Alright, fellow tapeheads, let's rewind to 1989. You've devoured the original Toxic Avenger, that gritty, grimy masterpiece of Tromaville justice. You stumble upon the sequel box at Blockbuster – bright, maybe a little goofy looking, promising more mops, more mutants, more mayhem. You pop The Toxic Avenger Part II into the VCR, the tracking adjusts, and... things feel different. Familiar, sure, but definitely different. This isn't just another trip through the toxic waste dump; Toxie's going international!
### From Tromaville with Love (and Gore)
The setup is pure Troma logic: Our beloved hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength, Toxie (Ron Fazio taking over the physical performance, though voiced by John Altamura), is feeling down. Despite saving Tromaville countless times, he's in a funk. His therapist suggests finding his estranged father! And where is dear old Dad? Why, Japan, of course! Meanwhile, the nefarious Apocalypse Inc., led by their smarmy Chairman (Rick Collins), sees Toxie's absence as the perfect opportunity to take over Tromaville, unleashing corporate evil upon its unsuspecting weirdos. This leaves Toxie’s blind girlfriend Claire (Phoebe Legere, adding a unique, quirky energy) and the good citizens vulnerable. It’s a classic Troma setup: absurd premise, cartoonish villains, and the stage set for absolute chaos.
### That Troma Touch: Bigger, Broader, Bonkers
Let's be clear: If the first Toxic Avenger (1984) was a surprisingly dark and mean-spirited satire hiding under cheap monster makeup, Part II leans hard into the slapstick and the sheer volume of gags. Directed by Troma co-founders Michael Herz and the face of the company, Lloyd Kaufman, the film amps up the cartoon violence and dials down the original's unsettling grit. The budget feels... well, it feels like a Troma budget. But that's part of the charm, isn't it? You can practically see the seams, the duct tape holding the effects together, and the sheer audacity of trying to pull off an intercontinental adventure on pocket change.
One fascinating Retro Fun Fact: Part II and its immediate successor, The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie (also 1989), were actually filmed back-to-back. The original plan was for one epic, sprawling four-hour sequel! Market realities and distributor demands, however, led Troma to cleave the beast in two. This explains Part II's somewhat abrupt ending and why the two films feel like halves of a larger, even more unwieldy whole.
### Action, Amplified (and Occasionally Unglued)
The action in Part II is relentless, if often clumsy. Forget polished choreography; this is pure, unadulterated Troma-fu. Toxie barrels through bad guys, dismembers them with glee, and utilizes his environment (and occasionally random fish) as weaponry. The practical effects are the star here, just like we remember from hazy late-night viewings. The gore is plentiful, rubbery, and often hilarious in its excess. Exploding heads, squashed bodies, limbs flying – it’s all done with a certain cheapjack gusto that modern CGI rarely captures. Remember how visceral even fake-looking practical gore felt back then, hitting with a splattery impact that pixels often lack?
A brilliant bit of behind-the-scenes chaos involves the Japan sequences. Lacking permits (a Troma tradition!), Kaufman and crew reportedly shot much of the Tokyo footage guerrilla-style, grabbing shots quickly before anyone official could intervene. It adds an extra layer of anarchic energy to Toxie's fish-out-of-water (or perhaps monster-out-of-toxic-waste) journey through Japanese culture, depicted here with all the nuance of a Looney Tunes cartoon.
### More Jokes, Less Bite?
While Ron Fazio does a commendable job embodying the physical presence of Toxie (he even played multiple roles, including Apocalypse Inc. goons!), the character feels slightly softened, more prone to punchlines than the righteous fury of the original. Phoebe Legere's Claire is also a departure – less damsel-in-distress, more quirky performance artist. The villains of Apocalypse Inc. are corporate stooges played broadly for laughs. It’s entertaining, undeniably Troma, but some fans missed the darker edge of the original. The satire is still there, aimed squarely at corporate greed and pollution, but it’s delivered with a sledgehammer wrapped in a whoopee cushion. The pounding, synth-heavy score keeps things moving, perfectly matching the film's hyperactive energy.
Despite lukewarm critical reception compared to the groundbreaking original, The Toxic Avenger Part II found its cult following, especially on VHS. It delivered what Troma fans expected: outrageous gore, lowbrow humor, and a complete disregard for good taste. It cemented Toxie's status as a B-movie icon and kept the Troma brand alive and kicking (and splattering).
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VHS Heaven Rating: 6/10
Justification: The Toxic Avenger Part II loses some of the original's raw power and satirical bite, opting for broader comedy and more cartoonish violence. The split narrative (due to being half of a larger intended film) leaves it feeling slightly incomplete. However, it delivers heaps of low-budget, practical-effects-driven Troma insanity, features some genuinely funny (if crude) moments, and boasts that unmistakable late-80s anarchic energy. Ron Fazio fills the Toxie suit adequately, and the sheer audacity of the Japan sequences (filmed on the fly!) earns it points for sheer filmmaking nerve. It’s a must-watch for Troma completists and fans of gonzo 80s sequels, even if it doesn't quite reach the toxic highs of its predecessor.
Final Thought: It’s messier and sillier than the first trip to Tromaville, but The Toxic Avenger Part II is pure, uncut Troma energy distilled onto magnetic tape – a chaotic blast of practical gore and goofy charm that still feels gleefully defiant today.