Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gory superhero reboot is surprisingly funny, touching.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Toxic Avenger
What's the Story?
In THE TOXIC AVENGER, Winston Gooze (Peter Dinklage) is trying his best to singlehandedly raise his stepson, Wade (Jacob Tremblay). Winston works as a janitor for BTH, a large, corrupt drug company, but struggles to make ends meet. Then he's diagnosed with a brain disease and given less than a year to live, only to discover that his company insurance plan won't pay for the medicine he needs. He confronts the CEO, Bob Garbinger (Kevin Bacon), asking for help but is cruelly rebuffed. Desperate, Winston launches a plan to steal the money from the company, but he's caught by Garbinger's brother and righthand man, Fritz (Elijah Wood). Winston is shot, and his body is dumped in a toxic waste pit. But rather than killing him, the muck gives him super strength and regenerative abilities. When the villains kidnap Wade, Toxie teams up with intrepid investigative reporter J.J. (Taylour Paige)—who's seeking revenge for what the company did to her mother—to save the day.
Is It Any Good?
This wildly surprising gem of a reboot—witty, goofy, and unexpectedly touching—is far better that it had any right to be. It's probably the best of the entire franchise. Releasing in a time when studios seem inclined to mine every half-forgotten C- and D-tier movie franchise for ideas, The Toxic Avenger might not have seemed to be one of the most promising. The original film and its three sequels, made between 1984 and 2000 by Troma Entertainment, were deliberately lowbrow gross-outs. Happily, this update fell into the hands of Macon Blair, an actor in Jeremy Saulnier's excellent crime movies Blue Ruin and Green Room, who made his own writing and directing debut with the smart, quirky comedy I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore. It's not exactly the path you'd expect to lead to Toxie, but maybe that's the reason the movie works so well.
Dinklage is another. He gives Winston a wonderfully touching empathy, humanity, and vulnerability as he raises his stepson and tries to keep a positive outlook in spite of bad news. The movie's weird humor hits just right, as when Toxie tries to use one fallen foe to lure another to meet his fate, dangling the corpse from the corner of a building ("C'mere! I've got something to tell you!"). Paige is an excellent cohort as the quietly determined J.J.; when Wade asks her, "Are you like a detective or a spy?" she replies, "No ... I'm just angry." And Bacon, Wood (with his Penguin-like makeup), and Julia Davis ("My God you people are tedious!") make a fine, wacky trio of villains. Overall, while this series traditionally aims to be irreverent, the new The Toxic Avenger also manages to be somewhat uplifting.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Toxic Avenger's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Do you consider Toxie a role model? Why, or why not? How do his violent acts mesh with his more admirable behavior?
How does the movie's message—"sometimes you gotta do something"—apply to real life? What things can we/you do?
At one point, Toxie asks, "What's the point of fighting if we can't win?" What does he mean by that? Do you agree or disagree?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 29, 2025
- On DVD or streaming : September 30, 2025
- Cast : Peter Dinklage , Taylour Paige , Jacob Tremblay
- Director : Macon Blair
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : Cineverse Entertainment , Iconic Events Releasing
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Activism , Superheroes
- Run time : 102 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong violence and gore, language throughout, sexual references and brief graphic nudity
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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