The first reactions to Macon Blair’s The Toxic Avenger remake are praising the film for being “bonkers” and “super gory.”
Blair’s The Toxic Avenger held its premiere as the opening film of Austin’s Fantastic Fest on September 21, 2023. A remake of Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman’s 1984 film of the same name, the movie stars Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Kevin Bacon, and Elijah Wood.
What are people saying about The Toxic Avenger remake?
Fangoria Editor-in-chief Phil Nobile Jr. said of the movie, “If 1987 Paul Verhoeven made a Troma movie instead of ROBOCOP, you might get something like Macon Blair’s THE TOXIC AVENGER. Loved it.”
Collider’s Perri Nemiroff praised The Toxic Avengers for being “bonkers” and a “bloody delight.” She wrote, “A wild concept brought (back) to life by a team of people who understand exactly what they’re making and don’t hold back. The kind of movie that functions as a hugely enjoyable and very rowdy escape, and also feels like a celebration of movie magic, of the wild things one can create with ingenuity, practical effects, and a whole lot of passion for the genre.”
Gizmodo and io9’s Germain Lussier echoed similar thoughts, saying that it has the “same over the top, hyper energy and tone of the original movie, but with more gore, disgustingly beautiful makeup and heart.” Lussier also praised Dinklage and Bacon’s performances, noting the latter of the two makes a “hilarious” villain.
The Kingcast co-host Scott Wampler simply said, “Oh my motherf*cking God,” while film critic Matt Donato wrote, “It’s as much Troma as you can fit into a ‘mainstream’ Troma remake. Super gory, super off-color, and super silly throughout. You’re gonna love or hate this one, and you’ll know pretty damn fast!”
What is The Toxic Avenger about?
“While the original film followed the fate of Melvin Ferd Junko III, who goes from zero to toxic hero in a case of bullying gone awry, Macon Blair’s contemporary take follows a hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength all his own,” the film’s synopsis reads. “Peter Dinklage stars as downtrodden janitor Winston Gooze who, after falling into a vat of toxic waste, becomes none other than The Toxic Avenger.”
Written and directed by Blair, the movie is produced by Kaufman and Herz. A wide release date has not yet been announced for The Toxic Avenger.
