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Andree Maranda, Mitchell Cohen, Jennifer Babtist, Cindy Manion, Robert Prichard ... see more see more... , Mark Torgl , Gary Schneider , Dick Martinsen , Chris Liano , Richard Duggan , Dianna Flaherty , Doug Isbecque , Patrick Kilpatrick , Pat Ryan Jr. , Dan Snow , Barry Shapiro , Samuel Weil , David N. Weiss , Albert Pia , Norma Pratt , Xavier Barquet , Giorgio Calderone , Joe Caldrone , D.J. Calvitto , Ed Carrion , Eileen Nad Castaldi , Nathan Jon Castaldi , Nancy Compansanto , Teddy Copley , Mary Cox , Andrew Craig , Mary Ellen David , June de Young , Charles di Cagno , Brigitte Douglaston , Barbara J. Gurskey , Reuben Guss , Dolly Hall , Skip Hamra , Maxine Hayt , Dan Hogan , Vicki Juditz , Kenneth Kessler , Matt Klan , William Klan , Sarabel Levinson , Roxanne Maranda , Lisa Martinsen , Martin Scott McMann , Bruce Morton , Sherry Park , Jessica Perkins , Betty Pia , Peter Racini , Alisha Riggs , Margaret Riley (II) , Mike Russo , Ryan Sexton , Teresa Simpson , Dennis Souder , Andy Stamatin , Donna-Marie Stipo , John Stobaeus , Joe Supor Jr. , Andrea Suter , Larry Sutton , Vickie Usher , William Christopher Weiss , Cosmo Wilder , Myrna Williams , Donna Winter , Joe Zarro , Bruce Zimmerman , Curtis Joe Walker , Charles Lee , Don Costello

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, ... read more read more...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 pollution he is transformed into a pumped-up monster, heretofore known as the Toxic Avenger (Mitchell Cohen). From that moment on, TA saves damsels and others in distress by some pretty gory mauling and maiming but finds his moment of fulfillment too. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Flixster Users

59% liked it

22,682 ratings

Critics

63% liked it

16 critics

R, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Lloyd Kaufman, Michael Herz

Release Date: April 11, 1984

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DVD Release Date: November 10, 1997

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Stats: 1,493 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,493)

  • ajv2688
    January 20, 2011
    ajv2688
    The cult classic of a disgusting mutant superhero, is itself a disgusting movie. If you like absurdity and gore you'll love it.
  • theylovealexis
    November 9, 2010
    theylovealexis
    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.
  • FilmFanatik
    April 22, 2010
    FilmFanatik
    Why do I love The Toxic Avenger? Running over 10 year olds on bicycles, beating up sweet old ladies, shooting animals, sticking midgets in washing machines and having sex with blind women. Ah, Troma, bless you. :) Oh and probably the best line in movie history: "It is our destiny... read more to follow the orders!!!!"
  • puffchunk
    October 28, 2009
    puffchunk
    The more I see Troma films, the more I don't want to see any others.
  • matertenebraum
    August 28, 2009
    matertenebraum
    In the town of Tromaville New Jersey, janitor nerd Melvin Fern (Mark Torgel) has been picked on and bullied by the jocks at the Tromaville gym until a prank goes horribly wrong when he falls into a barrel of toxic chemicals. The material somehow transforms him into a muscular and... read more powerful mutant creature called "The Toxic Avenger" (Mitchell Cohen) and has a powerful instinct to kill only evil people and save Innocent people. He soon becomes the town's monster hero and falls in love with a lovely blind woman named Sarah (Andree Maranda) but the local crooks especially the wicked Mayor Belgoody (Pat Ryan Jr.) who all wants him dead.

    A brilliantly hilarious, entertaining and gory as hell horror comedy that became Troma's landmark film and made the studio the popular cult independent studio that it is today. Yes the acting is laughable and the film gets a little cheesy, but this is pure escapism at it's best! The film was originally given an "X" rating for it's extreme violence and gore such numerous head crushing and brutality. But the movie went on to become one of the greatest cult movies of all time, this is definitely a movie for those with a strong stomach and warped sense of humour.
  • 366weirdmovies
    May 26, 2009
    366weirdmovies
    A nerdy young janitor is tormented by his serial killer peers, but gets revenge when a fall into a vat of toxic waste mutates him into an avenging, mop-wielding superhero. Goofy, offensive and gory; somewhat innovative when it was first released, but not as clever or funny as i... read morets cult reputation suggests.
  • sononothing
    December 20, 2008
    sononothing
    The 1980's was full of cheesy, low budget, B-grade films that would get the occasional drive-in show in the south or a midnight show in some larger city. These films would get there cults from two things: home video and cable TV. The Toxic Avenger is probably the biggest slice of... read more '80's cheese.

    The story is about a health club mop boy named Melvin who ends up being ridiculed to the point of falling into a vat of toxic waste. He transforms into a "monster hero" whose purpose is to rid evil from the city of Tromaville.

    The Toxic Avenger isn't Citizen Kane. Let's face it, the acting sucks. The story is lukewarm and most of its audience comes from the fact that it's so overboard in the gross out category. It's like a moving B-grade comic book, always trying to push the envelope as it goes along. The vision that went into this film is what really is great about The Toxic Avenger. The entire idea that "let's go out and make a movie" isn't seen on You Tube or any of that crap. Sure, when you look at it in comparison to other movies The Toxic Avenger sucks, but it has a heart while many other films fail to have a pulse.
  • djdemersseman
    April 14, 2008
    djdemersseman
    Extremely cheesy and unnecessarily over-the-top violence with bad guys so goofy and stereotypically evil that you'd swear the Reagan administration had actually funded the making of this film. That is, if it weren't for the pro-environment and anti-government implications of this... read more film.

    My favorite moment of the film is when Toxie's pissing toxic waste in an alley and some guy pulls up in a limousine, trying to pimp a 12 year old girl to Toxie and the girl says, "You tricked me! I thought we were going to a David Bowie concert!"
  • YosemiteSamFan
    August 15, 2007
    YosemiteSamFan
    The first Toxic Avenger movie was a classic piece of trasy B-cinema! It's hilarious how a nerd janitor in a Tutu becomes a mutant superhero. It has some funny scenes.
  • mjgildea
    November 13, 2006
    mjgildea
    One of the most awesome movies ever made. If you can't appreciate this movie on one level or another, you don't have blood coarsing through your veins.

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Critic Reviews

Dave Kehr
March 28, 2007
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

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

March 28, 2007
Variety

An outlandish mix of gory violence and realistic special effects. Full Review

Stephen Holden
August 30, 2004
Stephen Holden, New York Times

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

March 28, 2007
TV Guide's Movie Guide

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. Full Review

Geoff Andrew
February 9, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

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

Ken Hanke
July 20, 2005
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

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

Marjorie Baumgarten
October 14, 2003
Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle

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. Full Review

David Nusair
August 1, 2003
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

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

Brian Mckay
March 17, 2003
Brian Mckay, eFilmCritic.com

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 Full Review

Kevin N. Laforest
September 10, 2002
Kevin N. Laforest, Montreal Film Journal

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

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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The Toxic Avenger Trivia

  • What movie was shown in a scene from the movie Slither?  Answer »
  • What famous actress made her feature film debut in "The Toxic Avenger" (1984)  Answer »
  • What cult character, featured in four movies and a cartoon show, is frequently referred to as a "hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength"?  Answer »
  • Who directed the following movies: The Toxic Avenger, Tromeo and Juliet and Terror Firmer?  Answer »
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