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  • Movie Review: ‘The Toxic Avenger’ (2025)

    Luisa Guerreiro as “Toxie” in the action, comedy, horror film, 'The Toxic Avenger,' a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.
    Luisa Guerreiro as “Toxie” in the action, comedy, horror film, ‘The Toxic Avenger,’ a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.

    Opening in theaters on August 29th is ‘The Toxic Avenger’, which is a reboot of the 1984 cult classic and was directed by Macon Blair (‘Brothers’).

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    The film stars Peter Dinklage (‘Game of Thrones’) in the title role, as well as Jacob Tremblay (‘Room’), Taylour Paige (‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’), Elijah Wood (‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’), and Kevin Bacon (‘Footloose’).

    Related Article: San Diego Comic-Con 2025: ‘The Toxic Avenger’ Panel Brings Crazy Action

    Initial Thoughts

    Peter Dinklage as “Winston Gooze” in the action, comedy, horror film, 'The Toxic Avenger', a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.
    Peter Dinklage as “Winston Gooze” in the action, comedy, horror film, ‘The Toxic Avenger’, a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.

    While it’s not going to win any Oscars, ‘The Toxic Avenger’ reboot is the best possible updated version of the 1984 cult classic. Director Macron Blair clearly understood the assignment and delivers over-the-top action, violence, and humor, but also injects the movie with an emotional core that makes you care about the characters.

    Peter Dinklage’s performance as the pre-Toxic Avenger Winston Gooze anchors the film and creates a sympathetic character for the audience to root for. His relationship with his son played by Jacob Tremblay is the emotional heart of the film, and they are joined by hilariously over-the-top performances from the film’s villains, played by Kevin Bacon and Elijah Wood.

    Story and Direction

    Director Macon Blair at the San Diego Comic-Con premiere of 'The Toxic Avengers'. Photo: Cineverse.
    Director Macon Blair at the San Diego Comic-Con premiere of ‘The Toxic Avengers’. Photo: Cineverse.

    The movie begins by introducing us to Winston Gooze, a down on his luck janitor trying to raise his teenage stepson Wade (Jacob Tremblay), after his wife’s sudden death. Winston works at a factory owned by billionaire health guru Bob Garbinger, who with the help of a crime boss is manufacturing toxic beauty products. We also meet J.J. Doherty (Taylour Paige), an investigative journalist trying to expose Garbinger’s illegal practices after he had her mentor killed.

    With evidence in hand to ruin Garbinger, he sends a group of assassins led by his brother Fritz Garbinger (Elijah Wood) to kill J.J. But they mistakenly kill Gooze instead and dump his body in a pool of chemical waste, transforming him into the hero the Toxic Avenger (played by suit performer Luisa Guerreiro).

    Using his newfound powers, Winston becomes a local hero as the Toxic Avenger and tries to reconnect with Wade. But when Bob discovers his identity, he dispatches Fritz and an army of assassins to capture Wade and lure the Toxic Avenger to his death. Now, Winston must team up with J.J. to save Wade and stop Bob for good.

    Screenwriter/Director Macon Blair on the set of the action, comedy, horror film, 'The Toxic Avenger', a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.
    Screenwriter/Director Macon Blair on the set of the action, comedy, horror film, ‘The Toxic Avenger’, a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.

    Director Macon Blair, who helmed last year’s ‘Brothers’ and starred in ‘Blue Ruin’ and ‘Green Room’ is one filmmaker that you want to keep your eyes on. Blair has elevated the source material and delivered a script that while incorporating the tone, violence and humor of the original, focuses on the relationship between Winston and Wade, creating an emotional core for the film and forcing you care about what happens to these strange characters.

    Blair’s direction is also impressive, moving the camera in an interesting way, and using practical effects rather than VFX, which helps with the campy tone. Blair accomplishes his goal with ‘Toxic Avenger’, recapturing the strange tone and over-the-top gore and campiness of the original, while creating something new, with a real heart, that audiences can relate to.

    Cast and Performances

    (L to R) Peter Dinklage as “Winston Gooze” and Jacob Tremblay as “Wade” in the action, comedy,horror film, 'The Toxic Avenger', a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.
    (L to R) Peter Dinklage as “Winston Gooze” and Jacob Tremblay as “Wade” in the action, comedy,horror film, ‘The Toxic Avenger’, a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.

    Peter Dinklage was perfectly cast as Winston Gooze and beings so much heart and sympathy to the role. However, Dinklage’s performance as the Toxic Avenger is a voice role only, but suit performer Luisa Guerreiro does fantastic work and her performance with Dinklage’s added audio works seamlessly.

    Jacob Tremblay, who first came to fame as a child actor in films like ‘Room’ and ‘Wonder’, is now a young man and once you get over that shock, he gives a heartfelt performance as Wade. Tremblay has great chemistry with Dinklage and is at his best in their scenes together early in the film.

    Kevin Bacon as “Bob Garbinger” in the action, comedy, horror film, 'The Toxic Avenger', a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.
    Kevin Bacon as “Bob Garbinger” in the action, comedy, horror film, ‘The Toxic Avenger’, a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.

    The film’s villains are all great, including the over-the-top Kevin Bacon, who seems to be having a lot of fun chewing up the scenery. Julia Davis also gives an excellent evil performance as Bob Garbinger’s love interest and assistant, but its Elijah Wood as Fritz Garbinger that really steals the film, playing the character as a dangerous yet sympathetic villain, who is just looking for his brother’s love and approval.

    Actress Taylour Paige, last seen in ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ as Eddie Murphy’s daughter, is fine in her role but ultimately not give enough to do and gets lost in the film’s shocking moments and its various over-the-top characters.

    Final Thoughts

    Elijah Wood as “Fritz Garbinger” in the action, comedy, horror film, 'The Toxic Avenger', a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.
    Elijah Wood as “Fritz Garbinger” in the action, comedy, horror film, ‘The Toxic Avenger’, a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.

    Again, while it’s not going to win any Oscars, ‘The Toxic Avenger’ is exactly what it should be, a gore-filled, campy, over-the-top remake of the original. Director Macon Blair injects the film with enough heart for the audience to truly care about the characters, and the cast is excellent, led by a commanding performance from Peter Dinklage, and wild performances from Kevin Bacon and Elijah Wood. Fans of the original and the genre in general, should be very happy with the new film.

    ‘The Toxic Avenger’ (2025) receives a score of 75 out of 100.

    Luisa Guerreiro as “Toxie” in the action, comedy, horror film, 'The Toxic Avenger,' a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.
    Luisa Guerreiro as “Toxie” in the action, comedy, horror film, ‘The Toxic Avenger,’ a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.

    What is the plot of ‘The Toxic Avenger’?

    When a downtrodden janitor, Winston Gooze (Peter Dinklage), is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident, he’s transformed into a new kind of hero: The Toxic Avenger. Now, Toxie must rise from outcast to savior, taking on ruthless corporate overlords and corrupt forces who threaten his son (Jacob Tremblay), his friends, and his community. In a world where greed runs rampant… justice is best served radioactive.

    Who is in the cast of ‘The Toxic Avenger’?

    • Peter Dinklage as Winston Gooze / the Toxic Avenger (voice)
    • Luisa Guerreiro as the Toxic Avenger (suit performer)
    • Jacob Tremblay as Wade Gooze
    • Taylour Paige as J.J. Doherty
    • Kevin Bacon as Bob Garbinger
    • Elijah Wood as Fritz Garbinger
    • Sarah Niles as Mayor Togar
    • Julia Davis as Kissy Sturnevan
    • Julian Kostov as Budd Berserk
    • David Yow as Guthrie Stockins
    • Macon Blair as Dennis
    • Rebecca O’Mara as Shelly Gooze
    • Jonny Coyne as Thad Barkabus
    • Jane Levy as Cheerful Insurance Representative (voice)
    Luisa Guerreiro as “Toxie” in the action, comedy, horror film, 'The Toxic Avenger,' a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.
    Luisa Guerreiro as “Toxie” in the action, comedy, horror film, ‘The Toxic Avenger,’ a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.

    List of Movies and TV Shows in ‘The Toxic Avenger’ Franchise:

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Toxic Avenger’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy ‘The Toxic Avenger’ Movies On Amazon

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  • San Diego Comic-Con 2025: ‘The Toxic Avenger’ Panel

    (L to R) Peter Dinklage, Taylour Paige, Lloyd Kaufman, Macon Blair, Elijah Wood and Jacob Tremblay at the San Diego Comic-Con premiere of 'The Toxic Avengers'. Photo: Cineverse.
    (L to R) Peter Dinklage, Taylour Paige, Lloyd Kaufman, Macon Blair, Elijah Wood and Jacob Tremblay at the San Diego Comic-Con premiere of ‘The Toxic Avengers’. Photo: Cineverse.

    Preview:

    • ‘The Toxic Avenger’ landed at this year’s Comic-Con.
    • Director Macon Blair and star Peter Dinklage talked the movie up.
    • Fans were also treated to footage.

    It has taken a few years for the latest version of classic Troma character ‘The Toxic Avenger’ to make it to screens, but what better place than the San Diego Comic-Con for writer/director Macon Blair, star Peter Dinklage and other cast members to hype it up at a raucous panel?

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    Not appearing in person, but certainly there in spirit (and via video) was Kevin Bacon, who even broke into song at one point.

    “Stayin’ at home going to make you blue / You need the movies and the movies need you,” Bacon sang. “Down to the theater, try your luck / ‘Toxic Avenger,’ show the f**k up.”

    Related Article: Peter Dinklage is the Mutated Hero in the First Image of New ‘The Toxic Avenger’ Movie

    What’s the story of ‘The Toxic Avenger’?

    Peter Dinklage as “Toxie” in the action, comedy, horror film, 'The Toxic Avenger', a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.
    Peter Dinklage as “Toxie” in the action, comedy, horror film, ‘The Toxic Avenger’, a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.

    When a downtrodden janitor, Winston Gooze (Dinklage), is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident, he’s transformed into a new kind of hero: The Toxic Avenger.

    Now, Toxie must rise from outcast to savior, taking on ruthless corporate overlords and corrupt forces who threaten his son, his friends, and his community. In a world where greed runs rampant… justice is best served radioactive.

    Lloyd Kaufman on ‘The Toxic Avenger’s history

    Producer Lloyd Kaufman at the San Diego Comic-Con premiere of 'The Toxic Avengers'. Photo: Cineverse.
    Producer Lloyd Kaufman at the San Diego Comic-Con premiere of ‘The Toxic Avengers’. Photo: Cineverse.

    Lloyd Kaufman, the boss of Troma studios, who created the original Toxie (for 1984’s movie), talked about the challenges of battling censors over what was allowed.

    He recalled that the MPAA forced the company to cut 20 minutes from the original. But, as he reveals:

    “Eventually, people were able to get the director’s cut with the full head-crushing.”

    That film spawned a franchise and a cult following –– and now, has led to this brand-new take, which Kaufman happily supports.

    This was his comment on the new movie:

    “It’s everything we tried and didn’t quite get there”

    ‘The Toxic Avenger’: The Director and Stars Talk

    Director Macon Blair at the San Diego Comic-Con premiere of 'The Toxic Avengers'. Photo: Cineverse.
    Director Macon Blair at the San Diego Comic-Con premiere of ‘The Toxic Avengers’. Photo: Cineverse.

    Director Macon Blair and the cast were overjoyed to be anticipating the movie’s release after worrying that it might not see screens at all.

    Blair said he wanted to capture the spirit of the original film without matching its plot beat-for-beat, so he knew the violence had to have the goopy goodness you expect but he also wanted to match what he saw as the warm-hearted nature of the first film.

    For Dinklage, his first exposure to Toxie was via a Betamax video at a friend’s house, joking that “there’s always an older brother!” He was persuaded to take on the role because of his appreciation for Blair’s filmmaking style and the environmental message of the movie.

    And he revealed that more than 70% of his performance “over 70% of my performance” is down to actor Luisa Guerreiro, who wore the full-body suit and makeup once Winston is transformed into the Toxic Avenger.

    Here’s what Dinklage had to say:

    “That was a real exercise in trust, in relinquishing something that was important to me. She does a better me than I do of me.”

    (L to R) Peter Dinklage and Elijah Wood appear in Hall H at 2025 San Diego Comic-Con for 'The Toxic Avenger'. Photo: Cineverse.
    (L to R) Peter Dinklage and Elijah Wood appear in Hall H at 2025 San Diego Comic-Con for ‘The Toxic Avenger’. Photo: Cineverse.

    Elijah Wood, a huge fan of horror –– who has starred in and produced his fair share of the genre –– plays one of the new movie’s villains.

    He admitted e loved how this ‘Toxic Avenger’ is filled to the brim with ideas and fun and playing with the medium. But he singled out the father-son story between Dinklage and Jacob Tremblay’s characters as central to the charm of the movie.

    Finally, Blair discussed what had been added to the movie since its premiere at Fantastic Fest in 2023. But he had to somewhat talk around it for the family-friendly panel requirements:

    “We added really just one VFX shot. I believe this is an all-ages crowd. It involves a depiction of a body part and that’s going to be added for theatrical release. I think you’ll notice it.”

    When will ‘The Toxic Avenger’ be in theaters?

    Toxie will be creating vengeful havoc on big screens from August 29th.

    (L to R) Peter Dinklage, Taylour Paige, Elijah Wood and Jacob Tremblay at the San Diego Comic-Con premiere of 'The Toxic Avengers'. Photo: Cineverse.
    (L to R) Peter Dinklage, Taylour Paige, Elijah Wood and Jacob Tremblay at the San Diego Comic-Con premiere of ‘The Toxic Avengers’. Photo: Cineverse.

    Movies Featuring The Toxic Avenger:

    Buy The Toxic Avenger Movies and TV on Amazon

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  • Legendary Nabs ‘Toxic Avenger’ Movie Rights

    Legendary Nabs ‘Toxic Avenger’ Movie Rights

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    Legendary Entertainment, the studio that specializes in big budget, high concept fare like “Pacific Rim,” “300” and “Skyscraper,” have just acquired the rights to the low budget superhero franchise “The Toxic Avenger,” per Variety. Original producers Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz will executive produce this new, undoubtedly much more expensive version of the character.

    “The Toxic Avenger” originated as a 1984 drive-in movie about a mild-mannered janitor at a health spa who, after being exposed to toxic materials, becomes a mutated superhero, standing up for the meek and powerless. Herz and Kaufman directed. The original film has a lot of left-handed charm and a nicely handmade quality, combining elements of superhero films with the more raucuous, B-movie fare that Kaufman specialized in (meaning geysers of gore and lots of bare breasts). The movie was followed by two sequels in 1989 (made up of footage originally intended for a single film), “The Toxic Avenger Part II” and “The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie,” as well as a fourth film, “Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV” (released in 2000). It also inspired an animated series, “Toxic Crusaders,” and a stage musical that is still touring the world (it was last staged in London in 2017). In its own way, “The Toxic Avenger” is its own multifaceted franchise.

    Kaufman recounts in his book, which is equal parts memoir and how-to guide, “All I Needed to Know About Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger” (written with his then-protégé James Gunn), that he was courted by New Line Cinema for the big screen remake rights to “The Toxic Avenger.” He thought negotiations were going well and he was excited about the character entering the mainstream until, whoops, New Line made a different deal for a very similar set of characters, both of them altered forever by toxic waste and turned into freaky superheroes and the deal with Kaufman was off. That other deal was, of course, for “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” which became a box office sensation while “The Toxic Avenger” was reduced to relative B-movie obscurity.

    Now with the Legendary deal, it seems like Kaufman and Herz could get the big-screen Toxie adventure they’ve wanted since the late 1980s. Bring it on. The world needs him.