0
0
Rating: 4 out of 5
I was online one day and read that Hollywood was remaking the Toxic Avenger. I have never seen the original film, or maybe I have. I think I saw one of the five sequels long ago when I was a little kid on TNT with Joe Bob Briggs. My memory is fuzzy, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t understand anything from the film and thought it was the strangest and weirdest movie I had ever seen. Fast forward to 2023, and thank you to the one and only streaming service, Tubi. I was scrolling through the many films in the library and saw the first Toxic Avenger. I was bored and decided to watch this film. I knew it was going to be a B-type, but damn, I didn’t realize it was going to be one of those films that made jokes on itself and made you rethink how movies are made.
Let me give you a mighty rundown of this film. It takes place in Tromaville, which is known as the most toxic place in America, and we are talking about toxic waste and the citizens. Working in one of the most outrageous health clubs is Melvin, a major geek or nerd who works as a janitor with his trusty mop and bucket. Melvin is bullied by the sadistic Bozo and Slug and their girlfriends Julie and Wanda. They spend their evenings playing a game where they hit and run people in empty streets for points. One day, they play a cruel trick on Melvin, where he crashes through a window and falls into a barrel of toxic waste. The toxic waste transforms Melvin into a strong but ugly monster called the Toxic Avenger. The Toxic Avenger protects the town from the many criminals. One day, the Toxic Avenger saves a bling girl named Sara from being raped, and they soon become lovers. As the reputation of the Toxic Avenger rises, and he becomes beloved by the residents, the corrupt politicians want to see him destroyed or put back in a barrel.
How can I say this? If you go into this film knowing it is made by a company known for budget B-movies with campy concepts and gruesome violence, you will not be disappointed. The opening scene should’ve let you know everything about this film. When a movie opens with a health club where people are smoking and doing all sorts of things, you know it is going to be a ride you need to strap in for. Damnit, I sure as hell wasn’t ready for the ride, but somehow, I strapped in and went on this freakin rollercoaster.
Like I said, this is a B-movie and damnit, it lived up to being one. I see the appeal of this film and why it made so many sequels. Anything this strange and over the top will have a cult following. The story is pretty straightforward, and many other films take some plot points from it. We have all seen a superhero movie where the nerd or outcast becomes a hero through strange means. This one went overboard, with the nerd falling into toxic waste. The story is similar to where the hero gains the community’s trust by taking out criminals. Also, in this film, we know the hero is straight-up hideous. How does the hero get a girlfriend?? He straight up starts dating a blind girl named Sara. Sara is straight-up beautiful. She is gorgeous and bravo, Melvin. The film has some nudity and scenes that make you scratch your head.
Let’s talk about the freakin violence because that is where this film goes over the top and is quite gruesome for a B-type movie. The first scene is when Bozo and his crew see a kid and run him over; it’s violent, but seeing them reverse and drive over the head would make your stomach nauseous. After that, most of the gruesome and violent scenes come from the Toxic Avenger when he is fighting against criminals. When he fought against the robbers in the restaurant. The robbers roll up and straight up blast a manager with a shotgun. They try to rape Sara until the Toxic Avenger comes in and saves everyone. He rips the arm off one dude, kills a man with a milkshake maker, and the other by sticking his hands in hot grease. It was crazy. Also, the homeboy killed a small woman in a dry cleaner. It was straight-up insane but entertaining. The reason is that you wonder how far this film will go in fighting crime and punishing criminals. I must bring this up. Most heroes have awesome costumes. The Toxic Avenger rolls around in a pink tutu outfit and boots. His signature card is stuffing a mop into the criminals’ mouths when they die. Once again, straight up insane.
The dialogue is so bad but so funny. Some of the dialogue is so cringe that you can’t help but laugh at it. Bozo always screams and complains because Melvin is messing up his vibe. The Toxic Avenger has some classic lines when he is punishing people. It was so funny, and I should’ve known it would be all over the place. The one-liners are so witty but so cheesy and cringe.
The Toxic Avenger is one of those films you must watch to see why it is such an over-the-top but funny B-movie. When I say it’s a B-movie, please keep your expectations at the B-movie level. If you do, you will be entertained and have fun with the movie. It is not a kid’s movie, but you will have moments to laugh at the cringe and how criminals get punished. If you need a hero, call upon the Toxic Avenger!
