★★ (2 out of 4)
It’s every sicko kid’s fantasy: fall into a vat of chemical waste and emerge a goo-dripping superhero. Welcome to “The Toxic Avenger,” only in theaters, the fifth installment of the gross out, black comic splatter film that began with the 1984 original and went on to create a cult phenom that comes to life again at least once every generation.
The 2025 version is a keeper since it blends the gore and the giggles with a real appreciation for what came before from the infamous, B-movie folks at Troma. And what a kick to see the great Peter Dinklage sign on as Winston Gooze, the widower janitor who, after falling into that radioactive gunk, transforms into a mutant vigilante known as Toxie. Armed with his mop, the unlikely hero battles grifters, gangsters and corrupt CEOs while trying to mend his relationship with his stepson Wade, played by Jacob Tremblay, whose mom died of cancer.
In this time of scary climate change, the anti-pollution message of “The Toxic Avenger” seems spot on amid all the gore. You can feel the affection for the material in every tacky frame directed by Macon Blair, an actor who turned filmmaker with “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore ” and acquits himself here with the campy zeal every Toxie fan loves.
If you’re on the 'Toxic Avenger' wavelength, none of its flaws should you keep you from reveling in the bloodletting and the essential silliness. If you’re not, this one is not for you.
Dinklage lets us feel the frustration eating at Winston, who works the cleanup job at BT Healthstyle (BTH to you) in the town of St. Roma’s Village (there’s a Troma anagram in there somewhere). The place is really a chemical waste dump that spews contamination all over the surrounding neighborhood.
In voiceover, Winston confesses, “I didn’t want any of this. Not the grief. Not the illness. Certainly not the heroic voiceover.” The BTH poison factory is owned by Bob Garbinger (Kevin Bacon going full tilt and beyond), whose products’ side effects have left many maimed or dead or both.
Winston gets no sympathy from Garbinger, who willingly buries his employee in insurance red tape and Big Pharma gobbledygook. Revenge is on the table and it’s not pretty, though it is pretty constant. At first, the media gets on Garbinger’s case in the form of journalist Mel Ferd (Shaun Dooley) and his protégé J.J. (Taylour Paige), with Ferd ending up murdered.
Also allied with Garbinger’s posse, aka Hit Squad, is the monstercore band The Killer Nutz, managed by the CEO’s brother Fritz (Elijah Wood, going for broke) and in league with local mobster backer Thad (Jonny Coyne). Don’t worry if you can’t keep up. “The Toxic Avenger” is always in danger of coming apart at the seams, leaving dud jokes and gaping plot holes in its wake.
If you’re on the “Toxic Avenger” wavelength, none of its flaws should you keep you from reveling in the bloodletting and the essential silliness. If you’re not, this one is not for you.