WHEN you attend a mystery movie screening in which two people walk out and half of the remaining audience give a round of applause as the credits roll, you know you have experienced something special.
When I attended last night's mystery horror movie screening, which I was 90 percent sure was the new Toxic Avenger movie, I was delighted to see Toxic Avenger: Uncut come up on the screen.
Troma films are a mixed bag, some are truly awful, but others, like the original Toxic Avenger are triumphs, launching Saturday morning cartoons and the careers of Hollywood heavy hitters like James Gunn.
I was keen to see how the iconic Toxie had been reimagined for 2025, and ultimately I was not disappointed.
The movie is gross and gory, as you would expect, but there are added layers of maturity, relevance, and heart - even among the dismembered body parts and exploding heads.
The female characters, particularly JJ played by Taylour Paige, have received a welcome upgrade in terms of depth, rather than simply being top-heavy eye candy.
Rhyl's Spencer Wilding plays two rolls in movie, a chicken-masked thug and, without giving any spoilers, the movie's grotesque final boss.
Both roles are of the type Spencer excels at, especially the raging monster that faces off against our hero in the film's climactic scenes.
Film View (PA)
Writer-director Macon Blair resuscitates the 1980s horror franchise with a starry cast and gooey prosthetics and make-up effects.
Bob Garbinger (Kevin Bacon) is the money-oriented CEO of a factory that is carelessly pumping out dangerous chemicals into the close-knit community of St Roma’s Villa.
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Residents are slowly poisoned by toxins, including widowed janitor Winston Gooze (Peter Dinklage), who works at the factory and learns he has an incurable brain condition.
Whistleblower JJ (Taylour Paige) shares devastating information about the factory’s reckless disregard for public safety and Winston undergoes a physical transformation in response to exposure to toxic ooze.
He takes on the form of a hideously deformed vigilante and wreaks havoc on Bob and his brother Fritz (Elijah Wood), leaving his stepson Wade (Jacob Tremblay) to fend for himself in the rapidly decaying town.
What I thought
Toxic Avenger is a fun and irreverent movie, with plenty of gore and laughs.
Horror in the last few years has undergone a resurgence in the mainstream, with more genre films getting cinema releases than ever.
Those expecting the slick "elevated horror" of Weapons and Together might be disappointed.
But those with affection for low budget horror movies of the 80s - including Troma's original Toxic Avenger and its sequels - with find a lot to enjoy.
With added gloss and some recognisable names and faces - most unexpectedly Julia Davies of Nighty Night and Gavin & Stacey fame - this is a cheap, cheesy B Movie that, while punching above its weight, delivers a knockout.
For me, CGI to deliver the gore was overused, but there is plenty to enjoy.
- The Toxic Avenger Uncut is certificate 18 and on general release from August 29.
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