Movie Review: The Toxic Avenger (1984)

★★★★★

It’s gross, it’s weird, it’s hilarious and somehow, it still manages to be one of the most oddly uplifting superhero movies

Zena R.

New Jersey

Before Marvel turned superhero films into billion-dollar blockbusters, there was The Toxic Avenger, a low-budget, no-rules, R-rated fever dream from the mad minds at Troma Entertainment. Directed by Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman, this is a film that gleefully stomps on the line between good taste and bad taste, then dunks the remains in a barrel of radioactive sludge.

As a reviewer for BoxReview.com, I’ve seen plenty of cult films that lean on shock value alone, but The Toxic Avenger is more than just splatter and sleaze. Beneath the gallons of fake blood and slapstick gore, there’s a surprisingly earnest underdog story, albeit one that’s wrapped in the most chaotic package imaginable.

The Premise: From Zero to Hero (Sort Of)

Our story starts in Tromaville, New Jersey, where Melvin Ferd (Mark Torgl), a scrawny, socially awkward gym janitor, becomes the target of relentless bullying. After one prank goes too far, Melvin dives out a window and lands in a conveniently placed vat of toxic waste. Instead of dying, he mutates into a hulking, deformed vigilante (played in monster form by Mitch Cohen) with superhuman strength and a sudden taste for justice.

From there, “Toxie” sets out to clean up Tromaville literally and figuratively, smashing drug dealers, corrupt politicians, and any criminal dumb enough to cross his path.

Melvin/Toxie: Two Performances, One Character

One detail that often gets overlooked is how The Toxic Avenger essentially splits its lead role between two actors: Mark Torgl as the pre-transformation Melvin, and Mitch Cohen as the mutated Toxie.

Torgl’s Melvin is played with such wide-eyed awkwardness that you can’t help but root for him, even before he becomes a mutant. Cohen’s Toxie, meanwhile, is physically imposing but soft-spoken, voiced by Kenneth Kessler in a warm, almost gentle narrator’s tone. This contrast of brutal vigilante on the outside, decent guy on the inside is what makes the character weirdly endearing.

The Gore: Cartoonish, Not Cruel

Troma’s reputation for over-the-top violence is well-earned, but in The Toxic Avenger, the gore is so exaggerated it’s closer to live-action Looney Tunes than true horror. Heads are crushed like overripe melons, limbs fly in slow motion, and every hit seems to trigger a geyser of fluorescent blood.

What’s interesting is that the violence, while graphic, is never meant to be taken seriously; it’s part of the film’s gleeful rejection of realism. In Tromaville, bad guys aren’t arrested; they’re creatively obliterated.

A Surprisingly Effective Satire

Beneath the splatter and absurdity, The Toxic Avenger is a parody of 80s morality tales and superhero tropes. Toxie’s enemies are cartoonishly evil, corrupt cops, sleazy politicians, and sadistic gym rats, and his justice is swift, brutal, and wildly disproportionate.

It’s as if Lloyd Kaufman looked at Captain America and thought, “What if he were hideous, horribly violent, and lived in New Jersey?”

The Love Story Nobody Talks About

Yes, The Toxic Avenger has a romance subplot, and it’s actually kind of sweet. Toxie meets Sarah (Andree Maranda), a blind woman who falls for him without judgment. Their relationship is simple, earnest, and refreshingly free of the cynicism that runs through the rest of the movie.

It’s a strange thing to say about a film with this much blood and chaos, but those quieter scenes between Toxie and Sarah give the story an unexpected heart.

Tromaville: The Perfect Setting for Mayhem

Troma movies have their own strange cinematic universe, and Tromaville is the crown jewel, a fictional New Jersey town where crime, pollution, and political corruption are dialed up to cartoonish extremes.

In The Toxic Avenger, Tromaville is basically a playground for every outrageous set piece Kaufman can think of: junkyard brawls, gym room slapstick, street chases with poorly maintained cars, and a city council meeting that turns into a showdown.

The Comedy: Lowbrow but Committed

Make no mistake, the humor here is crude. We’re talking slapstick, grotesque sight gags, and jokes that push past the limits of good taste. But the key is commitment. There’s no irony, no half-hearted delivery. Every actor, no matter how small the role, seems completely on board with the madness.

The Budget as a Feature, Not a Flaw

With a budget rumored to be around $500,000, The Toxic Avenger doesn’t have slick cinematography or Hollywood polish. But instead of trying to hide its limitations, the movie embraces them. The cheap sets, uneven lighting, and occasionally awkward stunt work all add to its scrappy, DIY charm.

It’s the kind of film that reminds you cinema isn’t just about perfect technique, sometimes it’s about sheer enthusiasm and the joy of making something wild.

Why The Toxic Avenger Still Works Today

Nearly 40 years later, The Toxic Avenger is still a midnight movie staple because it’s completely unapologetic. It’s not trying to please everyone; in fact, it seems almost gleeful about alienating viewers who don’t share its warped sense of humor.

But for those who do? It’s a unique blend of superhero parody, grindhouse exploitation, and underdog revenge fantasy that hasn’t really been replicated. Even James Gunn, who started at Troma before moving to Marvel, has cited its influence.

Final Thoughts

The Toxic Avenger is the cinematic equivalent of a punk rock garage band, rough around the edges, loud, messy, and absolutely unforgettable. It’s not for the squeamish or the easily offended, but if you’re open to a gonzo mix of gore, comedy, and heart, it’s a cult classic worth experiencing.

It’s also a reminder that sometimes the most enduring heroes aren’t the ones in capes, they’re the ones in ripped tights, covered in slime, smashing evil into a bloody pulp.