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This year’s Fantastic Fest started with a bang by showcasing the world premiere of the remake of The Toxic Avenger. Macon Blair (I Don’t Feel At Home in This World Anymore, Hold the Dark) took on both writing and directing duties to reimagine the cult classic 80’s film originally conceived by Lloyd Kaufman and Joe Ritter. In Blair’s rendition, a janitor trying to make ends meet working for a corrupt pharmaceutical company while being the sole caregiver for his step-son finds himself in a difficult situation that lands him in a pool of toxic waste. Lucky for the janitor, instead of killing him the waste transforms him into a grotesque, super-human hero for the working man able to seek vengeance on those who have wronged him.

I must first be up-front and let you all know I have not seen the original 1984 version of The Toxic Avenger, therefore I have no basis for comparison while discussing Blair’s version. That being said, I had an absolute blast with Blair’s The Toxic Avenger. It manages to perfectly balance so many different, often opposing elements in a cohesive and entertaining way. At the core of this film is the story of a man simply trying to do the right thing for the son of the woman he loved, who tragically died. Because this teenage boy isn’t his son, or even technically his step-son, the relationship is often awkward, but there is also clearly a strong bond. There is also a story of corporate corruption and greed. Our protagonist works for this corporation as a janitor, making almost no money and having the worst health insurance while the CEO lives a lavish lifestyle that quite literally costs the lives of his employees and customers. These two themes make it apparent to the audience that the stakes are high and that the story is heart-felt, relatable, and relevant to today’s world.

What gives The Toxic Avenger its signature Troma Entertainment flair is the absolutely outrageous humor. It’s a type of humor that won’t appeal to all audiences, but it definitely tickled this film critic’s funny bone. The humor is goofy, silly, and could even be described as infantile. Yet because this type of humor is combined with the more heartfelt and serious themes previously mentioned, it strikes a nice balance that works well with the plot. Some minor plot points and characters might not make the most sense, creating more than a few “wtf” moments, but because the entire film is pure insanity these points are easy to laugh off. In some of the previous Troma films I’ve seen, I often feel that the humor goes a bit too far. This is not the case with The Toxic Avenger, which goes to some pretty crazy places, but never to a place that comes across as offensive, and this is likely due to Blair’s skills both as a writer and a director.

Another aspect of The Toxic Avenger that makes it feel very much like a classic Troma film is the practical effects. This film has everything. There are mutilated bodies, severed limbs, goopy toxic sludge, mutated animals, and of course everyone’s favorite anti-hero, Toxie. The effects team really went all out to create a feast for the eyes that toes the line between humor and horror. While it’s all stunning, the two standout pieces from The Toxic Avenger are of course Toxie himself, looking delightfully grotesque, and a hilarious mutant bird that pops up a few times throughout the film. Audiences will also get a kick out of the hilarious establishing shot names for the various locations, some of the more bizarre costume choices, and the sound design that brings the goopiest moments to life.

Having a fun story with great effects can only get you so far. You also need memorable performances to make a truly great film. The Toxic Avenger has many heavy-hitters included in its cast list, some known for being in horror and others more known for their dramatic roles. Horror fans will immediately recognize Kevin Bacon (Tremors, Hollow Man), who has been making quite a comeback in the indie-horror space recently, as the deliciously corrupt Bob Garbinger. Bacon doesn’t always take on the role of the villain, but when he does he sure delivers. Other great performances that range from earnest to wacky include Jacob Tremblay (Before I Wake) as Wade, Taylour Paige (Zola) as J.J., and Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) giving us his best Penguin impression as Fritz Garbinger. Yet the most iconic performance comes from Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones, X-Men: Days of Future Past) as our very own toxic avenger, Winston. What truly makes Dinklage the perfect choice to bring Toxie back to the big screen is how he delivers the most grounded performance of all the actors, despite being covered in the most ridiculous prosthetics. There is an honesty Dinklage brings to the character, endearing the audience to Winston as he embarks on his epic, and often times disgusting, journey. It makes me hope to see Dinklage appear in many more horror films in the years to come.

Macon Blair’s reimagining of The Toxic Avenger brings all the action, gore, and laughs horror fans will want and expect, but with an unexpected emotional core at the gooey center. The film commits to being batshit crazy, and it certainly delivers on that. Yet what makes this film such a joy to watch is that it also balances the insanity with a lot of heart. That heart surely comes from Blair’s abilities as a writer/director, but it also comes from Dinklage’s performance as the audience watches him battle thugs, gangsters, and evil corporations, all while trying to be a good dad. Even if the humor and outrageous carnage doesn’t appeal to all audiences, seeing The Toxic Avenger is still guaranteed to be a memorable movie-going experience.

OVERALL RATING: 8/10