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The Toxic Avenger (1985)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 5.4/10
Reviews Counted: 16
Fresh: 10 | Rotten: 6

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 3
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 0

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Average Rating: 3.1/5
User Ratings: 22,345

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Movie Info

In a crazy spoof of heroic monster movies that spawned two sequels, The Toxic Avenger is about the transformation of a mild-mannered, scrawny janitor into a thundering, muscular hero out for justice, morality, and in one case, a bit of sex. Melvin (Mark Torgl) has a job as a custodian at a work-out club where his humiliating treatment by the musclebound reaches an ugly climax in which Melvin is forced to jump out of a window. He lands in a toxic waste truck, and by some miracle of modern

R, 1 hr. 30 min.

Horror, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comedy, Cult Movies

Directed By: Lloyd Kaufman , Michael Herz

In Theaters: Apr 11, 1984 Wide

On DVD: Nov 10, 1997

Troma

The Toxic Avenger Trailer & Photos

Cast

Andree Maranda
Sara
Mitchell Cohen
The Toxic Avenger
Jennifer Babtist
Wanda
Cindy Manion
Julie
Robert Prichard
Slug
Mark Torgl
Melvin
Gary Schneider
Bozo
Dick Martinsen
Officer O'Clancy
Chris Liano
Walter Harris
Richard Duggan
Ice Cream Man
Dianna Flaherty
Teenage drug buyer
Doug Isbecque
Knuckles
Patrick Kilpatrick
Leroy
Pat Ryan Jr.
Mayor Belgoody
Dan Snow
Cigar Face
Barry Shapiro
Bruce
Samuel Weil
David N. Weiss
Chief of Police
Albert Pia
Tom Wrightson
Norma Pratt
Mrs.Haskell
Xavier Barquet
Man Killed In Mexican R...
Giorgio Calderone
Hero fan club member
Joe Caldrone
boy selling t-shirts
D.J. Calvitto
Boy On Bicycle
Ed Carrion
Policeman
Eileen Nad Castaldi
Woman In Restaurant
Nathan Jon Castaldi
Baby In Restaurant
Nancy Compansanto
Mayor's Secretary
Teddy Copley
Blonde Teeny Bopper
Mary Cox
Distressed Mother
Andrew Craig
Fred
Mary Ellen David
Woman Whose Car Gets St...
June de Young
Reporter
Charles di Cagno
Policeman
Brigitte Douglaston
Mayor's Secretary
Barbara J. Gurskey
Barbie
Reuben Guss
Dr. Snodburger
Dolly Hall
Girl In Health Club
Skip Hamra
Policeman
Maxine Hayt
Sara's Neighbor
Dan Hogan
Aerobics Instructor
Vicki Juditz
Girl In Health Club
Kenneth Kessler
Toxic Avenger
Matt Klan
Boy Hero
William Klan
Interviewer
Sarabel Levinson
Melvin's Mom
Roxanne Maranda
Girl In Restaurant
Lisa Martinsen
Hero fan club member
Martin Scott McMann
Policeman
Bruce Morton
Tony
Sherry Park
Woman In Salon
Jessica Perkins
T-Shirt Salesperson
Betty Pia
Woman In Salon
Peter Racini
policeman
Alisha Riggs
Girl In Health Club
Margaret Riley (II)
Lady Crossing Street
Mike Russo
Rico
Ryan Sexton
Johnny
Teresa Simpson
Body Builder
Dennis Souder
Drug Dealer
Andy Stamatin
Chauncey
Donna-Marie Stipo
Health Club Member
John Stobaeus
Truck Partner
Joe Supor Jr.
truck driver
Andrea Suter
Mayor's Secretary
Larry Sutton
Frank
Vickie Usher
Woman In Salon
William Christopher Weiss
Bodybuilder
Cosmo Wilder
Mayor's Secretary
Myrna Williams
The Kansas Runaway
Donna Winter
Mayor's Secretary
Joe Zarro
Mr. Wilson
Bruce Zimmerman
Policeman
Curtis Joe Walker
Policeman
Charles Lee
Nipples
Don Costello
Sara's neighbor

Critic Reviews for The Toxic Avenger

All Critics (16) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (10) | Rotten (6) | DVD (6)

Cruddy, primal, extremely violent, and fairly entertaining, it captures some of the snot-flicking spirit of the old EC comics.

March 28, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comment

Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

An outlandish mix of gory violence and realistic special effects.

March 28, 2007 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Variety

Top Critic

[It] may be trash, but it has a maniacally farcical sense of humor, and Tromaville's evildoers are dispatched in ingenious ways.

August 30, 2004 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment

Stephen Holden

New York Times

Top Critic

Though it is silly, sleazy, and graphically violent, The Toxic Avenger does hold a bit of warped charm for fans of this sort of thing.

March 28, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide

| Comments (2)

TV Guide's Movie Guide

It all falls apart after an hour, chunks of the preceding entertainment reappearing as random montages.

February 9, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

It's your basic nerd revenge fantasy, only decked out in gore and over-the-top, bad-taste gags.

July 20, 2005 Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

| Comment

Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

The Toxic Avenger tells the humorous story of a geeky weakling who is turned into a superhero when he is slimed by some toxic waste.

October 14, 2003 Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle

| Comment

Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

The Toxic Avenger is an incredibly bizarre flick, combining silly jokes with outrageous gore, but it works.

August 1, 2003 Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews

| Comment

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

It's passable entertainment for a while, but even with the short 87 minute running time it starts to feel a bit long in the tooth

March 17, 2003 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com

| Comment

Brian Mckay

eFilmCritic.com

Simply one of the most embarassingly entertaining movies I've ever seen!

September 10, 2002 Full Review Source: Montreal Film Journal

| Comment

Kevin N. Laforest

Montreal Film Journal

It has crude production values, weak humor, and an inexplicable following.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews

| Comment

Mark R. Leeper

rec.arts.movies.reviews

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Toxic Avenger

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The cult classic of a disgusting mutant superhero, is itself a disgusting movie. If you like absurdity and gore you'll love it.

September 6, 2010

AJ Verser

Super Reviewer

Wow, I don't even know where to start with this thing. It's so bad, it's good. 80's to the max. It's really cheesy, there's a lot of gore and who could forget all the boobs with tanlines?! It's weird.

November 9, 2010

Alexis Nomm

Super Reviewer

The Toxic Avenger Quotes

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