The Toxic Avenger, Part II (1989) by the Troma lunatics Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman continutes the adventures of Toxie, a nuclear waste mutant monster hero, and his attempts to maintain peace in his home town, a world of its own (especially in Part I), Tromaville. And so on. Unlike the first film with many clever and satiric elements in it, the sequel concentrates more on the not-so-clever humor and jokes and extremely over-the-top ultra gore and violence that have often been censored (the Japanese VHS, the US Tox Box DVD set and, surprisingly, the Finnish videotape RE-release are as uncut as possible & director's editions) and for a better reason than in Part I. The effects are quite splashy and nasty. There are some genuinely funny moments and bits of dialogue (especially dealing with the Japan/USA territory and cultural differences and also genuine acceptance of foreign people, something that, for example, many Hong Kong exploitation films rarely achieve or dare to do) but the spark of freshness is gone. There is also a James Bond spoof that may be funny for some; at least the long chace is well shot even though the budget for the sequel was notably higher than in the first film. Ultra gory, ultra toxic and often ultra stupid but honest trash cinema.
54 Reviews
Inferior to the original but good cheesy fun!
TalesfromTheCryptfan9 December 2007
After the original movie, mutated superhuman hero The Toxic Avenger (Ron Fazio) has been saving the town of Tromaville New Jersey and works at the Tromaville home for the blind with a new girlfriend named Claire who's also blind. However, the greedy chemical company known as "Apocalypse Inc." conducted by the evil Chairman who has plans on taking over Tromaville as Toxie goes to Japan to find his long lost father. Meanwhile in Tromaville, Apocalypse Inc. Has taken control of the town as it's bad news for Toxie but can he find his father so he can return to save Tromaville or will he fail?
Although very inferior to the 1985 cult classic that made Troma popular, it's still a funny sequel with good laughs and nice splatter here. The acting is still laughable by Troma standards especially the writing, but is missing is that Sarah the first blind chick is now replaced by another blonde bimbo named Claire and doesn't have any of the charm that the original cult masterpiece had.
It doesn't quite hold a candle to the original or "Citizen Toxie" but it's still an enjoyable sequel that isn't quite bad.
Although very inferior to the 1985 cult classic that made Troma popular, it's still a funny sequel with good laughs and nice splatter here. The acting is still laughable by Troma standards especially the writing, but is missing is that Sarah the first blind chick is now replaced by another blonde bimbo named Claire and doesn't have any of the charm that the original cult masterpiece had.
It doesn't quite hold a candle to the original or "Citizen Toxie" but it's still an enjoyable sequel that isn't quite bad.
Pass on the wasabi
westside-surfer9 August 2014
I watched part 1 a few days ago and totally blown away, so much that I craved a second helping. Toxic Avenger goes to Tokyo, the land of weirdness, has to be cool, right?
At the start something immediately stuck out. They slapped a Halloween mask on the Toxic Avenger. It seriously looks as if the make bought a mask at Target. Part one got Toxie's look perfect. How could they screw up this bad? And not just the face, his entire outfit looks slapped together.
The beginning opens up with some gory awesomeness. It's looking to be a good movie. Everything is looking good until Toxie goes to Tokyo. At that point the movie really takes a plunge. There's a few over-the-top scenes were great to watch. Everything in between those scenes seems slapped together on the spot. Maybe the film crew felt out of place in Japan.
It just didn't have the confidence of the first one. Actually, scratch that, part one is the only true Toxic Avenger movie. Part two should have paid for its dishonor in the true Japanese fashion by disemboweling itself for shaming a classic.
At the start something immediately stuck out. They slapped a Halloween mask on the Toxic Avenger. It seriously looks as if the make bought a mask at Target. Part one got Toxie's look perfect. How could they screw up this bad? And not just the face, his entire outfit looks slapped together.
The beginning opens up with some gory awesomeness. It's looking to be a good movie. Everything is looking good until Toxie goes to Tokyo. At that point the movie really takes a plunge. There's a few over-the-top scenes were great to watch. Everything in between those scenes seems slapped together on the spot. Maybe the film crew felt out of place in Japan.
It just didn't have the confidence of the first one. Actually, scratch that, part one is the only true Toxic Avenger movie. Part two should have paid for its dishonor in the true Japanese fashion by disemboweling itself for shaming a classic.
The Toxic Avenger Part II: A slight improvement
Platypuschow17 November 2018
Troma really are the pits, I was debating whether Troma or Fullmoon made the worst movies but I think I can confidently say that Troma takes the title.
With an immense catalogue of movies they're known for The Toxic Avenger and Class of Nukem High franchises above all else and I'm shocked to say I haven't seen them all.
Made 5yrs after the original Toxie gets not one but two films in the same year and this second outing is a marginal improvement on the embarassing (Yet somehow cult) original.
Toxie ventures off to Japan to find his real father while the evil Apocalypse Inc take over the town in his absence. So yeah, there is the "Plot".
Full of madcap slapstick humour I'd say about 90% of jokes not only miss the mark but miss trip backflip land on their head and urinate themselves. I like that type of humour, but it's so purile and you can tell that it was written by Kaufman! Yes if you've read any other reviews he's been mentioned in you'll understand that I think he has the talent of a Kardashian.
Interesting nugget of information, the film briefly features Michael Jai White in his very first on screen role! I'd imagine he's not proud of that but I'm sure it got better after that...............oh wait, his second role was The Toxic Avenger Part III? Poor sod!
The Good:
A couple of laughs
The Bad:
Simply not funny
Alike every Troma film it just all looks so terrible
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
Dancing in the street is a principal activity
Nobody wants to see their father in a diaper
With an immense catalogue of movies they're known for The Toxic Avenger and Class of Nukem High franchises above all else and I'm shocked to say I haven't seen them all.
Made 5yrs after the original Toxie gets not one but two films in the same year and this second outing is a marginal improvement on the embarassing (Yet somehow cult) original.
Toxie ventures off to Japan to find his real father while the evil Apocalypse Inc take over the town in his absence. So yeah, there is the "Plot".
Full of madcap slapstick humour I'd say about 90% of jokes not only miss the mark but miss trip backflip land on their head and urinate themselves. I like that type of humour, but it's so purile and you can tell that it was written by Kaufman! Yes if you've read any other reviews he's been mentioned in you'll understand that I think he has the talent of a Kardashian.
Interesting nugget of information, the film briefly features Michael Jai White in his very first on screen role! I'd imagine he's not proud of that but I'm sure it got better after that...............oh wait, his second role was The Toxic Avenger Part III? Poor sod!
The Good:
A couple of laughs
The Bad:
Simply not funny
Alike every Troma film it just all looks so terrible
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
Dancing in the street is a principal activity
Nobody wants to see their father in a diaper
Great Fun
ADAM_LLEWELLYN0428 December 2003
"I am the first hideously deformed monster hero of super human size & strength to come from New Jersey, they call me the Toxic Avenger." Total crap.
poolandrews5 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
The Toxic Avenger, Part II starts with the startling revelation that after the Toxic Aveneger (John Altamura who was apparently fired during production & replaced with Ron Fazio) had rid his home town Tromaville of evil it actually became a nice place to live. This meant that Toxie had no use as a superhero anymore & now suffers from depression & a feeling of utter uselessness (just like directors Lloyd Kaufman & Michael Herz should feel like after producing this), Toxie now works as a concierge at the 'Tromaville centre for the blind'. It's not long before trouble rears it's ugly head though, an evil chemical producing company called Apocalypse Inc. plans to take over Tromaville for some stupid insignificant reason or other but to do so they need to get rid of Toxie. After the evil chairman's (Rick Collins) first plan fails he bribes Toxie's psychiatrist (Erika Schickel) to tell him to go to Japan & see his Father. Leaving his girlfriend Claire (Phoebe Legere), his Mother (Jessica Dublin) & his home behind Toxie heads for Tokyo, Japan. Once there Toxie sets about finding his Father & a woman named Masami (Mayako Katsuragi) helps him in his quest. Meanwhile back in Tromaville Apocalypse Inc. move in for the kill & without Toxie the citizens are powerless to defend themselves. Toxie eventually finds Big Mac Bunko (Rikiya Yasuoka) whom he has been lead to believe is his Father, however Big Mac is all part of Apocalypse Inc. plans to destroy Toxie once & for all...
Produced & directed by Lloyd Kaufman & Michael Herz this follow up to the successful The Toxic Avenger (1985) basically proves the first film was a complete fluke, a lucky accident to combine the right blend of bad taste comedy, outrageous violence & so-bad-it's-good film-making, The Toxic Avenger, Part II is a load of crap in comparison. The script by by Kaufman, Phil Rivio & Gay Partington Terry with a load of 'additional material' credits does not contain one single funny moment during it's entire 102 (uncut director's cut) duration. The visual gags are terrible, Toxie walking through Tokyo with a wig & glasses to blend in for instance, or a scene where he heats up a bath with a bad guy in it & as he cooks Toxie throws in a load of vegetable's & spaghetti, a scene where he sticks electrical wires up a woman's nose, sticks an antenna in her head & a microphone in her mouth to which a Japanese radio announcer talks into, a bit where a Japanese bad guy has his nose burnt into the shape of a fish, a bit where Toxie grabs a swordfish head & uses it as a weapon, or the embarrassingly bad overacting & stupid idiotic facial expressions, a guy who literary has a fish for a head & gets turned literary into sushi, the awful comedy music & sound effects & the whole film in general is a pale imitation of what made the original mildly amusing & memorable. The bad taste gags aren't there this time round & the silly childish juvenile humour of the first is also missing, it just feels like a real step back from the original & lets not forget this is Troma here so that is most definitely a bad thing. There are a few gory fights & some serious gore & violence, at least in the supposedly uncut 102 minute version I saw, crushed heads with the bodies spurting out blood, smashed faces, intestines, roses poked in someones eyes & thorns wrapped around their throat, ripped off ears, severed arms & a very graphic & gory scene of a man being chopped to pieces. Unfortunately the special effects by Pericles Lewnes aren't particularly convincing & come mostly within the first twenty or so minutes. The acting is of embarrassing proportions as I've already mentioned. Action wise there is an ultra cheap looking car chase at the end & a few unexciting, lacklustre fights utilising cardboard ninja throwing stars at one point. Horror wise there is nothing a few gory set pieces apart. Comedy wise this is very unfunny. In fact The Toxic Avenger, Part II sucks on all levels really & to top it all off it's atrociously made as well, most of the cast appear to be people plucked from the nearest street corner, continuity is none existent, cinematography is basic point & shoot & the special effects are anything but. One or two gory scenes apart this is total crap plain & simple, do yourself a favour watch the original again instead.
Produced & directed by Lloyd Kaufman & Michael Herz this follow up to the successful The Toxic Avenger (1985) basically proves the first film was a complete fluke, a lucky accident to combine the right blend of bad taste comedy, outrageous violence & so-bad-it's-good film-making, The Toxic Avenger, Part II is a load of crap in comparison. The script by by Kaufman, Phil Rivio & Gay Partington Terry with a load of 'additional material' credits does not contain one single funny moment during it's entire 102 (uncut director's cut) duration. The visual gags are terrible, Toxie walking through Tokyo with a wig & glasses to blend in for instance, or a scene where he heats up a bath with a bad guy in it & as he cooks Toxie throws in a load of vegetable's & spaghetti, a scene where he sticks electrical wires up a woman's nose, sticks an antenna in her head & a microphone in her mouth to which a Japanese radio announcer talks into, a bit where a Japanese bad guy has his nose burnt into the shape of a fish, a bit where Toxie grabs a swordfish head & uses it as a weapon, or the embarrassingly bad overacting & stupid idiotic facial expressions, a guy who literary has a fish for a head & gets turned literary into sushi, the awful comedy music & sound effects & the whole film in general is a pale imitation of what made the original mildly amusing & memorable. The bad taste gags aren't there this time round & the silly childish juvenile humour of the first is also missing, it just feels like a real step back from the original & lets not forget this is Troma here so that is most definitely a bad thing. There are a few gory fights & some serious gore & violence, at least in the supposedly uncut 102 minute version I saw, crushed heads with the bodies spurting out blood, smashed faces, intestines, roses poked in someones eyes & thorns wrapped around their throat, ripped off ears, severed arms & a very graphic & gory scene of a man being chopped to pieces. Unfortunately the special effects by Pericles Lewnes aren't particularly convincing & come mostly within the first twenty or so minutes. The acting is of embarrassing proportions as I've already mentioned. Action wise there is an ultra cheap looking car chase at the end & a few unexciting, lacklustre fights utilising cardboard ninja throwing stars at one point. Horror wise there is nothing a few gory set pieces apart. Comedy wise this is very unfunny. In fact The Toxic Avenger, Part II sucks on all levels really & to top it all off it's atrociously made as well, most of the cast appear to be people plucked from the nearest street corner, continuity is none existent, cinematography is basic point & shoot & the special effects are anything but. One or two gory scenes apart this is total crap plain & simple, do yourself a favour watch the original again instead.
One of the dumbest films I've ever watched
awagne-2953617 February 2020
I tried to approach this one with a positive attitude but overall it felt like a waste of time. I watched this movie because I enjoyed the first Toxic Avenger a lot. My expectations for Part II were not that high, but this film was just silly.
Basically, Toxie kills a bunch of bad guys and goes to Japan to hunt down a drug lord. There were a couple of moments that made me chuckle, and that's really the only complement I can come up with.
I'm giving it 2 stars for effort; at least I could tell they tried.
Basically, Toxie kills a bunch of bad guys and goes to Japan to hunt down a drug lord. There were a couple of moments that made me chuckle, and that's really the only complement I can come up with.
I'm giving it 2 stars for effort; at least I could tell they tried.
The toxic avenger two
jeffreyc-3256717 August 2019
Have never seen the first film so this part two is hilarious. Some gore and splatter shots were quite well worth the money i spent on it. Will try and check out the rest of the films if they are still available. Cheers
I still love that this sequel is part of the whole Toxie franchise, but it's very inconsistent and riddled with trying to go the extra mile than telling a cohesive story.
bryank-0484411 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
In 1984, Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz created Troma's brand of a superhero, which was the 'Toxic Avenger'. It brought the small indie film studio into the limelight, which created an instant cult following, and made enough money to finance several further films. This superhero was a nerdy guy janitor who was bullied and picked on, but then fell into a vat of toxic waste and emerged a horribly disfigured superhero who would fight the bad guys in town.
The year 1989 came around and Kaufman and Herz decided to make sequel and a quick buck as well, and thus 'The Toxic Avenger: Part II' was born. There are a lot of fun moments here with this sequel, but Kaufman and Herz decided the more over- the-top this is, the better the film will be. That's not always the case, as is here with Part II. Instead of telling a somewhat cohesive story from start to finish and furthering along the Toxie character in their own Troma way, Kaufman and Herz decided to drag out gross out and gooey scenes too long and put together a bunch of schlocky-silly skits together with blood and guts, rather than keep the story flowing.
Don't get me wrong, there are some genuine good moments here, but they wear out there welcome rather quickly, even when the crew heads to Japan for a change of scenery. After the events of the first film, Toxie lives with his girlfriend and works at the center for the blind. The town he lives in is free of the bad guys, where everyone lives more or less a hippy lifestyle. Low and behold though, the evil people at Apocalypse Inc., the evil corporation whose sole purpose is to pollute the Earth has a new sinister plan.
However, they know that The Toxic Avenger will stand in their way of their cruel schemes, thus they try to kill Toxie. Meanwhile, Toxie is dealing with his own personal demons in addition to brutally killing the bad guys. He has sever depression and wants to know who his real father is, which sets him out on a journey via windsurfing to Japan to locate his father. It seems like Troma would have quite the character study here, but let's get serious for a minute. This is Troma, and Troma is mostly just interested in more nudity, gore, and violence.
One of the unfortunate things here is that Kaufman and Herz throw all the playing cards on the table in the first fifteen minutes of the movie in one long action scene of destruction, and the film never recovers. They literally blew their wad too early. There are a few later scenes that pack this kind of action, but it is very short lived with long gaps of slow pacing problems. In the end, I still love that this sequel is part of the whole Toxie franchise, but it's very inconsistent and riddled with trying to go the extra mile than telling a cohesive story.
The year 1989 came around and Kaufman and Herz decided to make sequel and a quick buck as well, and thus 'The Toxic Avenger: Part II' was born. There are a lot of fun moments here with this sequel, but Kaufman and Herz decided the more over- the-top this is, the better the film will be. That's not always the case, as is here with Part II. Instead of telling a somewhat cohesive story from start to finish and furthering along the Toxie character in their own Troma way, Kaufman and Herz decided to drag out gross out and gooey scenes too long and put together a bunch of schlocky-silly skits together with blood and guts, rather than keep the story flowing.
Don't get me wrong, there are some genuine good moments here, but they wear out there welcome rather quickly, even when the crew heads to Japan for a change of scenery. After the events of the first film, Toxie lives with his girlfriend and works at the center for the blind. The town he lives in is free of the bad guys, where everyone lives more or less a hippy lifestyle. Low and behold though, the evil people at Apocalypse Inc., the evil corporation whose sole purpose is to pollute the Earth has a new sinister plan.
However, they know that The Toxic Avenger will stand in their way of their cruel schemes, thus they try to kill Toxie. Meanwhile, Toxie is dealing with his own personal demons in addition to brutally killing the bad guys. He has sever depression and wants to know who his real father is, which sets him out on a journey via windsurfing to Japan to locate his father. It seems like Troma would have quite the character study here, but let's get serious for a minute. This is Troma, and Troma is mostly just interested in more nudity, gore, and violence.
One of the unfortunate things here is that Kaufman and Herz throw all the playing cards on the table in the first fifteen minutes of the movie in one long action scene of destruction, and the film never recovers. They literally blew their wad too early. There are a few later scenes that pack this kind of action, but it is very short lived with long gaps of slow pacing problems. In the end, I still love that this sequel is part of the whole Toxie franchise, but it's very inconsistent and riddled with trying to go the extra mile than telling a cohesive story.
more gore and stupidity
trashgang22 April 2016
Just seen the full uncut version of Toxic Avenger part 2 and as I wrote in my review of part 1, this is typical Troma and again this part goes even further in stupidity. What I did like was the opening part in which we do have a lot of gory moments. Thought this flick would be full of it but once the fighting starts in the opening the silly moments come in too.
And in silly I really mean parts were people can turn off their TV. Like when all kind of persons attack Melvin they even start to dance. It's Troma and it shows from there on and it even goes further once Melvin goes search for his dad in Tokyo. You will have it all, the public baths, the ninja, the sumo wrestling guys and of course a lot of nudity. I was surprised that a lot of Japanese girls go the full monty without the body being blurred in editing. Pubic hair and private parts can't be shown due their religion.
Over the top with the stupidity that's the part that I don't like but hey, there are so many out there who do like Toxie.
Gore 1,5/5 Nudity 1,5/5 Effects 2/5 Story 1/5 Comedy 0,5/5
And in silly I really mean parts were people can turn off their TV. Like when all kind of persons attack Melvin they even start to dance. It's Troma and it shows from there on and it even goes further once Melvin goes search for his dad in Tokyo. You will have it all, the public baths, the ninja, the sumo wrestling guys and of course a lot of nudity. I was surprised that a lot of Japanese girls go the full monty without the body being blurred in editing. Pubic hair and private parts can't be shown due their religion.
Over the top with the stupidity that's the part that I don't like but hey, there are so many out there who do like Toxie.
Gore 1,5/5 Nudity 1,5/5 Effects 2/5 Story 1/5 Comedy 0,5/5
Toxicology...
fmarkland3211 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Toxie returns with his blonde blind bimbo girlfriend in this sequel where Toxie has cleaned up Tromaville, but the corporate baddies arrange for Toxie to go to Japan to meet his father, who maybe evil. Empire Strikes Back this is not, but this grade zilch goofball nonsense has its moments. Ironically where as the first one felt like a superhero movie, this one actually feels like a Kung Fu movie which is odd, given the whole protagonist being a mutated monster. Indeed Toxie even learns Sumo Wrestling to cope with an anti Toxic Avenger serum. All in all the humor is less politically incorrect, and more juvenile this time around, but still stupid, but this like the first has some charm. Indeed the thing that really costs this sequel the most points (as the production values are better) is the decision to have Toxie narrate the movie which grows increasingly stale as the movie goes on.
* * Out of 4-(Fair)
* * Out of 4-(Fair)
Victim of Troma's poor marketing decisions
Taketsuo19 December 2005
Toxic Avenger part II receives a lot of flak from reviewers, and I am not surprised: Troma, in their foolishness, decided to sell the R-rated version on DVD with cover boasting an unrated cut. Ignorant consumers naturally thought this WAS the unrated cut, which is but a pile of forgettable dross with all the gleeful violence and nudity cut out by the MPAA. (and most inexplainably of all, the fate of the Japanese thug girl is completely removed, which doesn't contain any hardcore violence in the first place!) Unfortunately (or fortunately, rather) I have only heard about the notorious censored version, as I myself got the Tox Box which contained the TRUE unrated cut, and trust me when I say that it is almost on par with the first movie. The first film was a huge hit in Japan, and Troma received additional sponsorship from that very country, which is why they went there to make their film. Naturally, the plot to get Toxie to Japan is absolutely ridiculous, but that's Troma for you.
Personally, I rate this film actually higher than the first, mostly because of the much higher production values which do indeed show: gone are the pumpkin-head children and cheap gore effects, as this time we see some genuine splatter, such as a man being squeezed to death in a wheelchair, literally causing him to spill his guts...or a man being chopped up by a very distracted fish marketer!
Personally, I rate this film actually higher than the first, mostly because of the much higher production values which do indeed show: gone are the pumpkin-head children and cheap gore effects, as this time we see some genuine splatter, such as a man being squeezed to death in a wheelchair, literally causing him to spill his guts...or a man being chopped up by a very distracted fish marketer!
The Continuing Adventures of the Toxic Avenger Doubles-Down on the Crazy...
brando64729 January 2017
Time to continue my self-introduction to the world of Troma Entertainment. Reacting to vague memories from childhood of the "Toxic Crusaders" cartoon, I've taken the liberty of ordering the Toxic Avenger film series so I can see where the character originated. Plus, until now, I haven't dove into the world of Troma before. I started with THE TOXIC AVENGER and found it simplistic, crude, often stupid, but also fun and with a great indie filmmaker spirit shining through. From there, I've moved on to the second adventure of the "first superhero from New Jersey" where he travels to Japan in search of his estranged father. I don't know what happened in the five years between the release of the first film and the second but somehow the filmmakers have gotten worse at, well, movie making. What's strange about THE TOXIC AVENGER PART II is how that actually made the movie more fun than the original. The first film maintained, at least, a linear progressive storyline: local loser Melvin is tormented by the bullies of Tromaville, a prank goes awry and he becomes doused in toxic waste, and he becomes a superhero, cleaning up the local evils while defending his good name against those who believe him to be a monster. In PART II, Lloyd Kaufman and fellow screenwriter Gay Partington Terry decided people were more interested in the gory, fantastical violence than the "plot" and focused their sequel on just that. Maybe they were right. They definitely pushed the limits.
Start to finish, TOXIC AVENGER PART II is just a series of excuses to engage in fight scenes and give the Toxic Avenger chances to get creative in how he murders villains. The first twenty minutes or so of the movie are one giant action sequence when the movie's villains, Apocalypse Inc., unleash a small army of thugs on the Tromaville Home for the Blind in hopes of running off/killing its inhabitants and turning it into yet another toxic waste disposal site. Of course, the Toxic Avenger works there with his girlfriend Claire (Phoebe Legere) and the deaths of his blind friends sends him into a rage. It's an excessive opening sequence where he slaughters all manner bizarre henchmen including a martial artist, a cross-dresser (of course, because it's Troma), a little person (of course, because it's Troma), some sort of man/dog mutant, gangsters, a man in Native American garb, etc. Each one getting their own bloody mutilation. At more than 20 minutes, it's like sitting through a low-budget special effects company's sizzle reel. Remember, this is before the movie even really officially begins. Once we finally into what passes for an inciting incident, Apocalypse Inc. devises a plan to lure the Toxic Avenger away from Tromaville long enough to get their stranglehold on the population and ruin the environment (or something like that). They use the Toxic Avenger's psychiatrist to convince him he needs to travel to Japan and find his father, and the movie finally starts trudging forward.
Most of the movie's runtime is devoted to the Toxic Avenger maiming his way through Tokyo. With a higher budget and a positive response to the original film in Japan, Kaufman saw the chance for some production value. He throws in any local culture he can with the Toxic Avenger and his new friend Masami (Mayako Katsuragi) acting as our tour guides. But again, it all serves one purpose: get us to the next fight sequence. The new locale lets the filmmakers have some fun with our hero taking on ninjas, kabuki men, another cross-dresser (this one in school girl garb because Japan?), and some bizarre fish-man hybrid. I don't know, man, it's just weird. Whereas the first movie was still pretty grounded in the real world, PART II dives into goofy cartoon territory. In addition to those dog and fish mutants, Kaufman and crew make the deaths less brutal with the utter stupidity in the fight sequences. A little person compressed into a basketball, decapitated men dancing through the frame, the Toxic Avenger using starfish and swordfish as weapons in a street fight; the movie is loaded to the brim with this stuff. It's a far cry from the more hard-hitting brutality of the first movie where he'd drop gym weights on a drug dealer's head or rip a robber's arm off and beat him with it. The reason I enjoy PART II over the (arguably superior) first is because of this excess though. It knows what it is.
THE TOXIC AVENGER PART II is not a good movie. It's not even really a movie. It's somehow less of a movie than the first was, but it seems to understand that "plot" and "progression" aren't its strong points so it overcompensates with the craziness. It distracted me from the fact that absolutely nothing of interest happens in this movie by throwing a series of over-the-top fight scenes at me until the end credits. It helps you accept that the Toxic Avenger is done with a crappy rubber mask this time and that all of the dialogue is dubbed (badly). This movie is overwhelmingly dumb and it could've ended about twenty minutes sooner but, as far as my experiences with Troma are concerned, it's more entertaining.
Start to finish, TOXIC AVENGER PART II is just a series of excuses to engage in fight scenes and give the Toxic Avenger chances to get creative in how he murders villains. The first twenty minutes or so of the movie are one giant action sequence when the movie's villains, Apocalypse Inc., unleash a small army of thugs on the Tromaville Home for the Blind in hopes of running off/killing its inhabitants and turning it into yet another toxic waste disposal site. Of course, the Toxic Avenger works there with his girlfriend Claire (Phoebe Legere) and the deaths of his blind friends sends him into a rage. It's an excessive opening sequence where he slaughters all manner bizarre henchmen including a martial artist, a cross-dresser (of course, because it's Troma), a little person (of course, because it's Troma), some sort of man/dog mutant, gangsters, a man in Native American garb, etc. Each one getting their own bloody mutilation. At more than 20 minutes, it's like sitting through a low-budget special effects company's sizzle reel. Remember, this is before the movie even really officially begins. Once we finally into what passes for an inciting incident, Apocalypse Inc. devises a plan to lure the Toxic Avenger away from Tromaville long enough to get their stranglehold on the population and ruin the environment (or something like that). They use the Toxic Avenger's psychiatrist to convince him he needs to travel to Japan and find his father, and the movie finally starts trudging forward.
Most of the movie's runtime is devoted to the Toxic Avenger maiming his way through Tokyo. With a higher budget and a positive response to the original film in Japan, Kaufman saw the chance for some production value. He throws in any local culture he can with the Toxic Avenger and his new friend Masami (Mayako Katsuragi) acting as our tour guides. But again, it all serves one purpose: get us to the next fight sequence. The new locale lets the filmmakers have some fun with our hero taking on ninjas, kabuki men, another cross-dresser (this one in school girl garb because Japan?), and some bizarre fish-man hybrid. I don't know, man, it's just weird. Whereas the first movie was still pretty grounded in the real world, PART II dives into goofy cartoon territory. In addition to those dog and fish mutants, Kaufman and crew make the deaths less brutal with the utter stupidity in the fight sequences. A little person compressed into a basketball, decapitated men dancing through the frame, the Toxic Avenger using starfish and swordfish as weapons in a street fight; the movie is loaded to the brim with this stuff. It's a far cry from the more hard-hitting brutality of the first movie where he'd drop gym weights on a drug dealer's head or rip a robber's arm off and beat him with it. The reason I enjoy PART II over the (arguably superior) first is because of this excess though. It knows what it is.
THE TOXIC AVENGER PART II is not a good movie. It's not even really a movie. It's somehow less of a movie than the first was, but it seems to understand that "plot" and "progression" aren't its strong points so it overcompensates with the craziness. It distracted me from the fact that absolutely nothing of interest happens in this movie by throwing a series of over-the-top fight scenes at me until the end credits. It helps you accept that the Toxic Avenger is done with a crappy rubber mask this time and that all of the dialogue is dubbed (badly). This movie is overwhelmingly dumb and it could've ended about twenty minutes sooner but, as far as my experiences with Troma are concerned, it's more entertaining.
Just when you thought it couldn't get any zanier
ericstevenson16 September 2016
I actually appreciate how they manage to top themselves in absurdity from the last movie. What makes this film stand out is how stupid its plot is. It features the Toxic Avenger finding out his father lives in Tokyo, but it's a ploy to lure him away from his home town, so an evil corporation known as Apocalypse can take it over. What makes this really dumb is how this guy actually intends to go to Tokyo and just ask around for his dad. I think that's like the biggest city on Earth! How did anybody know these two would find each other? It gets even dumber in the climax. The villain shows off a chemical that can destroy the Toxic Avenger, but then he sends his henchmen on him.
Yeah, they just spend ten minutes of him fighting the henchman, even though this is all completely pointless because his fake father could just use the chemical on him! I don't know what emotion this movie is trying to give. There were a few entertaining little moments. I liked it when he said that if the town was destroyed, there wouldn't be a Toxic Avenger III. Granted, that's a bad thing. The original film, while not good, at least set up some interesting characters and made more sense with its wackiness. Unless you're a Troma fan, you can just skip this one. *1/2
Yeah, they just spend ten minutes of him fighting the henchman, even though this is all completely pointless because his fake father could just use the chemical on him! I don't know what emotion this movie is trying to give. There were a few entertaining little moments. I liked it when he said that if the town was destroyed, there wouldn't be a Toxic Avenger III. Granted, that's a bad thing. The original film, while not good, at least set up some interesting characters and made more sense with its wackiness. Unless you're a Troma fan, you can just skip this one. *1/2
Troma-need I say more?
Backlash00711 November 2001
This is not NEARLY as good as the first (if the first can be considered good). But where else can you see midget basketball, headless break dancing, and kabuki kung-fu? It's only in The Toxic Avenger Part II. I crack up every time I see the old lady get machine gunned out of her wheelchair. And it has a great theme song and the dubbing is wonderful. Actually it's one of the stupidest movies I've ever seen. It has some of the most ridiculous stuff ever thought up. Why is Toxie's blind girlfriend's name changed? Her name is Sara in the original, now all of a sudden she's Claire. What's the point? Has it been so long since the creators have watched the original that they just forgot her name? And the mysterious dark rider??!! I'm not even going to get into it. Quite a bit of this movie is pointless. Wait...just forget everything I have said. You weren't meant to think and watch this movie at the same time. Enjoy it for what it is: a Troma masterpiece.
Quickly becomes an absolute chore
tomgillespie200228 December 2017
Five years after he fell into a drum of toxic waste and stated taking revenge on the school bullies that had harassed him his entire life, Melvin Ferd AKA The Toxic Avenger (here renamed Melvin Junko) returned for a sequel as Troma's lucky charm. Troma are a small production company proudly trafficking in schlock, but 'Toxie', New Jersey's first and only superhero, was a surprise hit, spawning comic-books, action figures and even a stage musical. Directors Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman - also the company's founders - knew there was money to be made, and the character ended up getting three sequels. 1984's The Toxic Avenger, like Troma's fellow cult classic Class of Nuke 'Em High, was so memorable because it was funny, off-the-wall and had real heart buried deep within.
This cash-grab sequel seems to forget all of this, and in blowing its load far too early in the film, sucks all the fun out of Toxie and his crazy adventures. Having completely rid Tromaville of crime, Toxie (played by both Ron Fazio and John Altamura following the latter's dismissal), has made the town a haven, and the hideous but gentle creature with super size and strength enjoys life looking after the blind and shacking up at the junk yard with his (also blind) girlfriend Claire (Phoebe Legere). A life without crime has given Toxie a chance to reflect, and in his depressed state he decides that the only way to fill the void in his heart is by confronting his estranged father in Japan. With the good-hearted monster off to Asia in a sailboat, evil corporation Apocalypse Inc. move into town to spread toxic waste and evil in equal measures.
To give The Toxic Avenger Part II its due, there are quite a few very funny moments. A small appearance by Michael Jai White making his big-screen debut and watching the oblivious Japanese public gaze with curiosity and terror as the rubber-suited hero struts through Tokyo are some of the highlights, and an early extended fight scene is just absolutely bonkers. But Toxie's trip to Japan feels more of a diversion from the lack of care taken with the story, which is all over the place and takes way, way too long to reach its end. While some of the jokes land, around 90% fall flat on their face, with a heavy reliance on childish slapstick humour and silly costumes for cheap laughs. The daftness is quite endearing for a short period of time, but then it hits you that this is what you're getting for a whole 100 minutes, and the film quickly becomes an absolute chore.
www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com
This cash-grab sequel seems to forget all of this, and in blowing its load far too early in the film, sucks all the fun out of Toxie and his crazy adventures. Having completely rid Tromaville of crime, Toxie (played by both Ron Fazio and John Altamura following the latter's dismissal), has made the town a haven, and the hideous but gentle creature with super size and strength enjoys life looking after the blind and shacking up at the junk yard with his (also blind) girlfriend Claire (Phoebe Legere). A life without crime has given Toxie a chance to reflect, and in his depressed state he decides that the only way to fill the void in his heart is by confronting his estranged father in Japan. With the good-hearted monster off to Asia in a sailboat, evil corporation Apocalypse Inc. move into town to spread toxic waste and evil in equal measures.
To give The Toxic Avenger Part II its due, there are quite a few very funny moments. A small appearance by Michael Jai White making his big-screen debut and watching the oblivious Japanese public gaze with curiosity and terror as the rubber-suited hero struts through Tokyo are some of the highlights, and an early extended fight scene is just absolutely bonkers. But Toxie's trip to Japan feels more of a diversion from the lack of care taken with the story, which is all over the place and takes way, way too long to reach its end. While some of the jokes land, around 90% fall flat on their face, with a heavy reliance on childish slapstick humour and silly costumes for cheap laughs. The daftness is quite endearing for a short period of time, but then it hits you that this is what you're getting for a whole 100 minutes, and the film quickly becomes an absolute chore.
www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com
So bad that it is not good!
atinder14 August 2013
The first movie was bad but it still had over the top plot that was a lot of fun and some decent deaths scenes in that movie, it kind flowed really well, I was never got bored with the first movie.
How this movie was SO bad that it was NOT fun, I thought if you make sequel , you step up your came but the looks of it this series took step back,
I felt this movie looked a more cheaper then the first and I didn't the make up effect on tom, is Just looked really odd compare to the first movie.
And how did they change for blind girlfriend of Sarah to Clarie in this movie?
its start of okay but way to silly even for this series! and then kind of drag on for , i Don't how long, I was really bored with this movie, nothing much happens, He was walking around the movie looking for his China.
The last 5 minutes his start to pick and one or punches the movie ends
The death in this movie was not as good or as gory as first movie, there some bloody deaths in this movie, One funny scenes in the movie.
No where near as good as first movie,
3 out of 10
How this movie was SO bad that it was NOT fun, I thought if you make sequel , you step up your came but the looks of it this series took step back,
I felt this movie looked a more cheaper then the first and I didn't the make up effect on tom, is Just looked really odd compare to the first movie.
And how did they change for blind girlfriend of Sarah to Clarie in this movie?
its start of okay but way to silly even for this series! and then kind of drag on for , i Don't how long, I was really bored with this movie, nothing much happens, He was walking around the movie looking for his China.
The last 5 minutes his start to pick and one or punches the movie ends
The death in this movie was not as good or as gory as first movie, there some bloody deaths in this movie, One funny scenes in the movie.
No where near as good as first movie,
3 out of 10
Cartoon Madness, Men in Dresses, and mini-me + mr. T
mleskin11 October 2001
Well, here goes. I gotta say, I like Toxic 2 for a different reason from Toxic 1. Toxic 1 was horrible the first time I watched it. I saw head crusing and dying and I though...WHAT HAVE I BOUGHT? But then I watched it again and realised how funny it was. Thus, I bought Toxic Avenger two or, as I lovingly call it, Toxie In Tokyo. THis movie really looks like a comic book. Peoples heads spin, gangs of bad guys (and I mean gangs as in 30 people) continusaly pile out of a limosine. Toxie is now a little sillier, and I think they knew what kind of movie they were making. This could double as something on Cartoon Network without all the violence. Basicly, The first super human from New Jersey goes to find his father in Tokyo. Great stuff. And watch for the hillarious Dubbing. Peace Out!
Not as good as the first but still awesome fun!
LoneWolfAndCub20 December 2006
The Toxic Avenger is a hilarious, fun, gory and exciting picture that really has it all. I didn't hear a lot of good things about the second tale of Toxie which was really bad to hear. Most of this negative attitude was centered around the "unrated" DVD that was actually heavily edited. Luckily the one I got was the true Director's Cut that ran around 106 minutes. This one had pretty much everything the first one had but the main thing that annoyed me was the change of actors. It just wasn't the same, the actors from the first weren't good but they brought a charm to the characters.
The plot in this one is crazier than that of the first. This time The Toxic Avenger is lured into Tokyo, Japan by Apocalypse Inc. While he is fighting crime in Tokyo Apocalypse Inc. is reeking havoc in Tromaville. As usual, it's up to Toxie to save the day.
The "unrated" version, as talked about before, apparently omits all the gore. And boy, there's a lot of it. We see plenty of great, gory stuff like intestines getting blown out of a guy's stomach from severe wheelchair trauma, roses being shoved into a man's eyes, someone getting chopped into sushi and much, much more. And the effects are actually really good.
Please, don't go into this seriously, take your brain out and watch it. It's a lot of fun and it should please Troma fans and gorehounds alike! 3/5.
The plot in this one is crazier than that of the first. This time The Toxic Avenger is lured into Tokyo, Japan by Apocalypse Inc. While he is fighting crime in Tokyo Apocalypse Inc. is reeking havoc in Tromaville. As usual, it's up to Toxie to save the day.
The "unrated" version, as talked about before, apparently omits all the gore. And boy, there's a lot of it. We see plenty of great, gory stuff like intestines getting blown out of a guy's stomach from severe wheelchair trauma, roses being shoved into a man's eyes, someone getting chopped into sushi and much, much more. And the effects are actually really good.
Please, don't go into this seriously, take your brain out and watch it. It's a lot of fun and it should please Troma fans and gorehounds alike! 3/5.
Just didn't work this time around
mattymatt4ever30 March 2003
I enjoyed the first "Toxic Avenger," but the sequel just didn't work. There are some funny gags in the opening, involving members of the home for the blind, but past that point I was simply bored. The sequel is also filled with much quirky, low-brow humor. Only this time it's not funny! Much of the gags revolve around crusty Japanese stereotypes. Almost every Japanese character seems to be chopping fish. Does everyone in Japan chop fish? The Troma films are known for being more than a little irreverent, but if you're gonna use humor involving racial stereotypes, at least make it funny. I can't laugh if I'm handed the same crap I've seen a million times before! One thing I have to give credit for is the gratuitous nudity. There's even more gratuitous nudity than in the first. But altogether I was very disappointed, and the film ends with a tedious chase scene which had me huffing and puffing, dying for the movie to fade to black. At least there's one hilarious line from the film which had me bawling with laughter. After the villain says a line from Shakespeare to one of the local citizens, the citizen (an elderly woman) responds by saying, "F**k you--that's from David Mamet."
My score: 3 (out of 10)
My score: 3 (out of 10)
...worst of all... if Tromaville was destroyed, there'd be no Toxic Avenger 3!
lastliberal1 May 2009
You are either going to find the Toxic Avenger films funny, or incredibly stupid. Well, maybe they are so incredibly stupid that they are funny. They certainly grow on you the more you watch them.
In this second adventure, all the great stuff happens in Japan. The fish-nose bit is hilarious.
But, before Toxie gets to Japan, he fights off the evil minions that are attempting to take over Tromaville. Those who are averse to blood and guts may find his methods a little hard to take.
In japan, he finds his father, Big Mac (Rikiya Yasuoka) with the help of a girl (Mayako Katsuragi) he saved from more evildoers. His father is evil also and he meets an inglorious end at the hands of a fish market owner. Toxie dispatches all his father's henchmen, and one henchwoman (Maya Shiraki), who manages to provide some real comic relief. Lots of gore in Tromaville, and plenty of nudity in Japan.
Returning home, he sets out to clean up the mess that happened while he was gone. And, he unites with his real father.
The production values were top notch in this film. The costumes in Japan were really colorful and I can see why it was such a hit there.
In this second adventure, all the great stuff happens in Japan. The fish-nose bit is hilarious.
But, before Toxie gets to Japan, he fights off the evil minions that are attempting to take over Tromaville. Those who are averse to blood and guts may find his methods a little hard to take.
In japan, he finds his father, Big Mac (Rikiya Yasuoka) with the help of a girl (Mayako Katsuragi) he saved from more evildoers. His father is evil also and he meets an inglorious end at the hands of a fish market owner. Toxie dispatches all his father's henchmen, and one henchwoman (Maya Shiraki), who manages to provide some real comic relief. Lots of gore in Tromaville, and plenty of nudity in Japan.
Returning home, he sets out to clean up the mess that happened while he was gone. And, he unites with his real father.
The production values were top notch in this film. The costumes in Japan were really colorful and I can see why it was such a hit there.
Awful film (May contain spoilers)
m_jordan_jones8 February 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This is the worst of the toxie series by far. The acting in Tokyo is horrible and you can understand them about half the time. The major problem with this film is all the sudden changes from the original. Like there's a different girl friend of toxie's in this one or it might be the same character just with a different name and played by a different chick. Why is this film made like a Disney movie. After about fifteen minutes it starts getting good with the gore and all. There's 2 awesome killings then the movie goes straight to poop. After the films 20 minutes are up the film is bearly entertainment. H*LL IT'S BEARLY WATCHABLE. Well unless your drunk then don't watch this film. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
oooooh, phoebe I love you
hellrider16 September 2003
As with the first and third films in the toxic avenger series, I loved it. I'm not really sure why, but I found myself enjoying this more than I probably should have. Again like the 1st and 3rd it's silly, mad, daft, and pointless... but who cares! Whoever said films had to be anything more than an entertaining way to kill time is lying. Films don't have to make you think. So It's not exactly going to win awards, but that shouldn't matter. See the first three films in the series and laugh at the things you should and shouldn't and enjoy each for their ability to be completely deranged.
The Toxic Avenger Part II
Scarecrow-885 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
The "Hideously Deformed Monster Hero with Superhuman Size and Strength" returns to combat a new enemy, Apocalypse Incorporated, who have designs on destroying Tromaville, turning it into a toxic dump, returning pollutants to the environment. But, he is convinced by his shrink(..who works for Apoc Inc)to seek out his father's whereabouts in Tokyo, Japan, with Tromaville's citizens falling prey to Apoc Inc's army of malicious foot soldiers. Will Toxie find pops and return home to save the day? Or, will Apoc Inc rule Tromaville for good?
Inferior sequel to THE TOXIC AVENGER, is incredibly silly in a cartoonish way, maintaining the gore quotient including plenty of nudity and foul behavior. The film has the novelty of being set in Tokyo for a large portion of the running time, milking the fish-out-of-water formula for all it's worth as locals often stare in disbelief and fear as Toxie walks the streets seeking out the identity of his supposed father, getting help from a girl he saved from sexual assault. Toxie runs into a series of altercations with villains who work for a mob boss he mistakes for his father. The film shows Tromaville's citizens(..including the elderly, blind, and children)being accosted by the evil minions of Apoc Inc.
Unlike the previous film, the sequel is narrated by Toxie(..an annoyance in my opinion that wasn't needed)throughout. The film is essentially an ultra-violent slapstick comedy adventure with Toxie punching holes into faces, crushing bodies, ripping limbs off, the works. There are explosions, a high speed chase where Toxie commands a taxi driver to pursue a biker with a bomb, and even martial arts battles where our hero duels with Japanese thugs on Tokyo streets. The ability of directors Kaufman and Herz to find people with hideous acting is unprecedented for they succeed in casting plenty of Japanese who are just as terrible as their American counterparts. Plenty of bug-eyes and overacting, and, you betcha, not one, but TWO transvestites(..Toxie even tangles with one in Japan, who taunts him as our hero attempts to walk away)who get pummeled for their troubles. I'm happy I had the chance to see the sequel uncut for the first time, the way Herz and Kaufman intended. Seeing Toxie in Japan is as odd as the scene where Jason Voorhies stands in the middle of Times Square..that alone is worth checking this sequel out if you are a Troma fan.
Inferior sequel to THE TOXIC AVENGER, is incredibly silly in a cartoonish way, maintaining the gore quotient including plenty of nudity and foul behavior. The film has the novelty of being set in Tokyo for a large portion of the running time, milking the fish-out-of-water formula for all it's worth as locals often stare in disbelief and fear as Toxie walks the streets seeking out the identity of his supposed father, getting help from a girl he saved from sexual assault. Toxie runs into a series of altercations with villains who work for a mob boss he mistakes for his father. The film shows Tromaville's citizens(..including the elderly, blind, and children)being accosted by the evil minions of Apoc Inc.
Unlike the previous film, the sequel is narrated by Toxie(..an annoyance in my opinion that wasn't needed)throughout. The film is essentially an ultra-violent slapstick comedy adventure with Toxie punching holes into faces, crushing bodies, ripping limbs off, the works. There are explosions, a high speed chase where Toxie commands a taxi driver to pursue a biker with a bomb, and even martial arts battles where our hero duels with Japanese thugs on Tokyo streets. The ability of directors Kaufman and Herz to find people with hideous acting is unprecedented for they succeed in casting plenty of Japanese who are just as terrible as their American counterparts. Plenty of bug-eyes and overacting, and, you betcha, not one, but TWO transvestites(..Toxie even tangles with one in Japan, who taunts him as our hero attempts to walk away)who get pummeled for their troubles. I'm happy I had the chance to see the sequel uncut for the first time, the way Herz and Kaufman intended. Seeing Toxie in Japan is as odd as the scene where Jason Voorhies stands in the middle of Times Square..that alone is worth checking this sequel out if you are a Troma fan.
Tiresome Troma tripe.
BA_Harrison7 October 2017
Troma don't half churn out their movies, and every once in a while they'll make something worth watching (Tromeo and Juliet, Poultrygeist, Class of Nuke 'Em High and the original Toxic Avenger); most of the time, however, their output is puerile garbage, and The Toxic Avenger Part II is just that—a weak piece of childish crap filled with horrible characters, pathetic humour, and truly cringeworthy performances. It's intended to be wild and wacky madcap comic book entertainment for the cult movie market, but Toxie's second adventure is insufferable bilge, the extremely dumb plot seeing an evil conglomerate luring the mutated superhero to Tokyo in search of his father.
At a whopping 102 minutes, the film is a real chore to sit through and would have benefited from being at least half an hour shorter (or, indeed, never made at all). If I were forced to find some positives about the film, I guess that some of the gore effects are fun (with the dismemberment of Toxie's supposed father actually being quite gross), the frequent nudity is welcome and the chase scene at the end is fairly lively (Toxie even commandeering a hovercraft to pursue his foe), but this really is clutching at straws. I'm sure there are far better things you and I could be doing with our time than watching this drivel.
2.5 out of 10, rounded up 3 for IMDb.
At a whopping 102 minutes, the film is a real chore to sit through and would have benefited from being at least half an hour shorter (or, indeed, never made at all). If I were forced to find some positives about the film, I guess that some of the gore effects are fun (with the dismemberment of Toxie's supposed father actually being quite gross), the frequent nudity is welcome and the chase scene at the end is fairly lively (Toxie even commandeering a hovercraft to pursue his foe), but this really is clutching at straws. I'm sure there are far better things you and I could be doing with our time than watching this drivel.
2.5 out of 10, rounded up 3 for IMDb.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
