Review of The Toxic Avenger (1984) by Nik H — 19 Jun 2010

The first entry in the flagship film series from Troma Entertainment, "The Toxic Avenger" is particularly awe-inspiring in this age of over-budgeted, underwhelming blockbuster superhero movie.

Though it was made with practically no budget, "Toxic Avenger" is filled with the details so many well-funded films miss: over-the-top actors, bizarre peripheral performances and effects, and, of course, a true sense that the cast and crew are doing exactly what they want and loving every minute of it.

Toxie's (Mark Torgl) story is simple, but -- between all the encounters with criminals and the protagonist's alternately touching and hilarious romance with a sympathetic blind girl (Andree Maranda) -- "Avenger" is ultimately a subtle, vicious satire of the '80s' obsession with the skin-deep; most of the characters are perfectly content to make themselves look good on the outside while never improving the rotten hole on the inside. No more is this better exemplified than the contrast between Toxie (ugly on the outside, heart of gold on the inside) and the patrons of the health club where the protagonist used to work as a janitor (who are insane, sometimes homicidal creatures).