The Toxic Avenger
Synopsis
The corrupt mayor of Tromaville, New Jersey, sits idly by while robbers and teenage punks victimize helpless citizens. When Melvin, a nerdy janitor at the local health club, falls into toxic waste, a metamorphosis takes place. He turns into the Toxic Avenger, doer of good, and brutal mauler of evil.
Our take
The Toxic Avenger is the flagship title from the infamous American independent production company Troma. Directed by the company’s founders, this is an endlessly inspired oddity of a superhero movie—made long before the genre became rife with convention and impersonality.
Critics reviews
Troma’s basic premise is to create a low-brow aesthetic, yet one devoid of the camp and self-awareness present in works of John Waters and other filmmakers who have romanticized low culture. . . . The Toxic Avenger is a strong film, both entertaining and surprisingly dense.
David Carter
May 08, 2012
The New York Times
It may be trash, but it has a maniacally farcical sense of humor, and Tromaville’s evildoers are dispatched in ingenious ways.
Stephen Holden
April 04, 1986
Related films
Young Frankenstein
Mel Brooks, 1974
The Toxic Avenger Part II
Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman, 1989
Scary Movie
Keenen Ivory Wayans, 2000
Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.
Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman, 1990
Terror Firmer
Lloyd Kaufman, 1999
Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead
Lloyd Kaufman, 2006
Student Bodies
Mickey Rose, Michael Ritchie, 1981
Frankenhooker
Frank Henenlotter, 1990
Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger Part IV
Lloyd Kaufman, 2000