Directed by:
Macon BlairCinematography:
Dana GonzalesCast:
Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Kevin Bacon, Elijah Wood, Taylour Paige, Julia Davis, Macon Blair, Sarah Niles, Jane Levy, Spencer Wilding, Jonny Coyne, Lee Eddy (more)Plots(1)
A janitor named Winston Gooze is transformed into a mutant avenger by toxic waste. (Sitges Film Festival)
Videos (1)
Reviews (2)
At its core, the Toxic Avenger is a material that is simply suited to the ultra-low-budget waters of Troma Entertainment, a studio that has never been afraid to be provocative, wild and unbridled, which was one of its main charms. Transferring him to a mid-budget project from big studio Legendary Entertainment fails already on paper. The result is wannabe edgy, but in reality it’s quite tame, tidy and unsurprising compared to the original four-film series, and I'm not even sure what type of audience it's actually targeting. What's also bizarre is that although the reboot was given a more generous budget, apart from the casting of more familiar actors, you won’t notice it, especially in terms of the action, which is notably absent. It lacks ideas, playfulness and daring (compare that to the Dadaist explosion of ideas and razor-sharp wit that is Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV). Instead, it has lots and lots of deaf spots, and also attempts at humour that hardly ever hit the ground running.
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The mainstream approach just doesn’t suit Toxie, stripping away much of his charm and essence. The result is a bipolar edgy “comic book movie” caught between two worlds – too offbeat for the general audience and not wild enough for Troma fans. The violence lacks the unrestrained playfulness of the original film. While the new Toxic Avenger delivers some inventive kills, many are reduced to just a mop swing and a blood splash. I was hoping for a more chaotic and fast-paced ride, but that punk spirit is missing, and it shows. It’s not a total disaster, but I expected a lot more.
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Gallery (7)
Photo © Legendary Entertainment / Troma Entertainment
![The Toxic Avenger - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/168/093/168093827_2fbka8.jpg)
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