runtime. The only time where I started to feel the length was during the finale, but that's only because I was watching it late at night. Herz and Kaufman proved here that they knew exactly what it took to make an entertaining camp trash classic. It also has some rather well implemented social commentary, but never preaches to the viewer or makes them feel as if they're watching a "message movie" in disguise. "The Toxic Avenger" is certainly not for everyone, and the average person is likely to automatically label it as juvenile garbage with no redeeming values, but for those with an open mind and a strong stomach for pretty much anything, it's simply an absolute blast from start-to-finish, and if any of Troma's other films are even half as entertaining, I have a feeling I'm going to quickly become a huge fan.

Troma Films is legendary in the New York/New Jersey area, where most of their films are shot. (I was on site during the filming of a crowd scene for "Class of Nuke'Em High" in Paramus, New Jersey during the summer of '85, but to be honest I've never been able to find myself on screen in the movie.) The Toxic Avenger is arguably Troma's most accomplished work, and remains its most famous/popular film. Oddly enough, despite the tasteless humor and constant gross-out scenes in this movie, the title character spawned several sequels (of varying quality) and was eventually re-cast as a kid friendly cartoon character (!) with an environmental message in the late '80s that resulted in a line of comic books, toys and action figures!! Watching this gutbustingly hilarious 1985 classick (pun intended) now, it's hard to believe how far "Toxie" came. The Toxic Avenger's humor is definitely not for everybody, but if you're from Jersey, you are hereby required to rent it at least once. On a side note, Joe Zarro, who appears in this film as the proprietor of the dry cleaner's shop, taught English and Film Studies at Paramus High School in the late 1980s. His star turn in "Toxic Avenger" was widely known among the student body, yet he seemed somewhat embarrassed by it and naturally, he wouldn't even consider screening it for our class. What a shame!!

As a child I loved to stay up late and watch "USA Up All Night" (with Gilbert Gottfried or Rhonda Shear, I wasn't picky). This allowed me to sample pretty much every major Troma movie, and I discovered the meaning of the phrase "guilty pleasure". As I got older I stayed away from Troma, as their movies radiated the kind of feeling you get from wearing a shoddy Halloween mask too long and getting nauseous inhaling the cheap rubber fumes. But after sampling the delightful "Tromeo & Juliet" I decided to return to my roots and check out the directors edition of the classic "Toxic Avenger".

While I was right in remembering the films as the guiltiest of pleasure, the cheap charm of the film was undeniable, and there was a ton of gore in the movie that I never saw on T.V. Arms are severed, guts are ripped out, seeing-eye dogs are shot, and children's heads are crushed- and it all looks pretty good! Some of the acting will make you wince, some of the jokes are atrocious (there are mother-in-law jokes), and some scenes go on too long (the idiotic out-of-control-car sequence) or too short (Toxie taking his revenge on his tormenters is strangely gore-free, which is explained in the director's commentary), but I can't bad-mouth a movie that has it's hero stuff a little old lady in a washing machine. If you're a gore fan with a high thresh hold for bad taste, then give the Toxic Avenger another shot- I did, and I'm a better person for it. I think.