The Toxic Avenger

The Toxic Avenger is a suitably gory and surprisingly funny low budget throwback to B-movies that's greatest strength comes from how consistently those jokes land. It updates the titular character for modern times effectively and is always moving quickly enough to remain a fun watch. The bad taste sensibilities are more than accounted for and it also has the required heart to be emotionally investing as well.

Peter Dinklage gets things off to a strong start thanks to his heartfelt performance as a downbeat guy who just wants to be a good dad. Once he hands over the physical work to Luisa Guerreiro, they work well together so it still feels like one character. Kevin Bacon is the fun kind of pathetic villain and Elijah Wood similarly gets some laughs out of his eccentric character. Taylour Paige does the narrative heavy lifting as well as delivering solid jokes.

Macon Blair's direction has a clear affection for this genre and when the smaller budget becomes visible it only adds to the charm. All the gore is fittingly bloody and gleefully over the top but it would've benefited from looking more practical overall. The occasionally snappy editing by Brett W. Bachman and James Thomas prevents the film from getting bogged down by the most common narrative tropes when they appear.

All of last year, I was certain that this movie wasn't ever going to be released and that was a disappointing notion. When I found out that it was going to be released in theaters unrated, I perked up.

I wouldn't say this was a hugely anticipated movie for me but I was excited. I just saw it a few hours ago and I've gotta say that it's just barely above average. The biggest problem with this movie is that a huge majority of the jokes in this movie fall flat and leave an awkward impression. It also didn't help that the tone and pacing for this movie was an absolute mess as well.

That being said, I was never bored or put off by the film. There's an amazing display of gore (even if it's hugely CGI) and sight gags as well. The whole cast also hams it the hell up which is a big plus.

I didn't hate the new Toxic Avenger but it's definitely nothing special.

C+

A remake that neither replicates nor ignores the original. Plenty of knowing jokes (New Chem High School, the St Roma's Village location, with both esses faded) and an opening animation that will feel familiar.

Peter Dinklage and Kevin Bacon having the time of their lives; Jacob Tremblay and Taylor Paige a solid rhythm section; but Elijah Wood in a sadly derivative role (Penguin / Minions bad guy). A band of musician assassins - think Insane Clown Posse / Slipknot - provide slapstick, and a subplot involving the primary villain being in hock to worse villains was entertaining.

No real attempt at moral nuance or intellectual rigour - I loved the doctor explaining the technical stuff - but great fun and well worth the time and ticket money.

There are few movie characters who embody the role of "underdog" as fully as the Toxic Avenger. A lowly janitor at a chemical facility who is thrown into the slime by his nefarious bosses, he emerges as a mutant with superhuman strength and a glowing mop which is able to corrode human skin on contact.

A remake of the surprise 1984 hit from Troma Studios, this film is nothing if not inspirational. Peter Dinklage is mesmerizing in the title role, particularly in the early scenes before he is transformed into the creature. I can't help thinking that his performance was subdued by the heavy prosthetic make-up he wears in the later scenes. Also outstanding are Kevin Bacon as the scheming boss at the chemical plant and Elijah Wood as his creepy brother - who reminded me of the character of Riff Raff from The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

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).