Troma’s signature series, The Toxic Avenger, has been revived, keeping much of the same silly atmosphere that made the original so distinct. Emmy winner Peter Dinklage steps into the shoes of Toxie himself, though his performance mainly consists of the vocal variety since Luisa Guerreiro actually plays the physical Toxie under heavy prosthetics. There’s still an indie punk rock atmosphere to this iteration of the prolific series. Though it was never exactly one of my favorites, a grungy nastiness was present that is difficult to replicate. Instead of trying, Macon Blair takes his own approach to the iconic franchise whilst keeping tongue firmly in cheek. There are definitely some flaws—Kevin Bacon’s smarmy Bob Garbinger makes a pretty forgettable villain—but this long-delayed reboot more than lives up to the hype. Thanks to a game cast and gory practical effects, The Toxic Avenger blazes a new path ahead for an enduring horror icon of the indie movie scene.
Where the original took place in Tromaville, New Jersey, this reboot shifts the action to St Roma’s Village. Certainly, a play on words, but this alteration pushes new Toxie in a direction not beholden to what came before. Reluctant janitor Winston Gooze (Dinklage) struggles to pay the rent and support his stepson, Wade (Jacob Tremblay), after the untimely death of the family matriarch. Despite life quite literally assaulting him, Winston tries anything he can to keep the mood light at home. Working for the sinister BTH Corporation should come with a stellar benefits package, but not even BTH will cover treatments for an undisclosed terminal brain condition. Winston begs corporate sleazeball Bob Garbinger for help to pay his bills. Their conversation seems sweet, yet somehow still results in Winston being shot and dumped for dead into the a toxic waste quagmire.
Though it takes some time to really get going, once Dinklage’s Winston graduates to Toxie, all bets are off. The latter half of the film fully embraces the madcap Troma energy that fans will consume with heart eyes. From the sludge emerges the new Toxic Avenger—a grotesque, veiny, bubble-fleshed mutant wielding a flaming radioactive mop. Now nearly indestructible, Toxie violently dispatches criminals, extremists, and thugs in a parade of over-the-top gore: ripped-off jaws, intestines yanked out, exploded heads, and even a dangling eyeball for good measure. Wade notices his mutated papa on a television broadcast, and realizes his disfigured dad has become a hero! As BTH races to replicate Toxie’s mutation, Toxie bonds with JJ (Taylour Paige), a journalist whose parents also died from cancer caused by BTH.
Corporate greed is the name of the game here as the evil BTH lords over St Roma’s Village with an iron fist. Toxic Avenger really goes crazy in depicting the baddies as cartoonish caricatures. As great as Bacon is, he feels somewhat wasted up until the finale finally allows him to let his freak flag fly. The standout of the bad guys might actually be Igor-esque Fritz (Elijah Wood), who appears just sleazy enough to fit right in with the rest of the crew. The zany tone could have allowed for baddies on the same preposterous level as Toxie himself, but we’ll let that slide here on account of the gnarly practical effects. That Toxie stands for a message anyone could get behind makes him even more relatable to the average Joe.
Some elements don’t quite fit together harmoniously, but when has a Troma flick ever been top tier in terms of production quality? The roughness around the edges is simply part of the package. By its very nature the film may prove divisive given the liberties it takes in reimagining this property. In the end, The Toxic Avenger is loud, grotesque, and bizarrely heartfelt in depicting its father/son relationship. Campy and gory, what else could one desire in a revamp of a deeply unserious series in the first place? Perhaps this one will lead into sequels to further explore Toxie’s crime fighting antics. In the words of a thug: are you triggered yet?
Rise from the toxic sludge of mediocrity to embrace a bold new vision of The Toxic Avenger, dripping with radioactive goo exclusively in theaters on Friday, August 29th.
