The Toxic Avenger

by Mike McGranaghan

The Toxic Avenger is a remake of Troma’s 1984 horror-comedy that’s considered a trash classic – although it’s a lot more trash than classic as far as I’m concerned. The movie really defined the low-budget Troma aesthetic, which consists of attention-getting concepts, extreme violence, and an abundance of bad-taste humor. Video stores in the ‘80s were flooded with their titles, enthusiastically consumed by fans of preposterous cinema. You wouldn’t think that vibe could be replicated, especially with more money and actual stars, but writer/director Macon Blair has improbably figured out how to do it. This is one of those rare remakes that’s vastly superior to the original.

Winston Gooze (Peter Dinklage) is a mild-mannered janitor working for a chemical company. He tries to be a good single parent to his resentful stepson Wade (Jacob Tremblay). When Winston discovers he has cancer and can’t afford treatment, he desperately appeals to evil CEO Bob Garbinger (Kevin Bacon) for help. The CEO responds by having some company goons throw him into a vat of toxic waste. He emerges completely mutated and sporting new superpowers. Wielding a radioactive mop, the newly dubbed Toxic Avenger then starts cleaning up crime in the city, as a whistleblower/reporter named J.J. (Taylour Paige) pokes around, trying to figure out what his deal is.

Troma’s style is so distinct that you wouldn’t think The Toxic Avenger would work with actual movie stars and a bigger budget. Blair realizes that the key is to retain the schlocky feel that the studio’s fans adore. Rather than the cheap-o mask worn by the actor who initially played Toxie, the film utilizes higher quality prosthetics that still make the character look humorously grotesque. On a similar note, the visual effects are gory without being so sophisticated that they lose their cartoonish quality. This isn’t an overly slick production; it’s one that embraces rough edges and a modern-day sense of chintziness.

The movie also has a real sense of humor about itself. Troma-related in-jokes are everywhere, and of course there’s an obligatory cameo from Troma head Lloyd Kaufman. Outrageous comedy and even more outrageous violence are combined throughout, hence the “unrated” status. There’s something in here to make every viewer giggle and cringe, sometimes in the same beat. Nothing is off limits, nothing held back. Easily offended people need not apply.

More unexpected is the emotional component. Insanity is the name of the game, but the picture takes the Winston/Wade relationship seriously. Or at least just seriously enough to put all the craziness into context. The excellent Dinklage gives a sincere performance as Toxie, always taking care to convey that his altered state has done nothing to mute his desire to grow closer to the boy. That tiny bit of substance makes a difference, preventing the whole endeavor from being tasteless for its own sake.

Bacon hams it up beautifully, as does Elijah Wood, who plays Garbinger’s brother Fritz, a guy who looks like the love child of Riff Raff from The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Penguin. Like everyone else, they’re in on the joke, dedicated to taking the movie as far over the top as humanly possible. The Toxic Avenger is unapologetically twisted, and more fun than a barrel full of Sgt. Kabukimans.

---