Review by Jon Donnis
Macon Blair's reboot of The Toxic Avenger is exactly the sort of noisy, grimy revival fans hoped for. It is the fifth instalment in the series and a remake of the 1984 original. The film knows what it is, an ultra-violent, black comedy that mixes cartoonish gore with broad satire and a measure of heart. It will delight those who came for the shock value and unsettle anyone expecting a straightforward superhero picture.
Peter Dinklage leads the charge as Winston Gooze, a downtrodden janitor who is transformed after a catastrophic toxic accident. Dinklage brings a steady humanity to the role. He makes Winston more than a mask of green fury. When the story asks for pathos, he supplies it. Jacob Tremblay is touching as Wade, Winston's stepson, giving the film its emotional centre.
Taylour Paige's J.J. Doherty adds fire as the whistleblower whose actions kick some of the plot into motion. Kevin Bacon is gleefully sleazy as company boss Bob Garbinger, and Elijah Wood supplies a twitchy intensity as Fritz. Luisa Guerreiro, credited as the suit performer, does the physical work of the Toxic Avenger with commitment.
The plot is straightforward, which serves the film well. There is a corrupt pharmaceutical company, BTH. There are thugs, a mob connection, a whistleblower in danger and a community under threat. From those raw ingredients Blair assembles a string of violent set-pieces, gross-out gags and darkly comic encounters. The film leans into parody more than into earnest reinvention. It is loud, filthy and frequently funny. Moments of genuine feeling sit between the carnage, so the film never becomes merely a parade of shocks.
That said, it is not flawless. The storyline is thin by design, and at times it feels like a series of skits linked by blood and bile. A few jokes overstay their welcome and the middle section can meander. At about 100 minutes the picture runs a little long for its material. If you want tight plotting and subtlety, this is not the Toxic Avenger to choose.
But those are small complaints in a film that mostly knows its audience. Blair respects the source by keeping the tone filthy and anarchic, while allowing the core relationship between Winston and Wade to give the film an emotional anchor. There are throwaway scenes that land beautifully and others that do not. Overall, the sheer commitment on screen keeps the momentum going. Performances are uniformly strong, the satire lands often enough, and the film finds a strange affection beneath its nastiness.
The Toxic Avenger is not a film for everyone. It will offend, it will shock and it will laugh at its own grotesquerie. For viewers willing to embrace that, it is a raucous, often touching reboot that pays its respects to the original while firmly staking its own claim. I score it an 8 out of 10.
Out Now at https://apple.co/4ozVYwU
