Macon Blair’s The Toxic Avenger may alienate mainstream moviegoers but will have no problem mopping up a cult audience.
What a road it’s been for The Toxic Avenger! Since first being announced in 2010, the reboot of Troma’s 1984 low-budget cult icon has managed to attach and then detach names like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Guillermo del Toro, and Conrad Vernon. Things were looking up when the film entered production in 2021 with Peter Dinklage in the title role, then even better when the completed film screened at genre mainstays Fantastic Fest, Beyond Fest, and the Sitges Film Festival in 2023 to glowing reviews.
And then… nothing. The Toxic Avenger languished in the aether for almost two years, unable to secure a distributor who was comfortable with the film’s unapologetic gore and violence. Thankfully, the theatrical success of 2024’s unrated Terrifier 3 was enough to get Cineverse to not only rescue the film from oblivion, but reinstate footage that was originally cut to secure the film’s original R rating.
Gooze vs. the Ooze.
Dinklage stars as Winston Gooze, a timid janitor struggling to financially and emotionally provide for his stepson Wade (Jacob Tremblay) following his wife’s death. Winston’s situation goes from bad to worse when he’s given his own terminal diagnosis and his employer-provided healthcare plan won’t cover the only treatment that could extend his life. He directly petitions CEO Bob Garbinger (Kevin Bacon) for assistance, but the pollution from Bob’s sham wellness treatments are the direct cause of the variety of deadly illnesses that plague the town.
The desperation drives Winston to rob his workplace, where exposure to industrial ooze transforms him into the The Toxic Avenger (physically performed by Luisa Guerreiro). Empowered with super strength, invulnerability, and a badass mop, Toxie must tear his way through militant transphobes, preppy mobsters, and a murderous rock band to help investigative journalist J.J. (Taylour Paige) take down Bob, Bob’s brother Fritz (Elijah Wood), and Bob’s associate Kissy (Julia Davis) and hopefully make the city safe again.
Tribute to Troma.
Longtime fans of Troma and its oeuvre might be a bit miffed to see some longtime Tromaverse elements toned down: Tromaville is now St. Roma’s Village and Nuke ‘Em High is now Chemistry High School. But at the same time, Macon Blair’s love for the Tromaverse is obvious. There are loads of references to the original Toxic Avenger quadrilogy as well as plenty of other lesser-known Troma classics. Blair’s script is uneven at times but never fails to maintain the balance of heart, irreverence, and sheer persistence that has defined Troma’s output. Even the film’s recent big marketing swing — partnering with nonprofit Undue Medical Debt to forgive $5 million in medical debt — is the sort of guerrilla tactic that feels right at home with the Troma legacy.
The cast is a real highlight here. Dinklage and Guerreiro’s dual performance shines, but frankly every performer here feels like they’re getting the chance to showcase their talents. Paige and Tremblay anchor the film in a sense of coherency, even through the plot’s zanier moments. Bacon and Davis chew so much scenery I’m frankly surprised the sets never collapsed. And even smaller performances like those by Margo Cargill (a blind diner patron), Dimitar Bozhilov (a parkour assassin), and Ev Lunning (an exasperated news anchor) give the impression of every character in this universe being utterly unique and utterly wonderful. A cameo by Blair and Troma cofounder/Toxic Avenger creator Lloyd Kaufman manages the best piece of meta commentary we’ve gotten on remakes since 21 Jump Street.
Schlock standards.
There’s a big thing holding The Toxic Avenger back from approaching the heights of its predecessor and that’s its reliance on CGI gore. While most of the film’s more obvious goofs (like very clearly not having enough extras for a scene at a music festival) feel like a deliberate appeal to camp sensibilities, the CGI blood often finds itself crossing the threshold from fun bad to regular bad.
Which is especially disappointing because most of the film is spent with outstanding practical effects and the CGI works just fine when incorporated into faux-matte backgrounds and psychedelic transformation sequences. Sure, this is a low-budget indie offering with limited resources. But that still feels like Scrooge McDuck’s fortune when you consider this probably cost about as much as the original four films combined.
The bottom line.
Complaints aside, the intersection of established Hollywood actors and Troma’s stick-it-to-the-man attitude is a sight to behold. This is one of the more interesting releases we’ve gotten in some time, and it’s hopefully an indication of more to come.
The Toxic Avenger is now playing in theaters. Watch the trailer here.
Images courtesy of Dana Gonzales/Cineverse.
REVIEW RATING
-
'THE TOXIC AVENGER' - 8/10
8/10
Brogan is a Salt Lake City-based writer and film festival programmer who has watched more Scooby-Doo than the majority of the human population. You can find him on social media at @roboteatsdino or at roboteatsdinosaur.com
