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The Toxic Avenger Review
Image Credit: Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures
Loading...Directed by: Macon Blair
Written by: Macon Blair
Starring:
Peter Dinklage – Winston/Toxie (voice)
Luisa Guerreiro – Toxie (suit performer)
Jacob Tremblay – Wade
Taylor Paige – J.J. Doherty
Kevin Bacon – Bob Garbinger
Elijah Wood – Fritz Garbinger
Julia Davis – Kissy Sturnevan
Sunil Patel – Dr. Walla
Sarah Niles – Mayor Togar
Julian Kostov – Budd Berserk
David Yow – Guthrie Stockins
Rebecca O’Mara – Shelly Gooze
Jonny Coyne – Thad Barkabus
Running Time: 102 minutes
Not Rated
While I’ve always been a fan of Troma as a force for independent genre filmmaking, I’m not what I would consider a scholar of the studio by any stretch. I’ve seen a number of their biggest films such as (but not limited to) Class of Nuke ‘Em High, Surf Nazis Must Die, and – of course – The Toxic Avenger. But all in all, I would consider myself an appreciator than a hardcore Troma junkie.
A side effect of that casual level of appreciation is that I’m a pretty good litmus test for the new Toxic Avenger. Troma is famously (and admirably) proud of its cult status and does things other film studios, independent or not, wouldn’t touch. Macon Blair’s remake, which hits theaters on Friday after a lengthy delay reportedly caused by its extreme content, is successful in that it conjures that same “Take me or leave me” spirit in a slicker package that will play well for those seeking a heavy Troma-esque dose of gore, humor and satire.
Blair’s film follows similar beats of the 1984 original but uses them for its own journey. Winston Gooze (Peter Dinklage) is a janitor in St. Roma’s Village’s (whose faded road sign is an homage to the original’s Tromaville). St. Roma’s is dominated by BTH, a gleefully unscrupulous biotech company led by the even less scrupulous Bob Garbinger (Kevin Bacon). Winston is a widowed stepfather having issues connecting to teenager Wade (Jacon Tremblay) and works in BTH’s chemical factory, trying to keep his head down as his neighbors feel the squeeze from the local crime thugs.
When Winston finds out that he has a terminal disease and his health plan won’t cover the treatment, he tries to take matters into his own hands. That leads him to a fateful encounter with BTH whistleblower J.J. Doherty (Taylor Paige) and the thugs/punk band employed by Bob’s put-upon brother Fritz (Elijah Wood).
Winston is exposed to toxic chemicals that transform him into a superhuman hero and it’s not long before he finds himself taking on local scumbags for the sake of the town. As Winston tries to even the playing field against the evil corporation and reconnect with Wade, he comes into BTH’s crosshairs who seek to use him for their own ends.
Blair’s take on Toxie is smart to chart its own course, providing a modernized take on the original story. The times have changed but the themes are the same: corporations suck, people are often awful, and a hero with a punk aesthetic can save the day. Toxic Avenger fans will find moments to appreciate – there are Easter eggs aplenty, and moments like the restaurant hostage scene get their own 2020s spin – but you don’t have to be a devotee of the original to get into the story here.
Instead, the film finds its inroads through Winston and his relatable conflicts. Dinklage plays the role straight amidst the satirical gags, a canny choice that helps the humor stand out, and his transformation once he becomes Toxie (Dinklage does the voice while Luisa Guerreiro provides the physicality) is fun, but not without heart.
The biggest key to this film’s success is how well the cast understands the assignment. Bacon, Wood, Julia Davis and the rest of the villains lean into the absurdity – Bacon and Wood in particular are having a blast, and it’s always fun to see them stretch their genre muscles in roles like this. Meanwhile, Tremblay and Paige are playing things straight as the secondary protagonists and are able to give the film a solid enough grounding to make the absurd highs extra high.
Much has been made about the film’s violence, which was reportedly the cause of the film’s delay as studios considered it “unreleasable.” Make no mistake: this Toxie engages in some extreme retribution. Jaws go flying, brains get exposed, acidic urine comes into play – this is by no means a mainstream studio film. But there’s nothing in here that would be considered shocking to Troma fans, or even fans of distributor Cineverse’s Terrifier franchise. As hard as the studio is leaning into its Unrated status – a marketing ploy that Trom’s Lloyd Kaufman has to appreciate – this is pretty standard fare for a gory independent film and fans who are hoping for Toxie to rival Art the Clown blow for bloody blow might be a bit disappointed.
Blair does an admirable job bringing the franchise’s sensibilities to a bigger stage. The satirical jabs are there – corporations are destroying us, people who are losing their minds over diversity suck – and they’re quite funny but also aren’t exactly deep uppercuts. There’s a self-aware sense to the humor and Blair uses it well, while also including enough straight-out wacky moments that it captures the energy Troma fans will appreciate.
Blair does trip over a few potholes here and there, notably in second act’s pacing. The transition from good-hearted loser to badass hero works because of Dinklage and despite the fact that the story gets a bit disjointed then. A slight overreliance on CG for the gore effects is disappointing, but it doesn’t keep the action sequences from being a lot of fun.
The biggest question The Toxic Avenger had to answer is how well it could walk the tightrope between satisfying heavy Troma fans and appealing to a wider audience. This is most certainly not a film that’s going to appeal to everyone, and it’s likely to cause a bit of grumbling from both sides. But it’s a better movie for being able to strike a chord between those two disparate elements, finding something special in its mix of heart, humor, and viscera-spilling antics.
The Toxic Avenger premieres in theaters on August 29th.
