Review of The Toxic Avenger (1984) by Timothy S — 13 Jan 2011

If "A Nightmare on Elm Street" is the film that started it all for New Line Cinema, then "The Toxic Avenger" was clearly the film that put Troma on the map (for better or worse). It set the pace for the majority of their films that would follow, but very few of them would live up to the promise of this film. And that includes all of the "Toxic" sequels. This is hardly a classic, but it does possess a lot of low-budget charm and a certain goofy silliness coupled with a lot of messy special effects and gratuitous bare breasts. That would suggest a new B-movie winner, but the film has dated over the years and a lot of the jokes fall flat.

For as adult as a of of this is, much of the humor is low-brow and only people not old enough to buy a ticket would appreciate it. I can recommend the movie, however, if for no other reason than it set the bar on Troma's brand of "nothing is sacred" humor. The go-for-broke picture leaves no one unscathed, including babies, dogs and blind women. It takes a sick person to enjoy it, and it's in those moments when it really shines.

The moments with Toxie and his seeing impaired girlfriend are very funny, and oddly enough, kind of sweet. The make-up effects are on par with what you'd expect from a movie with a low budget, but Troma heads Michael and Lloyd make the most of what they've got. Like I said earlier, they have this movie to thank for all their later success.

"The Toxic Avenger" hasn't aged well, but a lot of it remains timeless. It's just goofy and likeable enough to maintain its cult status.